Inefficiency and Influence Go Hand-in-Hand

Believe it or not, effective influence isn’t always efficient. In fact, it’s rarely so, particularly as it relates to the definition of efficient as “satisfactory and economical to use” (yep, I found that on Dictionary.com). This is especially true in Washington, D.C., where lobbyists and special interests (and even citizens) try to influence an institution designed to be completely and totally inefficient. But it is almost equally true in corporate America — perhaps even more so. Please don’t tell me that you’ve never run in to an inefficient large company. I won’t believe you.

Inside the beltway, the inefficient institution of which I speak (or type) is Congress and it will likely not shock anyone to hear that our federal government doesn’t get much done. But there are a variety of reasons for that completely unrelated to the partisanship of its members. In fact, through the constitution and the Federalist Papers, the founding fathers set up a system of government that wasn’t supposed to work. They were very successful.

If you don’t believe me, take a quick look at the constitution at www.usconstitution.net. And yes, there’s an app for that – just go to the app store and search on “constitution.” By the way, don’t let any make you PAY for the constitution! If you flip through article one, between all the “whereas-es” and “wherefores”, you’ll see that it’s really hard to get anything through the legislative process. Then add on all the rules and protocols developed through the years and, frankly, you’ve got a big old hot mess.

Consider the following:

• 271 people (1/2 the House, plus 1/2 the Senate plus the President) have to agree to the exact language of legislation before it becomes law. And that’s not counting the crazy filibuster rules in the Senate. That’s a lot of people with more than your average size egos trying to get on the same page.
• Along those lines, people who very fiercely protect the interests of very rural Alabama (for example), have to agree with people who very fiercely protect the interests of very urban New Yorkers (for example). This, as you might imagine, is never easy.
• Finally, I love the section of the Constitution stating that each House shall develop its own rules. We all know that he who creates the rules wins the game (how do we know that? Because it says that in The Influence Game). So every Congress the majority party has an opportunity to set its own rules of conduct, a recipe for frustration for the minority.

In short, inertia rules in Washington, D.C. as it does in most influence situations. To get to “yes,” you need to figure out the best ways to overcome that inertia – and note that I say the “best” ways. These aren’t necessarily the most efficient. Some tactics include:

• Learning enough about the person or institution you’re trying to move to know who ALREADY has inspired action (and figuring out how to get them on your side).
• Identifying the barriers to action and, if you can’t tear them down, at least figure out how to move around them.
• Recognizing that inertia rules and coming up with a plan B, C and D designed to generate more action.

As Steve Pearlstein, a columnist for the Washington Post, points out in his April 24^th opinion piece “Turned Off by Politics? That’s Exactly What Politicians Want,” the inefficiency is exacerbated by the whole campaign finance situation. Political donors tend to be more ideological than every day voters, so it kind of makes sense that a candidate would run to the left or right to attract more money. Unfortunately, sometimes the goal in political campaigns is not to get likeminded voters to the polls, but to keep the other side at home.

So how do we get around this? In the political arena the answer is to vote, early and often (OK, just the once). To overcome this inertia in other influence situations, take a look at the strategies noted above. If they work in Washington, D.C., it’s likely they’ll work for you.

I Love Paying My Taxes

It’s 10:30 the night before I have to write a big check to the I.R.S. and I have to keep telling myself “I love paying my taxes” over and over and over again. If you’re one of those people who don’t really enjoy paying taxes (i.e., all human beings), just repeat to yourself one (or all) of the following mantras. You may not start skipping down to the post office, but you may feel better.

I'm Investing in My Country

Do you like roads? Parks? Mail? The job our military does to keep us safe? Health care for the poor and elderly? Education? Having your garbage picked-up? Whatever your particular interest is, some portion of your tax dollars are going toward that project. If you're curious as to where your tax dollars go, check out the National Priorities Project and their interactive tax chart . Here you can enter the amount of taxes you actually paid (if it doesn't make you cry) and determine where those dollars went. Then, as you're filling out your 1040, pretend to yourself that you're making a donation to the programs you love best. You can even include that in the "memo" portion of the check - believe me, IRS workers have seen it all. That might ease the pain a little.

