5 Quick Ideas - Short Term Planning

In any Long Term Plan, you realize the need for some short term plans to achieve goals.  Doing so means bringing in a focused plan to meet a specific need in the short term.  Short term planning as a result is different than long term planning because it focuses on steps toward a destination.
Developing your short term plans becomes easy:

IDEA 1 - KNOW YOUR GOAL
Not just what are you trying to accomplish, but what should it look like, how will it work, what opportunities are likely to arise, how are you going to be able to capitalize on those opportunities, when will you know if you've been successful?

Each of these elements will determine how your short term plan will take shape

IDEA 2 - KNOW YOUR TIMING
Where does this fit in with the overall plan, and are there other activities going on that could conflict with your plans?

IDEA 3 - INCORPORATE OTHER ACTIVITIES
One of the reasons that organizations feel over burdened is because they work in silos too often.  However if you can expand your presence and bring in more departments, activities, efforts, communications, outreaches, etc., then you can start to encourage more success and participation from other areas of the organization.  And they may be doing things that work well with what your goals are in your short term plan.

IDEA 4 - BUILD AND PREP
What was the short term plan just before this?  What is the next one likely to be?  How can you build smart transitions between these efforts?

The idea is that once you are gaining success and support from other efforts, it is only natural to build upon that and bring them in to other works you are doing.  Building your plan on the foundation of what came before, and setting up the efforts that are going to come next is what makes you the most successful.

IDEA 5 - RECOGNIZE YOUR HELP

Often we remember to recognize people at the end of the year.  Start moving your recognition up to projects, events, short term, and other points where people can see that there is a great team on a regular basis making things happen.  This also gives you the opportunity to make sure your volunteers are still engaged.

Short term planning is what makes long term planning successful.  Be sure to incorporate these strategies on the short term to make sure your long term efforts work.

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5 Quick Ideas - Planning for the Long Term

Finding success comes after having a long term plan and figuring out the steps to get there.  The long term plan also helps your organization navigate the sudden immediate distractions.  However planning can be a very esoteric thing.  Here are some quick ideas to keep you grounded in your planning.

IDEA 1 - ALWAYS START WITH A DESTINATION IN MIND
What do you want to be?  The best, the biggest, the most effective, the most talked about, the most exclusive... what?  Setting your sights will help you figure out the best way to get to where you need to go.

IDEA 2 - CLARIFYING YOUR MISSION STATEMENT vs. YOUR DESTINATION
Most organizations get caught in the difference between these two.  Its very easy to know / tell the difference.

Your mission statement is what you do
Your destination is knowing where you want to take what you do

Example:
Mission Statement - "To represent my members and be the voice of the industry."
Destination - To be recognized as the leading authority in our industry with the media, the public, and elected officials.

IDEA 3 - ESTABLISH INTERIM STEPS / GOALS TO GET TO YOUR DESTINATION
Each effort you undertake in your process should have goals that can be measured, and metrics that need to be met.  However these goals / steps should build off of one another and reinforce the ultimate destination.

IDEA 4 - SET REASONABLE TIMELINES
Expecting overnight success is unrealistic.  Setting your priorities on successfully navigating toward your goal will help bring everyone along through the process.  Otherwise you run the risk of disappointment and lost momentum.

IDEA 5 - SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS
Simply put your efforts can not be that of one person, or the entire organization will fail you.  Instead make sure there are clear responsibilities for everyone to accomplish - and make sure those responsibilities are ones that those people are able to accomplish.  Assigning responsibilities needs to be reflective of the different skills and influences that people have.  Doing so ensures that everyone succeeds in these efforts together.

Everyone says volunteerism is way down everywhere.  It is, but one thing that is way up is the most common response given when asked why people didnt do something - "Because No One Ever Asked."
Granted you may have asked, but what this tells you is your ask isn't being heard.  Make the asks as direct as you can so there is no way they can say "I was never asked."

The more you are able to successfully engage more people in a given process, the more they will buy in to its success.  The right plan will bring all of those elements together to make sure your plan has success.

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5 Quick Ideas - Addressing the Prioirites of Others

One of the interesting things you run into after defining your issues in your efforts and knowing what is most important to your organization is the fact that you've got some great ideas, well narrowed down, and ready to go... but which one do you start with?

Here's where the Government Affairs Program loses control over its success somewhat - because it is subject not just to what is important to you.

So here are some quick questions and ideas to re-harness that control -

WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY PRIORITY? - More importantly, where do your issues coincide with those priorities?  Simply put, finding success through partnership is more valuable than fighting the tide, especially early on in the process.

WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES OF THE DECISION MAKERS? - If you are working against your elected officials - or the people who are making the decisions on your issue - you are going to have a difficult path.  Is there an issue you can work on with them, or convince them on, to become more successful in your efforts?

WHAT PRIORITIES DO YOU SHARE WITH OTHERS? - Are there partner organizations, affiliates, or advocates that are also looking to promote ideas similar to yours? Can you work with them on this?  Can you share resources?

WHAT ARE YOUR OPPONENTS PRIORITIES? - Knowing where those on the other side are coming from - and if possible the amount of resources they are ready to commit to this issue - will help you figure out if you are ready for that fight, or if you need to build up success in other areas?

HOW WELL DO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES? - Face it, you are in the mix of this issue.  You know it inside and out.  You've studied it, researched it - you almost feel you've beaten it to death.  Here's the thing... no one else has that level of familiarity with this issue.  Knowing whether or not people even understand your issues is essential in knowing you need to put your issue forward.

These quick thoughts will help you define and promote your issue.

 Previous Posts About Issues and Priorities:
ISSUES THAT DEFINE YOU
SETTING YOUR POLICY PRIORITIES

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5 Quick Ideas - The RIGHT Team is More Important Than a Full Team

 I recently had a conversation about how volunteerism is down everywhere, its true.  But the RIGHT people, saying the RIGHT things, and engaging the RIGHT volunteers leads to more success than having a full boat.

As you get started in building your government affairs team - and as you build its success, your team will be crucial to its success.  So who do you look for?

1. PICK LEADERS NOT SEEKERS - There are those that seek to be seen as leaders, and those that are leaders.  You want the later.  People can sense the wanna-bes and they dont want to be a part of that team.
2. DIVERSIFY - Yes, its going to cause some fighting on perspectives, however if you followed the advice of Building A Program That Lasts - they will know how to check their ego and politics at the door.
3. ENCOURAGE - Improv has a principle that you never say no, you build off of "yes and".  It is how a scene can innovate, evolve, and create something new.  It's also how a team builds trust.  You want a diverse team of leaders to work together.
4. CONNECT INTERESTS - Your team is going to have different interests and skillsets.  Work with those, don't try to make a square peg fit in a round hole.  Jim Collins, author of Good to Great demonstrates this with his concept of getting the right people on the right bus and in the right seats on the bus.
5. ASSIGN & ACKNOWLEDGE - There is nothing worse to a leader than being asked to be a part of something without any direction or expectations.  The second worst thing is to not acknowledge, thank, and promote the contributions they gave.

Make sure everyone on the team is bought into this program, and if you do have a team like this, you are going to get the respect your organization needs.

How You're Going To Lose Your Future Advocacy Efforts

Advocacy has fundamentally changed.  We've all seen it.  What worked even 2 years ago, isn't necessarily effective anymore.

• Letter campaigns are now screened for harmful substances and are not timely.
• "Call Your Congressman" campaigns result in ticks for an up or down vote only.
• Email campaigns are almost ignored if they look like they are mass-produced.
• Congress members and staffers are less trusting of advocacy groups.
• Fly-ins are costly, difficult to manage, and only a few people are there.

However this is how just about every organization addresses their advocacy.  You need to keep doing this and add to the discussion. Your effort is an important addition to the noise, but its not enough.

Some have some creative alternative ideas -

• Meeting their elected officials "in their districts" meaning at their local offices.
• Working with local staff to get the message delivered back to capitol staff.
• Attending local events in support of the elected official.

These are all examples of a great next step.  The problem is most organizations stop there.  And it STILL isn't enough.

The problem honestly is, they are only hearing from YOU.  Your issue, your problem, your message.  The more organizations fill the space talking about only themselves and their own issues, the less impacting your advocacy efforts are going to be.

Being effective in the future will mean bringing in groups that aren't your members, your peers, your industry, your influence group.  Being effective will mean bringing in other groups to speak on your behalf:

• Coalitions
• Affiliated groups
• Leaders outside your core group

Truth be told, in a few years that too will not be enough, because everyone else will be doing that.

If you are going to stay the same, you are going to lose as you get swallowed up by the noise.  You need to change, evolve, and be two steps ahead of the pack.

Money will only be able to go so far in politics.  Efforts can only be so effective.  If you want to truly succeed long term, you need to be planning now for what your effort will look like in several years.

