Entering the DC Policy Ecosystem: Top 5 Mistakes

The advocacy business is more of an art than a science, and, unfortunately, not everyone enters the policymaking space the right way.  Here are 5 common mistakes for new entrants: 

Counting Meetings: There is often a feeling that the number of meetings is important; the more meetings, the better the chances of victory.  In some cases, this could be true, but in most cases it is not.  Focusing on the right meetings, not the meeting count, is important in getting the issue across the finish line and preventing wasting time in meetings that are not useful targets. 

Creating False Deadlines: One reality that is hard to appreciate in DC is that you will never control the timing of an issue's advancement (unless you are an elected policymaker).  Creating deadlines is somewhat of a useless exercise and has the potential for upending an otherwise good strategy. 

Going Partisan: There are often feelings that focusing on the majority party is the easiest path to success. That may be the case when there are enormous majorities for one party, but otherwise that is often not the case.  In today’s reality, no legislation is reaching the President’s desk without both parties supporting the measure. A focus on one party risks alienating policymakers from the other side of the aisle…which puts your issue at risk.

Thinking Only About Floor Action: Legislation is largely finalized before it makes its way to the House or Senate floors.  Ignoring the committee process or even the earlier stages of bill development is a mistake - they are often the most important factors in both the direction of legislation and the outcome.

Doing It Alone: A solo legislative journey will get lonely and difficult quickly.  Without partners, coalitions, or aligned organizations, the advocacy effort is weakened.  The more voices, the better the outcome.