I'm Investing in Myself

If you're not convinced by the broader benefits to society that paying your taxes brings, think about it from a purely selfish perspective. Every minute of every day you are impacted positively by government actions. Think about it. Did you wake up this morning? If you did and heard the clock radio alarm or watched television, you were affected by FCC regulation of the radio spectrum. Did you take a shower? Clean water regulations (hopefully). Have some coffee? Trade tariffs on coffee beans. With cream? Dairy price supports. Use the restroom? You better hope there are combined sewer overflow regulations in your area. Drive on a road? Well, you get the point.

If you want to test this out, pick a day when you'll stop every few moments to write down how government impacts you (you can even use Twitter, if you're so inclined). Then, imagine that your personal tax dollars are bringing you these benefits. In fact, I'll be doing this through my Twitter feed today, so sign up to follow AdvocacyGuru and see what I come up with!

I Have the Right (and Responsibility) to Advocate on Government Spending

"But wait," you're thinking. "The main reason I don't want to pay my taxes is because government spends my money on things I don't like” or, of course, “the government wastes my money.” And, I’m not going to lie. It occasionally does – like on 800K+ parties in Las Vegas. Sure, it's all very well and good to imagine that you're spending money ONLY on those government programs that make sense to you. But as a practical matter, that isn't really the case, is it?

Well, here's the most wonderful thing about our tax system and our overall system of government. If you don't like where your tax dollars are being spent, you have a right and a responsibility to let your elected officials know! For example, if you paid $5,000 in taxes, you'll find out that $1,470 went to the military and just over $1,000 went to health services. For some people those ratios are just fine: others believe that more should be going toward non-military programs. Wherever you stand on the spectrum, let your elected officials know what you think we should be investing in as a nation. How can you do that? Here are four simple steps:

1. First, make sure you know what you're talking about. Don't rant about the huge portion of the budget being spent on foreign aid, for example. It's ½ of 1 percent. Try a site like www.usaspending.gov to be sure you've got the latest information.

2. Second, be clear about what you want. If you want a specific program cut, say so. If you want a specific tax increased or decreased, be explicit. Don't simply say "we need to pay less in taxes."

3. Third, be able to answer the question "why should this legislator listen to me?" You'll be far more compelling and persuasive if you are a constituent, if you represent constituents or if what you want connects with policy issues the lawmaker is interested in.

4. Finally, connect your "ask" to your personal story. How would what your asking for you benefit you and other constituents?

Go to www.house.gov and www.senate.gov to find and contact your specific legislators.

When All Else Fails...

If things get too stressful just try to be thankful that at least you've got some income to pay taxes on, right? There are too many Americans struggling to make ends meet (especially in this economic climate). So sit back and relax with a glass of wine - and who knows? That Cabernet or Chardonnay or even, gasp, Merlot might not have made it to your glass without some sort of taxpayer investment.

The Election Connection: Civic Engagement in an Election Year

It will not be a shock to learn that this is an election year – and not just any election year, a presidential election year. Believe it or not, as irritating as the campaigns can be, they offer tremendous opportunities to learn more about how government works (or doesn't) and to be effectively engaged. Look at it this way: if you don't AT LEAST vote in the elections, you don't get to whine about the outcome.

Following are a few things you can do to get more involved – and make a difference!

• Register to Vote – and Then Vote: The simple process if voting is hands down the most critical thing you can do to make this democracy work. We all think government is broken, but have we ever considered the possibility that citizen apathy might have something to do with that? Only about 50% of registered voters turn out to vote, even in really big election years. There’s plenty of blame to go around, for sure, but it’s kind of a chicken and egg problem. Did government officials become less responsive because we stopped talking to them? Or did we stop talking to them because they stopped responding. Probably a little bit of both, so let’s do something about our side of the issue. Go to www.rockthevote.org – and tell others to do the same!

• Learn About Candidates: There aren’t many excuses for not knowing something about the candidates before you walk in to the voting booth. At a minimum, there’s usually some sort of election guide in your local newspaper (yes, I rely on that frequently when I’m not feeling more proactive). Or, you can go to a website like the League of Women Voters (www.lwv.org) or Vote Smart (www.votesmart.org) to figure out what’s going on with the races in your area. Another great way to get a sense of candidate priorities is to follow them on social media (like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube). And if they’re not on social media that’s probably something you should know, if that sort of thing is important to you.

• Volunteer for Candidates: Once you’ve learned about candidates, if you find one you really like go do some stuff for them. Host a small “house party” and have the candidate or someone from the campaign join you. Promote them on social media networks. Phone bank and doorbell. Talk to your friends. Wave signs. If it’s important to get people in to office that you like, it’s a good idea to help them.