The Proper Care and Feeding of Contact Relationships

The most successful government affairs programs center around a strong contact database.  Whether you are looking to change policy, increase your PAC, or build coalitions, your contact database is going to be the key to unlocking success with other people in your efforts.

Simply put the deeper your reach, the more effective you can be in your efforts.  Influence depends on trust, reach, and support.  A broad contact database can provide you with the ability to influence others to support your efforts.

So where do you start in these efforts?

1. YOUR CURRENT LIST - Who do you know to start with, and how can you get a hold of them?  Sure you've got their work phone numbers, but do you have their home phones, cell phones, email addresses (including personal), or other ways to get messages to them?  
1. Do you have them organized into contact groups - meaning if you need to quickly get a message to a group of people quickly, can you get a blast out without looking up a bunch of people?  
2. Do you know how to get a hold of them on social media?
3. No idea how to figure this out? - Check out the RAP Index
2. YOUR MAIN AUDIENCE - Whether that is your employees, core volunteers,
   
   membership, leadership, or key businesses, the best place to start is there.  Obviously knowing how to communicate to them is key, but more importantly, you want to know who they influence:
1. Do they know elected officials, community leaders, business leaders?
2. Are they "influencers" to certain groups either within your audience or the community in general?
3. Are they willing to promote your messages for you?
4. No idea how to engage them?  Check out NationBuilder
3.  YOUR CORE LEADERS - Slightly different than your broad organization here we mean your people that will take the message out for you.  The ones you can empower with tools like Aristotle to build that PAC and grassroots presence.
4. COMMUNITY LEADERS - Where are your holes?  You know who your members are and who they influence, but who is important that you can't get to quickly?  This list could be elected officials you don't have a relationship with, or large businesses / organizations in town that have a strong reach / influence. How can you get to them?  Have you looked at resources such as CapWiz to assist you in this?
5. MEDIA - Do you maintain an active media list for your organization?  By active we mean actually engaged with them and connected through social media and the like.  One of the core resources for this is Vocus.
6. YOUR INFLUENCER'S INFLUENCERS - Who do the people you are trying to convince engage with online?  And can you reach out to and incorporate them?

Next comes the act of engaging with them.

The secret that social media doesn't want to admit is - just because you have 2500 friends on Facebook... that doesn't mean you have 2500 friends.

Friends, whether online or in real life, require attention.  Otherwise your contacts are the online equivalent of that guy who ordered beer ahead of you at a hosted bar event that you made a joke about getting more free tickets with.

The good news is attention can be given in many different ways online to cultivate that relationship. Here are a few simple ways that wont take a lot of time for you

• "liking" updates and photos
• Commenting on people's updates (It doesn't have to be much, just a "good info")
• Sharing other people's updates when appropriate (dont share other people's kid's info
• Putting up an update that you tag people in (because they may be interested)
• Promoting your updates / posts / etc. in areas where they would be interested
• Creating smart links (shortened URLs using a service like Bitly) so that your updates could be shared
• Dropping them a quick "Hey, how are you doing?" type message

Thinking about those same 2500 contacts - If you liked 10 updates, put in 10 comments on updates, shared 10 more, tagged 10 people in your update, sent 10 people a "hey how are you?" message each day - all of which would take you less than 5 minutes in a day - You would have a person touch to all 2500 every 2 months.

That is how you cultivate those relationships.

How Quickly Can You Build a PAC Fundraising Culture?

Today I am off to Beautiful Downtown Tempe.  Home of theArizona State University Sun Devils, and my well spent College Years.  My Delta Sigma Phi fraternity house may be gone from Alpha Drive, but the lessons I learned there live on.

One of those lessons was that organizations operate off of a culture.  If you're a jock, you're in the jock house, and you do jock things.  If you don't care about something, your peers aren't going to care about something, and therefore that something wont get done.  It's just kind of how organizations work.

I also learned that just because you operated one way, it didn't mean you couldn't shift.  Cultures Can Change!

So I will be meeting with a business group today that has a historical culture of NOT raising PAC funds.

• Their member participation rate was low
• Their total dollars raised per year was low
• Their dollars per contributor rate was low
• Their awareness of the PAC was low

So much so that I was repeatedly told for years that it wasn't that THEIR participation was lacking, it was that their participation reflected the state's participation in political engagement in ANY form.

This was a very convenient excuse because it sounded reasonable.  It's a state culture, not ours.  Regardless of whether or not that was true, its what they believed.

