The real win in a moment like this – when you have a minute or less to talk about your issue – isn’t getting the listener to ‘yes.’ Success is getting them to say ‘I want to know more.’
Category Archives: Politics
Advocacy MASTERCLASS: How to Tell a Powerful Story with John Torres
“Whether they’re the villain or the hero, you want your audience to value the characters.”
3 Ways to Put the US House Speaker Contest in Context
Our task as advocates is to not get caught up in the drama and the theatrics. Those are beyond our control. What we can control…
The Do’s and Dont’s to Survive Political Division and Help Your Cause Succeed
As I’ve chatted with advocates and volunteers since the most recent US election, one thing is clear: no one really knows what to expect in 2023. Many Americans are looking around and scratching their heads. Even those who were pleasantly surprised by the outcome are coming to the realization that we dialed up two moreContinue reading “The Do’s and Dont’s to Survive Political Division and Help Your Cause Succeed”
Stories from Congress: the one where a guy handed me a spine
Yes. He handed me a spine. I’ll say that again. Yes. A spinal cord. A protester once handed me a spinal cord. There I was, offering a friendly smile, and the guy hands me a model spinal cord – thinking he was about to embarrass me into agreeing with him on an issue. You haveContinue reading “Stories from Congress: the one where a guy handed me a spine”
A Beginner’s Guide to Building Credibility: Stop Using This One Word if You Want to Win Champions to your Cause
Effective advocates hunt for opportunities to build their credibility.
How Do We Hold Politicians Accountable?
There are no short cuts, no easy buttons, and no magic formulas to get the job done. All our field promises is an infinite game of changing players that offer new challenges each and every day.
Making Sense of, And Moving On From, the 2022 Midterm Elections
By a bit of good luck, I’ve been reading Originals by Adam Grant in the last few days. As a book about original thinking, personal development and change-making, it might not immediately strike you as a relevant read at election time. But here I am, finding myself gleaning important reminders at a time when soContinue reading “Making Sense of, And Moving On From, the 2022 Midterm Elections”
Keeping Your Head on Election Day
But Election Day isn’t a finish line – it’s a starting block. It’s the anticipation of the starting gun for a foot race. It’s getting into position to act. Successful advocates distinguish themselves by realizing that, and visualizing how they’ll react when the starting gun fires.
Become a Better Advocate: Have Hard Conversations
“How do we get our leaders to stop fighting and start working?” I cannot begin to tell you how many times I’ve been asked that question. Even working for centrist members of Congress, that sentiment came up nearly every week I was on the job. For almost a decade. I can tell you since IContinue reading “Become a Better Advocate: Have Hard Conversations”
Part of the Possible 