In ways that only dc can

I can't even tell you a ballpark of how often I've been to DC. Not just because I lived there for a while, but because it is one of those cities that draws you back.

And let me give you who live there a little context.

- Potomac fever is real. It hits every March-April. Even after a decade of being gone.

- I still quietly smile as people who go there tell me about all the "politicians" they saw eating at Old Ebbits.

- I still get pissed off when someone tells me the motorcade is coming because it's going to ruin traffic all day. (Although we have that same reaction in LA).

Still I am en route home and can't wait to get back at the end of the month to speak at ASAE (http://www.asaenet.org) government affairs conference.

There is just something about dc.

So somewhere between giving directions to the Washington Monument to a tourist (it's literally the only building you can see everywhere, how do they get lost?), listening to someone talk about yet another friend moving "back home" , or trying to convince yourself that you can get decent chinese or mexican food (no you can't, you're just lying to yourself) - take the time to appreciate the absolute magnanimity of the town you reluctantly love to call home. 

After all, it oversees a $17 trillion economy... Take that NY!

Washington D.C. & the Public Affairs Council

This week the GA Strategies team is speaking at the Public Affairs Council Conference on State and Local Government Affairs. 

We are excited to share our years of experience helping associations and organizations develop strategic plans for government affairs.

Our focus is simple:

- Develop your agenda
- Design a path to success
- Coordinate with allies
- Execute your plan

It seems simple because it is, but you'd be surprised how many organizations address issues with the government like a fire department - responding to emergencies.

A coordinated plan keeps you sane... and it also keeps everyone on track and not easily distracted.

You also get the added benefit of making your case that much easier to volunteers and coalitions.

If you want to know more about strategic planning for government affairs, please let us know!

Not all plans are the same...

This week we met with an organization in Big Bear California.  There they have some unique issues:

- They deal with all the normal government entities - Fed, State, County, Local.
- They also deal with the National Forest, California Department of Forestry, and similar entities
- They have US Dept of fish and game regulating a great deal of land uses around the area as well
- They have to contend with a very seasonal business model that is tourism heavy, and reliant on water.

Oh, and its in a drought... You can only imagine how that bodes for snow making needs.

The waters have started to drain in this beautiful lake area as Southern California needs more and more water.

Boating, fishing, hunting, skiing, hiking, campaign, cabin rentals.  Big bear truly has outdoor activities for everyone.  However most of these activities rely on the use of water in some format...

 Leaving many of these beautiful homes and resorts needing additional resources to attract tourists, property owners, investors, businesses, and the like.

The businesses and residents are trying to address these needs in various ways.  And some are successful, but they are needing new opportunities to bring in tourists, visitors and outdoor recreationalists everywhere.

 Obviously the area is still as gorgeous as ever, but the question remains... how long can it sustain without the necessary water to attract visitors?

What's more, what can people do to be better educated about ways in which they can reduce their use and impact on the environment in a way that can support more people getting to visit this beautiful area?

 Sure.  The views are great from everywhere.  The skiing is undoubtedly the best you can find within 2 hours of Los Angeles - or honestly any major city for that matter.  The boating is great.  The town is incredible, it truly is idilic.

However they needed some direction.

So we worked with them, planned out some suggestions, and helped find where potential coalitions and efforts could work together to help raise awareness and implement programs that will benefit the entire area.  Also they are designed to bring in more engagement from the property owners and investors on these issues.  Making sure that as they develop their efforts, they will see success.

Sometimes its as simple as that.  Just finding the right connections to make your strategy work.

So what do you need to make it happen?

- An understanding of what you are facing
- Leadership to think of solutions
- Vision for what you could be
- Commitment to the future.

And then making your way down the mountain seems a relatively simple path... and sometimes there's a waterslide too!

Reimagining Your Brand

Occasionally you get the opportunity to hit the reset button.  It is refreshing, exciting, new and at the same time...

Scary.

Imagine being able to reintroduce yourself to the community.  To be something new.  Different.

This week we had the opportunity to work with an organization that recently merged and is expanding both their footprint and their relationship with the community.

The more we dug into their options, the more we realized they could do more.  And that they were able to set up and budget to be more.  And they became more emboldened in their decisions.