So several years ago I set about to help them change that culture.  Population wise its a good sized state, political influence wise it is a strong state, and even presence on the national stage, it is a strong state.  So why couldn't this group too become a more influential state when it comes to the PAC?

We started with a simple question - How can we change the culture here?

In examining exactly how they can shift the culture, we started with a small plan to get the leadership more engaged, to pass that through the organization, to the industry leaders, and out to the general members to become a stronger PAC state.

So what kind of results have we had?

• Every chapter in the state has improved their fundraising year over year in terms of participation rates and dollars raised by up to seven times in some chapters
• The state has improved its overall fundraising rates by about 20% year over year the past two years
• So far in 2015 they have raised 20% more than they did in all of 2014 with 4 months to go in the year.
• In less than 2 years they have increased their participation rate and fundraising totals by 50% each.

So how did they do it?  What changed?  What was the catalyst?

They each committed to trying and did try new things. 

Not everything worked, but nothing was catastrophic as they feared.  And they learned that they could accomplish something by just trying.

They still have a ways to go to meet their goals, but the culture has shifted, and provided they keep up the work, the culture will have permanently changed for their organization.

Four Months Left

September
October
November
December

That's it.  That's all you've got left of 2015.  Did you get all you needed done?  What do you have left?

You need to set up 2 plans -

One plan to address what you are going to do for the rest of this year to meet your goals.

One plan to figure out what you can get done in 2016.

Let us know how we can help you.

The Not-So-"Rad" Reality of Urban Planning

Gilbert is a suburb of Phoenix, that as recently as about ten years ago was considered "Hinterlands."

Now however it has blossomed into a sizable town in an area that keeps growing.

There is a plan to put in a permanent BMX Facility that can host major events.  According to the president of BMX USA up to twice a year. 

A 4,000 seat facility, covered (because as it turns out, Arizona is hot), national headquarters AND an Olympic Training facility that could make Gilbert FINALLY a destination... Instead of all the spill over from Chandler, its neighbor who has properly capitalized on every opportunity imaginable.

For all you kids of the '80's that means that "Hell Track" is close to reality. 

So how did the neighbors react to this?  By protesting it because of "noise and traffic."

2 times a year. 

Here's the thing people, I get that you want to preserve your way of life, but when you get an opportunity like this, you take it. You don't complain about "noise and traffic" 2 times a year.  Why? Because the applicant can just as easily go somewhere else. Then you lose all the opportunity that project would have brought.  

Look at Fullerton, Ca who lost out on the tax revenues of the Brea Mall and the cultural benefits of the Norton Simon Museum - both of which were supposed to be in Fullerton before the cries of "traffic and noise."

Those are lost opportunities.

Here we are, coming up on a year later,  and there has been no movement since the city rejected this plan in April of last year.

However the question becomes, who is to blame? The neighbors (for complaining), the city council (for lacking the foresight or political will), the planning department (for not properly showing the benefits of the projects), the applicant (for not framing their vision correctly), or the Public Affairs Firm (if there was one) for not framing it correctly?

Accepting growth means accepting vision.  If you can't sell your vision, you can't sell your project.  Just as people didn't see a need for the iPad (which incidentally I was one, and am currently writing this post from) people saw the vision.  Your project / plan / idea needs to paint that same vision for everyone to accept the change.

What are you doing that could use a little vision engineering?  And are you doing it?

Stepping up YOUR game

Congressional Quarterly just released several interesting reports examining the 2014 election cycle.

Associations: 5 Big Movers from CQ Roll Call

The goal is examining what associations have fundamentally advanced their political efforts (combining lobbying and PAC spending).  The National Association of REALTORS topped their list (REALTORS also topped the CQ list of PAC fundraising and spending)

Government Affairs Strategies, LLC has been pleased to be part of the team that helped make this a reality for the past 5 years.  We know the hard work and dedication that went into this success.

So what would it mean to take YOURS organization to this level? It comes down to several key things -

1) Commitment - this took many years, a lot of time, and a great deal of money. The results are clear, but to get there you must be ready to commit. We've also worked with organizations that weren't ready to commit, and their results are also clear. So look internally and ask if you are ready to implement the necessary strategies and steps to succeed.

2) Awareness - the REALTORS have always been strong. Where they are today however took a realization that a) the game has changed, and b) they need to make fundamental changes to remain strong. They were also aware that there was a lot they didn't know - even about their own oeganization and members - so they assembled the right team to figure it out.

3) Ever-growing goals - You can not rest on your laurels. If you do, it gives everyone a chance to catch up, or worse - surpass you. By setting attainable yet challenging goals that evolve, you are able to stay ahead of the curve.