• Get Out the Vote: Elections are won and lost by which side gets their people to the polls. You can help by adding a “remember to vote” line to your e-mail signature, mentioning it on your voice mail, posting something on social media sites or even just saying something to your neighbor. If you’re feeling more adventurous offer to drive people to the polls or make calls. Each of these actions helps get like-minded people to the polls, which only helps your cause.

• Work the Polls: Did you know that you can volunteer at the polls to help check people in, demonstrate the voting machines and hand out those fun “I Voted” stickers? In some jurisdictions they even pay! It’s a great way to get to know people in your community as well as to manage that irritating feeling of “dang it, this line should go faster.” Check with your local board of elections for details.

In following a few of these simple steps you’ll be having more fun during the elections than you thought possible. Hey, it beats sitting in your house throwing things at the television!

Stephanie Vance, the Advocacy Guru at Advocacy Associates, is the author of five books on effective advocacy and influence, including The Influence Game. A former Capitol Hill Chief of Staff and lobbyist, she works with a wide range of groups to improve their advocacy efforts. More at www.theinfluencegame.com

Know The Arena

You have to know the rules of the game. And then you have to play it better than anyone else. Albert Einstein

While Albert Einstein’s rules were probably physics-related, in the Influence Game it’s all about knowing the rules of the arena in which you’re operating. In Washington, D.C., that’s Congress, Federal Agencies or the White House. In the business world, that may be the inner-machinations of the company you work for or that you’re trying to land as a client. In the personal world, that may be your family which, as we all know, is the hardest venue to understand. This is especially true when, like me, you say things to your significant other like “you should know why I’m upset.” Poor man. I feel sorry for him. Tactics 12 through 15 in The Influence Game cover “knowing the arena,” specifically:

• Find your decision maker: Effective influencers figure out what they want and then figure out who can get it for them. In D.C. it may be a member of Congress, the whole institution, a federal agency head or the President. The actual decision maker isn’t always who you think it is. It may, for example, be a staff person. The key is to identify who specifically needs to hear your message, and then focus on them. Asking the wrong person for what you want isn’t a good use of your time or theirs.

• Find your Plan B (and C and D) decision maker: As horribly misguided as it seems, sometimes your primary decision maker won’t agree with you. So you may need to figure out if there are other ways to achieve your goal and, if so, who makes those decisions. For example, you may not be able to get what you want through Congress, but an agency might be able to get you something pretty darn close. Always have those options in mind when starting your influence effort.

• Ask the “and next” question: I failed miserably at this once on Capitol Hill when I helped draft what should have been a very narrowly focused bill. It wound up being referred to FOUR Committees. This is the kiss of death for anything you’re trying to move through Congress. I failed because I had not asked the “and next” question – what happens to this bill after it’s drafted? And after referral? And in the Committee? And next? And next?

• Know the rules: Finally, as Albert Einstein aptly pointed out, it is essential to know the rule of the game. Whether it’s legislative procedure, the federal agency rulemaking process, how budgets are decided in a company or, in the personal setting, who is supposed to do the dishes after dinner, your understanding of the rules can make or break your influence effort.

And with that – go forth and influence!

Know What You Want Or You Will Get HOPELESSLY Lost

If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll wind up somewhere else. Yogi Berra

Yogi Berra cracks me up (as does Yogi Bear, perhaps because he’s smarter than the average bear. For those who didn’t grow up with Yogi Bear, look it up).  And it’s true that you MUST know your goal before you get started.  You may need to reassess as circumstances change, but you won’t get very far down the road if you don’t have an idea of which road you’re on or should be on.  Actually, let me correct that. You certainly CAN go very far down the wrong road, but in general it’s not going to get you anywhere near where you want to go.  I know this because I get lost a lot.