What did it mean for them?  It meant seeing a new vision of who they were, and finding an opportunity to do more.  Most importantly, they did what they were supposed to:

- They didnt get caught up in "this is how we always do things"
- They committed to making the necessary changes
- They reaffirmed their leadership on their goals.

Having ideas is one thing.  Leadership and commitment are what make them reality.

Major Donors to PACs... how do you get them?

So this week in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina we had a unique opportunity.  We worked with an organization who is looking to develop a strategy for getting major donors to their PAC.

One idea, is just take them some place amazing and show them the view...

However not everywhere has that available for you.  So alternatively what you need to do is plan for them.

We sat down and helped them develop a strategy:

- Identify leaders who should be in the door
- Develop a peer-to-peer request network
- Figure out who in the industry should be supporting the PAC at higher levels
- Look at people who have consistently been supportive and try to get them to step up
- Identify people looking for different types of recognition, and address their needs
- Figure out people who want special benefits for their support and decide if you can provide for their wants

One other thing became evident as well.

Knowing that most people are resistant to politics, you need to make sure that your plan is:
- EASY to contribute
- SIMPLE to promote
- FUN as possible

You need to provide a comfort level for everyone getting involved, so they feel better about the process.

You also need to realize that things can change on a dime.  And Myrtle Beach proved that this trip.

The photo above of the waterslide and the sunny day at the beach...

Yeah that was taken about 2 hours before this photo of a torrential downpour.  Same beach, same pool, same "sunny day"

Conditions change, so make sure you are ready for that eventuality.

Building a culture of PAC support? It is possible!

Having worked with several different Political Action Committees and organizations in Arizona, we are used to a few things:

- People don't like PACs
- People don't like Politics
- People don't like Government
- People don't like Pressure

You know what else they don't like?  Anyone - especially government - telling them what to do.

Which creates an interesting juxtaposition - hating Government and hating the process to change it.

That said, we know full well that the right strategy is all a state like Arizona needs to build a culture of supporting the PAC.  As long as you avoid the most common stumbling blocks:

1. You have to take the first step.  No two ways about it, you need to just push through
2. You have to support the effort.  It's uneasy, so make sure you are giving the effort the support it needs, and those who are enacting the plan are comfortable
3. You have to remain consistent.  Messaging, frequency, all efforts.  Stay consistent

 And above all... realize that you need to message a lot.  It is effectively advertising.  A campaign.  A series of issues... And if you do not keep putting the PAC in front of people at every reasonable place, you are failing to communicate the value of your PAC.

The difference between perception and reality

One of our clients is looking at a major shift.  They are looking at a new use of their property that would do away with a commonly used thoroughfare.  Something that lots of people rely on.

Doing so however will allow them to really maximize the use of their property, and there are alternative solutions for people to travel.

So what can you do to convince those that don't believe that they will be impacted?

• You can't tell them it will work, because they want proof
• You can't show them data, because they cant conceptualize it
• You can't show them renderings, because they wont believe it is real

You have to show them.  What this looks like in practice.

 What was once a street is now a great park space where people can connect between their places of work, and residences, and their entertainment areas.  Providing a new found sense of place.

These images are what they are looking to have.  And none of it could be captured by a statistic, a statement, or a drawing.  It needs to be real.

So rather than argue with their own resistance to arguments, we disproved their concerns by making the project real.  By showing them.

Seeing the space

Seeing that there are options

Seeing the reality of what they could have if they took that leap

BUT IT WONT WORK!

Ever hear from someone that it wont work?  They insist your plan could not possibly be the solution to their efforts because they have "seen how it plays out"?

Yeah we have too.

Often in fact.

However it is amazing how much a little light can brighten even the darkest rooms.

This week we were in Fullerton California.  Working with a client who has the public claiming all sorts of mis informed statements that do not adequately reflect the reality of their situation.  Here it relates to parking, where we were told:

• Parking controls don't work
• People will just move further out if they implement parking
• People charging fees for parking are the problem, and they are creating this problem

So with the help of a Go-Pro we set forth and took video of every street, marking where there were and were not controls, and how far out we had to drive in order to not run into parking problems.

Turns out that what we were told was not exactly true.  And shedding light has started to change perception.

How can you shed light?