4) The RIGHT team - all the plans and goals you make are pointless if you don't have a good team behind them making sure those plans and goals are accomplished. Get the right volunteers, the right members, the right staff and the right consultants in place. Build the needed resources. Empower everyone to succeed.

We've been honored to help drive the REALTORS to success. It truly has been a great experience. 

-- oh, and by the way, we know what's in store for the future there... And you ain't seen NOTHIN' yet!

Communications in a Crisis

Recent events have been a stark reminder of many thing:

- the difference in comfort levels in our communities

- the difference in attitudes and opinions towards authorities

- the lack of understanding between citizens of the same country

While there are many things to lament, there are also many things to consider. We'd rather leave that to the experts in those fields to sort through.  However one thing became clear to us that should be considered - What is your Crisis Communication Plan?

While it's possible to prepare for every eventuality, you need to have a plan to begin with:

- what are your vulnerabilities?

- what are the most likely things to go wrong?

- what is likely to be misunderstood?

Next you need to consider response:

- who is the designated spokesperson?

- what can / should they say for each issue?

- who will handle follow up inquiries?

And that is about as far as most communications plans go.  It's also where the breakdown begins.  More often than not the problems of a crisis occur because of a lack of familiarity and cooperation between interest groups.  Your plan needs to go further if you don't want to see a complete breakdown.

Your next step is asking how you are going to move forward:

- who can help heal the problems? Business consultants, therapists, ministers?

- what strategies should be implemented to heal? Community forums, outreach trees, group leaders?

- what is being done to record and promote those healing activities?

Your final task is turning that forward progress into a story of success.

Would any such plan have changed what happened? Probably not. But what it can do is create a less acrimonious situation than when emotions supplant reason.

100% Miss Rate

Last night Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers became the NBA's all time shot missing leader.  Now being he is a shooting forward, and has played in the NBA for nearly two decades this isn't all that surprising to find out.

Conversely, Michael Jordan famously quipped "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take." Kobe's comment was less eloquent, "well I've been playing for 19 years"

Jordan's point was that you have to try to succeed.  Both are top five all time scoring leaders in the NBA - so succeed they certainly have.

The top 5 scorers in NBA history are-

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387)

2. Karl Malone (36,928)

3. Michael Jordan (32,292)

4. Kobe Bryant (31,887)

5. Wilt Chamberlain (31,419)

By contrast the top 5 missed shot leaders in NBA history are - 

1. Kobe Bryant (13,421)

2. John Havlicek (13,417)

3. Elvin Hayes (13,296)

4. Karl Malone (12,682)

5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (12,470)

Quite a few common names on those lists.

Often in government affairs we run into problems where we have a road block before we try something.  Whether it's pursue legislation, respond to media, or push forward on PAC fundraising.

Each one of those road blocks are keeping you from making any progress.  If you really want to succeed. You have to try.  There is no other way.

Scanning through Wilt Chamberlain's NBA records that he still holds, you can see that he led the league in attempted field goals from 1959-1966, half his career. He was never held back for fear of failing a shot, and you shouldn't be either.

Where does Michael Jordan land on the list of all time missed shots?

Sixth.

Owning the Moment

A year ago today I was in New York, recovering from one of the most grueling experiences of my life.  The New York Marathon.

• I was undertrained
• I was overweight
• I was out of my league
• I was pretty sure I wouldn't do very well

Not quite the ringing endorsement for a marathoner.  But I was faced with a very simple choice:

• Run it and push through enduring it all,
• Take my time, enjoy it, own it, and see what comes, or
• Drop out

Well I'm not one to quit, pushing was likely to get me injured.  Or I could own the moment.

So I did.

Empire State Building Lit Up

Boarding the Staten Island Ferry

 26.2 miles of people jammed packed 5 people deep on either side of the road there to cheer on 50,000 strangers as they ran through the streets of their city, completely messing up traffic.

If ever there is a moment to own... this was it.  The greatest marathon in the greatest city in the world.  With the greatest people in the world.  An experience truly unlike any other.

Starting Line

 If you ever want to know what you are truly made of, challenge yourself.  But when you do.  Don't just do something small, do something real.  Big.  Unexpected.

A statue the French sent us

On the last .2 mi

 It was absolutely amazing.  I would never have had it any other way.  And I was even with friends who had inspired me.

But that wasn't enough.

With my Friend Andrew who coached me

Now I needed to have a little fun.

So that night at dinner, I set the stage.