Tactics 1 through 5 in The Influence Game cover “knowing what you want,” specifically:

• Tactic 1 -- Your Effort is a Cause: Your cause may be getting a new job, gaining a sale or implementing some legislative initiative.  Whatever it is, remember that you are promoting a specific result over opposition, competition or potential objections.  That’s the very definition of a cause.
• Tactic 2 -- Know the Nature of What You’re Selling: I wrote several blog posts on this already, so all I’ll say is that you’ve got to know whether what you’re selling involves inertia or action, is controversial or easy, is a must-do or may-do decision or is short- or long-term.  If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you won’t be able to set a SMART goal (see the next tactic)
• Tactic 3 -- Set a SMART Goal:  SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.  In other words, you must know what it is you want, when you want it by, whether you have the internal resources to attain it, whether the external environment makes it possible and what the time frame is for a decision (or you would like the time frame to be)
• Tactic 4 -- Know WHY You Want What You Want (Or Why the Other Person Might Want That): “You should do what I say because I said so” works only in parental situations and even there not so much.  I can’t even get it to work with my dog.  So you’ll have to have a good reason for why you want what you’re asking for.  And if that reason relates to what the decision maker may want, you’ll be far more effective.
• Tactic 5 -- Know What You’re Talking About:  While it’s totally appropriate to say “I don’t know, but I’ll get back to you,” nothing is more frustrating than having someone try to sell you a product they know absolutely nothing about, right?  In many ways your cause is a product and you’ve got to be familiar with its nuances if you’re going to convince others to get on board.

Another baseball player named Babe Ruth knew all this about being clear on what he wanted.  He’s the one who, when he came up to bat in the 1932 World Series, pointed to a spot in the stands and hit a home run to that very spot, which won the game.  Sure, there’s some controversy over what he was pointing at and what he intended.  The key, though, is that he pointed and the ball went there.  You need to do the same.

House Budget Proposal Calls for Dramatic Cuts in FY13

The latest step in the process to determine federal funding levels for next year came this morning when House Republicans released their vision for the FY13 budget. (You may remember that the appropriations process kicked off with the release of the President’s proposal in mid-February and has continued with hearings by the Budget and Appropriations Committees of both chambers.)

Today’s proposal—announced by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI)—calls for a dramatic reduction to the overall FY13 discretionary spending limit set by the Budget Control Act last August. It proposes setting the limit at $1.028 trillion, which is $19 billion lower than the level agreed to during the debt ceiling debate.

To achieve these deficit reduction goals, the plan outlines a wide range of suggested entitlement, educational, welfare, and tax reforms. It also targets examples of what House leaders have characterized as “wasteful spending.” Overall, it attempts to place the burden of deficit reduction on domestic programs while prioritizing the preservation of defense funding.

Although it is highly unlikely that this plan will be enacted, the Ryan Budget would have resounding consequences for domestic programs. Advocacy Associates takes an in-depth look at the specific effects of these proposals on federal sustainability programs in our new subscription-based resource, the Smart Growth Reporter. This product is designed to assist smart growth organizations and sustainability-focused offices in local government with gathering, analyzing and understanding the key policies, bottom-line numbers and historical implications of the budget and appropriations process.

Sign up now to receive complimentary access to the analysis & insight included in the first report of the FY13 budget cycle.

You Don't Have to Pay to Speak, or Even be Heard

Today (March 16th), the Huffington Post linked to the video of a CBS investigation GOP Freshman and Fundraisers. This somewhat salacious piece suggested (wait, no, actually stated) that people who attend fundraisers gain the kind of access to legislators that regular citizens can only dream of. While this may seem like a "dog bites man" kind of story, it concerns me because it perpetuates the myth that you can't talk to your elected officials unless you attend a fundraiser. Believe it or not, your power of constituency is all you need to meet with, bend the ear of and, yes, even influence legislators.

How do I know this? For practically every minute of every day from about February through May, someone in my office is making appointments for advocates from all around the country to meet with policymakers. There are no fundraisers involved. The magic words are "we have a constituent in town who would like to meet with you." When we say those words, we get a meeting. Don't believe me? Here are some stats on the percentage of constituent-based meetings with legislative offices that we were able to schedule, without bribery, manipulation or lying. These are just a few of our events, but the statistics hold true for our other groups as well:

• American Association of Museums 2011: 96% of the meetings requested
• Lupus Foundation: 100% of meetings requested
• Synthetic Turf Council: 100% of meetings requested
• American Planning Association: 98% of meetings requested
• American Association of Museums 2012: 99.8% of the meetings requested
• YWCA: 100% of the meetings requested
• National Association of Electrical Distributors: 100% of the meetings requested

To me, these stats point out that you don't have to pay to speak. And if everyone keeps thinking that it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Oh, and speaking of the National Association of Electrical Distributors, here's a link to a video outlining THEIR point of view on meeting with Capitol Hill. Pretty good stuff.