GSPM News

Get ready now for 113th Congress

by Adjunct Professor David K. Rehr, Ph.D.

Association Trends

03/22/2012

There are more than nine months left of this session of Congress. There’s still a lot to do and our government relations people need to stay fully engaged advocating on behalf of our membership.

But it is also not too early to begin thinking about the 113th Congress. In fact, insist your team begin to reach out to potentially new members right now. More than 50 members in the House have announced they are leaving, and we can expect still more retirements as congressional redistricting is finishing. Senate control also appears up for grabs. The buzz among association CEOs and many of their government relations staff is that odds are 50-50 that Republicans will take control based upon open seats and the fact that Democrats have almost three times as many incumbents to protect as Republicans. But no matter how the November elections turn out, there will be significant turnover and new faces.

So what can CEOs ask their staff to do right now to gain an edge over the thousands of other organizations and “guns for hire” lobbying shops in getting to know incoming new members of the House and Senate? And how can you execute a strategy without upsetting either the incumbent vacating the office or get caught up in partisan crossfire? 

As a first step, if you haven’t already done so, have your GR staff reach out to the four campaign committees (DCCC, DSCC, NRCC, NRSC) for the candidate contact information. Be sure you have someone assigned to stay in touch with each committee through the election, even if you don’t contribute money. Each respective committee’s mission is to get their people elected so they will be helpful.

Step two; determine which candidates you want to engage. I have the view that you should interact with as many as possible. But do the best you can, given your resources. Once you have your target lists, implement these seven ideas, which successful associations have used throughout the years:

1.  Ensure every candidate has your list of legislative priorities: It might shock you but they (or their key staff) actually read them. It is their benefit to know your issues especially if you have significant members of your association in their state or district.  Knowing your issues gives them an entrée to demonstrate to your members they know their stuff.    

2.  Connect your membership: Make a point of having one of your members develop a relationship with the candidate and their campaign. When elected, the freshman will use your member as the “go to” person on issues. That’s an asset many association CEO wish they had. 

3.  Meet the top contenders: Congressional candidates relish meeting association CEOs. Most times, they get limited time with the PAC director. But spending some of your valuable time with the candidate talking about their race, your membership and issues, and their interests, will really pay off. 

4.  Host a “meet and greet” with peers: As a candidate, meeting an association CEO is great. But what if you could meet several candidates? Candidates will remember you until the end of their congressional career. Set up meetings with your peers to spend time with a candidate. It demonstrates to the candidate that you are a power player in Washington.  

5.  Be first to provide PAC or individual financial support: We all know campaigns are extremely expensive, so be the first with your support, whether or not your association has a political action committee. I still see members of Congress who remind me that I, or the association I worked for, was the first to support them. And that’s exactly why we did it. Give early and as much as you can within the legal limits.

6.  Pick two or three candidates to help big time: Competition for time and attention of members of Congress is fierce. So too it is with candidates. Pick two or three that almost become “adopted” by your association. They will love you for it. I also saw a synergy with candidates who had backgrounds that would benefit an organization. And if they are members of your association, you should “pull out all the stops” to elect them to Congress. Nothing is more powerful than having one of your own inside the congressional club to help shape the viewpoint of their congressional colleagues.

7.  Congratulate immediately when victory is declared: Get their personal email address and/or cell number. On election night, email them or give them a quick call to congratulate them and offer your help in any way. Don’t be a bother; instead, be seen as some who cares and is helpful. The newly elected member will really appreciate it and remember.  

While CEO of the Beer Wholesalers Association, I dubbed some of these elements part of our “Get in the Door First” initiative.  It was designed to make positive first impressions on the incoming legislators and demonstrate sincere support.  And it helped the organization be recognized by FORTUNE magazine as one of the 10 most influential groups in the nation’s capital. Try these ideas. They will work for you and get you ready for when the new Congress is sworn in next year.