A pretty great pizza joint off of Times Square.

In the picture with Andrew you can see a staircase behind me.  That's where I owned the moment.  After all I have done, I wanted to have a little fun.  So I told everyone at the table, I was heading to the top, and I wanted them to applaud whatever I did.  They complied...

I had the entire restaurant applauding me.  A few even came over and congratulated me, one asked if I won.

Yes... Yes I did!

I owned the moment!

See what owning the moment can do for you!

Somewhere Between Nike and Fast Times at Ridgemont High

The most common type of resistance we encounter to starting something new is a fear of it not working out, or people opposing the idea.

Here's the thing, no matter what it is:

- It's not going to be perfect 

- It's not going to be the ideal effort

- It's going to ruffle feathers

Here's the other thing:

It's exponentially better than doing nothing.

The key is you have to just try.

So how do you come away with a victory?

- Plan as best you can for most contingencies.

- Communicate about it.  A lot.

- Engage as many people as you can in the process (because they will bring others along).

- Make everyone feel like they are a critical part of the effort.

Last - remember back to "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and learn from Vic Damone's special five point plan -

"... Now three, act like wherever you are, that's the place to be, 'isn't this great?'"

After the fact, no one will remember the tiny detail that drove you nuts. No one will remember the complaining that led into the effort.

What they will remember is the attitude of the day - and then they will want to make it even better next time.

But again the key is you have to try.

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!

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.

PAC fundraising - its all in the details

So this was the view from my office window today...

And in case you ever get the opportunity, take the Amtrak from LA to San Diego.  It is one of the most beautiful rides in the world.

And... assuming you can actually concentrate on something other than the serene view, it has wifi the entire way and is the best two and a half hours worth of work you can have while commuting.

But today's plan wasn't to enjoy the view... even if I did... it was to build a fundraising plan for a PAC.

Doing so, a couple items became clear -

1. PAC fundraising isn't difficult, but it is very detail oriented
2. Planning a fundraising effort takes meticulous attention to detail
3. You CAN wing a plan, but then you'll only get a clipping of what you otherwise would
4. The more people you involve, the better it will go
5. If you want people involved, you have to give them everything they could need to be successful

Your PAC deserves a good plan, and only a good plan will work.

Sweet Home Chicago...

Did you know that Chicago has more architecture styles, and more bridges over rivers than any other city in America?

The bridges thing is fairly self evident.  What isn't as evident is the architecture styles.

If you ever get the chance, take the architecture tour.  It is amazing that the city has been so supportive of different architectural styles, especially with so many cities trying to "maintain character" and disallowing anything original because it doesn't fit with the buildings around it.

Yes, you preserve a look, but what you end up with is homogenous and vanilla.

Many groups do the same thing with their political efforts.  "This is how we do things."

That's really great and all, but you are missing an opportunity.  Because politics isn't a one-size-fits-all proposition.  You need diversity in your approach, in your efforts, and in your execution.

Otherwise you end up with homogenous and vanilla.

Know why that's a danger?  Your opposition knows EXACTLY what you are going to do.  Which means they know your playbook and can manipulate it to their advantage.

Sometimes you have to switch things up.  Do something people are familiar with, and change it to be your own.

Maybe that's why some of the Chicago institutions -

• Giordano's
• Gino's East
• Lou Malnati's

switch up the order of ingredients on their pizza...

Breaking a New Market

"If Jeezy's paying LeBron, I'm Paying Dwyane Wade" famously boasted Jay Z in his song Empire State.

Well we now know what that figure would be*.  Approximately $100 million is what Chinese Shoe Company Li-Ning is reportedly paying Dwyane Wade to represent their shoe brand.



Wade broke with Nike in order to take this contract on.  Most people view a Nike contract as the pinnacle of sports sponsorship.  So why would Wade break ranks in order to have a sponsorship with a little known company in the US?

Very simple.  Go to Nike's Basketball page.  They already feature 3 superstars - LeBron, Kobe and Kevin Durant.  That doesnt count the countless others that Nike sponsors.  Just look at this list found posted 4 years ago - LINK

The move to Li-Ning enables more growth for Wade.  First in the largest growing market - China.  And being the ONLY person in there...

Dwyane Wade is setting himself up for growth and expansion in a world where he is a pioneer.  What market is being neglected that you could exploit?  Plan for it, and if you need a reminder of how, look at Bryan's last post!


* Yes I know the real number was $3k... however if you know that and why, you probably aren't reading this blog.  Just keepin' it real.