Publications: State Government Relations
Austin…We Have a Problem

Senior state government relations professionals share their best practices for retaining lobbyists during a crisis.

Hiring and managing state lobbyists is a basic responsibility for state issue managers. It is routine for us to identify lobbyist candidates, conduct interviews, make selections, negotiate contracts and prepare the lobbyists to represent us.

However, state issue management also involves retaining and managing state lobbyists during a crisis or legislative emergency. Short legislative timeframes and some measure of anxiety can challenge even the most seasoned professionals.

Because of the nature of our issue management consulting business, Stateside Associates is often called upon to help clients deal with emergencies. For this article we consulted two very senior government affairs professionals - one corporate, one association - and asked them to share their best practices for retaining state lobbyists during a crisis.

STUART PRATT
Vice President, Government Relations
Associated Credit Bureaus

There are some steps that must be taken in advance in order to deal with an absolute crisis. For an association you have to pre-set your decision-making with regard to hiring a lobbyist and how you're going to pay the bill. Second, always look for context. I have several peers who run 50-state programs whom I can call upon. These are people (including several senior executives at Stateside) who can quickly give me names of qualified individuals. This is no time to go to strangers.

Also, always understand your problem. Before I pick up the phone to call a lobbyist I have to be prepared to put my cards on the table and get a reaction. That initial reaction tells me a lot about how that person's mind works and if they are going to work well with my approach. My job is to put enough information in front of them and evaluate them on that one call.

Presumably, because of who referred them, they are successful lobbyists, but I need to feel confident.

Next, I usually ask for two "Hail Mary" approaches. If all the normal approaches fail, what extraordinary activity should I be prepared to deal with? That helps me understand if I'm dealing with a creative problem-solver.

Finally, I do not ever forget the basics of making a lobbyist choice. Ethics, conflicts -- those cannot be ignored because I have less time.

DEBORAH BRUNTON
Vice President Government Affairs
VoteHere.net
(former Director, State Government Affairs for Microsoft)

Relationships matter more during an emergency situation, so two of my first questions are, "Who do you know?" and, "How important are they as players in this process?" I also ask the prospective lobbyist if, in their opinion, they are capable of getting the job done themselves or if additional lobbying help is needed. Hiring on-the-ground representation during a crisis can be expensive and hiring the "right" talent from the beginning is important.

I also identify if the lobbyist can build or work within a coalition utilizing existing resources - either representatives from the technology industry or the general business community. Coalitions can be helpful, especially in times of crisis.

Another important lesson that I have learned is to handle internal communications from the outset. After the fact is not the time to inform senior management about an emergency or crisis. It is important to insure that they are not looking only at the end result, but at the situation as we confront it, and the process (and cost) of getting there. Communication upfront makes the success even sweeter and can help mitigate the fallout from a negative result.