What Do the Most Successful Government Affairs Teams Do Differently? Experts Share Advice to Set Yourself Apart

Don’t Get Distracted by Political Noise

Today’s political environment can get chaotic, but the panelists agreed that, as Hill said, “What really sets top-performing government affairs teams apart today is that they have a clear strategy that cuts through the noise.”

Instead of reacting to every single development, successful government affairs professionals have “the discipline to focus on what actually moves the needle” for their companies or clients.

Halma echoed this sentiment, saying, “Sometimes the things that make the most noise are not the things that really matter.”

“The added value we deliver in government affairs and public affairs is helping to cut through the noise for our management committees,” Halma explained. As such, his approach is to “focus less on the political noise and focus more on the issues we have as a company.”

Maintaining this long-term focus in a chaotic political environment requires a strategy that is at once firm enough to withstand political upheavals and flexible enough to adapt to them. Hill explained, “Instead of saying, ‘I’m going to move the needle in X, Y, and Z way,’ [your strategy] is a roadmap. Zoom out with your strategy, and be flexible on the timeline for how you can achieve [it].”

Prove the Value You Provide

It’s not uncommon for organizational leadership to view government affairs teams as cost centers, but the top-performing government affairs teams know how to show the importance of what they do.

“We try to define our issues as much as possible in value,” Halma said. “And that's not always euros or dollars. It's also sometimes goodwill, or networks that we need to build for future term investment, or ESG ratings that give certain credit advantages, etc. But at the end of the day, most of the issues can be linked to a certain value. Focus on that.”

To demonstrate the hard work her team did to achieve those values, Hill explained that her team, “tracked everything. We tracked every single contact we had with state, local, or federal officials. We took notes on all meetings. We tracked the trends. We tracked our engagement with coalitions…And that was really helpful when we had to go before the board or C-suite.”

Hill also said that she made it a point to “embed ourselves in almost every function of the company.” To be successful in government affairs, “we need to know the policy, know our company's issues, better than the people who are at headquarters…so that we can understand what the need is and then be able to translate their issues into a response.”

Focus on Relationship Building

Government affairs teams don’t just have to prove their value internally; they also need to prove to legislators and policymakers that working with them is worth their time.

To this end, Halma shared some insight from his experience as a diplomat. “I can tell you, having been a civil servant, what definitely does not work is bringing problems to the table. Because civil servants have enough problems, and politicians in legislatures create more problems. So always try to bring solutions. Think about what an administration might need, and how you and your efforts can help that.”

Whether it's civil servants or legislators that you’re bringing solutions to, many people feel tempted to write off people of certain political persuasions. However, high-performing government affairs professionals understand the power of working with everyone, regardless of how polarized the political climate becomes.

“A broken clock is right twice a day. No matter what side of the aisle you sit on, you need to figure out where that other clock is right, or where they are so close to right you can get them there,” Hill said.

Hill encouraged teams to tailor the language they use “to make something click for someone who may not resonate with language that they may think aligns more with another party.”

Ultimately, regardless of one's political ideals, building personal relationships with legislators remains fundamental to success.

“Relationship building has to be a part of your overall GR strategy,” Hill said. “And for non-urgent issues, the first meeting should not be one in which you have an ask. It’s when you’re getting to know them.”  

Make an Impact in Government Affairs

Regardless of what’s happening in the wider political landscape, the top-performing government affairs teams keep their focus on the relationships they can build and the value they can provide to their clients or employers.

For more insights into how you can thrive in today’s government affairs environment, watch the full webinar.  

As budgets tighten and legislative activity moves at a faster pace, having the right tools for the job can ensure you continue setting the standard in the industry. Designed for busy government affairs professionals driven to succeed, PolicyNote speeds up the tasks of tracking, summarizing, and briefing on policy. Go beyond bill tracking with PolicyNote. Request a demo.