Are You At The Table?

There's an old saying in politics -

"If you're not at the table, you're probably on the menu."

What are you doing to make sure your organization is at the table on issues that concern you? There is a simple way to make sure you are invited, follow these steps -

1) State Your Issues - Send a letter to elected officials and staff explaining the issues of importance to you, ask that they include you in any discussions.
2) Follow Up - Send an email, a phone call, take 'em to coffee... whatever it takes to make sure they get it.
3) Monitor - Look up the agendas, read what's going on, keep in touch.
4) Make Friends - If you have a strong coalition in place, they can help keep you in the loop if they come across something.

Set it up right and you'll spend more time looking at the menu than wondering if you're on it!