Rehr is the former CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters and the National Beer Wholesalers Association. He is an adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University. Contact him at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Campaign Amateurs and Campaign Pros (Re: Last Night's Elections)

by Dr. Michael Cornfield

duckrabbitpolitics

If you are a campaign amateur, interested in and even passionate about politics, you might be concluding from the way last night's results have been reported and discussed that Santorum gained on Romney.

Wrong.  Romney won more delegates last night than Santorum.

And the way Romney won them illustrates the difference between a pro and an amateur.  For example: Santorum won the most votes in Alabama, and in the narrative perspective typical of amateurs, this counts as an advance.  Over Gingrich, yes.  But Santorum only picked up six more delegates than Romney (16-10).

Meanwhile, in the Virgin Islands, only six voters showed up at the caucus.  Not an economical move for the media to cover (although Lord knows who wouldn't want to be sent there instead of Alabama!).  But Romney earned seven delegates on the strength of having four of those six voters choose him.  Santorum earned none.  (h/t Alan Abramowitz)

So, if you're scoring at home: Romney nets one delegate from the combined results of Alabama and Virgin Islands.

Eyes on the cameras: amateur.  Eyes on the prize: pro.

By the way-- we owe the conceptual distinction between an amateur and a pro to James Q. Wilson.

Your job is to create a great board

by Adjunct Professor David K. Rehr, Ph.D.

03/08/2012

The 72,000 trade associations all have one thing in common – the CEO and the association staff all ultimately report (and work for) a board of directors.

Let’s face it. As CEOs, we have all worked for great boards, with capable and successful individuals who passionately care about the association, its membership, and the industry the trade association represents. But in our drive for success, we sometimes forget that our board is composed of extremely talented individuals who run incredible enterprises and have limits on their time and attention on association business. At a minimum, we can never waste their time, which is a precious commodity.   

When we do have a great board, it makes the mission of the association easier to achieve.

So how can a CEO and the association team help make a board into a unified team to maximize the association’s success? Here are seven initiatives that have worked for top association leaders:  

1. Provide written “Board Expectations” to all individuals who wish to seek election or appointment to the board. This, by itself, helps reduce the number of individuals who want to join the board for the sole reason of adding the experience to their resume or to network “industry players” with existing directors. While it cannot be a requirement to join the board, I strongly urge you, if approved by your association lawyer, to encourage participation in your political action committee, if there is one.

2. Create an “On-Boarding” process for new directors so they understand the focus of the association and their roles during their terms. Hold a new director orientation for all newly elected members so they can understand the mission, structure, long-term strategic objectives, and goals of the group for the next calendar year. Make it clear what you expect from them and what they should expect from you.

3. Provide a binder of board responsibilities and other valuable association material that the directors will use as their point of reference. Having it online is terrific but handing them a binder makes it real. Most, if not all, will read the materials. Be sure to have important dates and events in the binder that they will not want to miss. 

4. Assign more senior directors to mentor new members. Pick from your most seasoned (and reliable) directors and ask them to help those new to the board to learn what is really important and what their oversight function is in helping set strategy for the association. New directors are sometimes nervous often asking themselves questions such as “What do I do?” or “How should I engage?” A mentor program lets them hit the ground running and keep association momentum moving forward.

5. Alternate board seating arrangements so directors are constantly developing new friendships. We often think that all directors know each other and are familiar. But, in reality, their busy professional and personal lives make it difficult for them to really get to know to each other. Mixing where people sit allows the board to get to know each other better.

6. Create a real or perceived “association ascension ladder” so board members who wish to be in the leadership will have to “go through the chairs” or the various board committees. This allows the individual seeking a leadership role more experience in all aspects of the association while allowing you, as the CEO, to see their strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately, your chairman will be a stronger and more effective partner.

7. Empower your board chairman to speak frankly and appropriately to board members who self-define their participation as “trouble-making” or are inappropriate in language or demeanor to staff. No association can afford to have a director, no matter their stature in the industry, who acts inappropriately or destructively. This is precisely why a chairman of the board exists. And he or she needs to stand tall when they are needed.