Challenges in Lobbying Strategies (graded)

Challenges in Lobbying Strategies (graded) Discuss the best approach for communicating with your local legislator or policymaker in your policy-priority issue. What is your rationale for this approach? I plan on attending a Geauga County Commissioners’ meeting and presenting my idea to the board. In addition to several different county responsibilities like businesses and public health, they are responsible for environmental protection measures. My plastic bag ban issue is something they would legislate in the county. The ban will protect the lands of Geauga County, improve water conditions in the area and reduce pollution. My rational for this approach is to make my policy priority known. I want to be able to present the information in person and answer questions should they arise. If I communicated via telephone or email, it may not have the same effect. The commissioners meeting is a time when new policy is discussed and introduced. Doing so in a public format may allow for others to support eh idea instead of it not being publically known. My question will be recorded into the minutes of the meeting. As a future advanced practice nurse, many of the skills I am learning directly translate into political lobbying (Roth Parr, 2015). I can provide statistics, references and information to support my case (Roth Parr, 2015). Attending a meeting and being professional and prepared will allow me to present my case to all of the appropriate parties in one sitting. They are very busy people and the weekly commissioners’ meetings are in place for exactly this sort of thing. In addition to reviewing and recapping current items, introducing new and pressing issues affecting the county is key. References Geauga County. (2017). Geauga County Board of Commissioners. Retrieved from Roth Parr, J. (2015). The Role of the advanced practice nurse in the treatment of addiction disorders: Advocacy, leadership, lobbying to influence public policy. Kentucky Nurse, 63(2), 5-6. Instructor STILLERreply to Kelly Hriesik 3/20/2017 7:02:34 PM RE: Challenges in Lobbying Strategies Kelly, Thank you for your post! Interesting that you chose persuasive discussion. I guess this is a good place to call the question "What factors do you think could be used to be more persuasive"? What is going to get the legislator really interested in your discussion? Money factors, or ethical issues might be most important to different legislators. Kelly, you may respond to this question and/or we can see what the rest of the group feels about this. Dr. Cate Stiller Dr. Stiller: You bring up a good point in persuading our legislators to be interested in our topics. They have their own agendas and interests and the topics we think are important may not be the torch they are willing to pick up. In order to be more successful, one must approach the legislator only after completing his or her due diligence and compiling information into a quick, easy to understand presentation (Inglis, Miller, & Williammee, 2014). Inglis et al. (2014) outlines a five-step process to help influence a legislator on a topic of importance. The steps are research, goals, making an appointment to meet at their office, invite the representative to meet at a community meeting, encourage other citizens to reach out (Inglis et al., 2014). I am happy to say that it seems we are doing all of these steps with our respective topics. One way for me to be successful is to complete a one page hot topic sheet with all of the pertinent information listed in an easy to read and understand format. Our representatives are extremely busy and we really only have a few minutes of time to get their attention and interest in a topic. Once you get their interest, you have to prove why it would benefit them and their constituents. If there is nothing in it for them, or it won’t help the people they serve, it is their responsibility to move on. As elected officials, they have to decide on what is best for the group. In my case, with the plastic bag ban, it not only behooves us to pass this legislation for the health of the people but for the health of the environment. People in my community take great pride in the beauty of our landscape and the health of our ecosystem. With a few small changes in habits, we can improve both. Reference Inglis, K., Miller, P., & Williammee, T. (2014). How to win and influence your legislator. Clinical Leadership & Management Review, 28(2), 22-25. Patti: Great post! Very succinct and well organized. All the points you made are very valid. I especially like that you mentioned follow up after your meeting. It is extremely important to touch base afterward to reiterate your points and be thankful for their time. The common curtesy of thanking someone seems to not play an important enough role today. I know I always notice when someone does or does not send a thank you note for something, whether it was for a job shadowing experience or a present that was given. The thank you letter at the end is sometimes the thing that tips the odds in ones’ favor. When I was younger, I received an internship from a field of worthy competitors because I connected and sent a thank you note pertaining to a topic we had discussed in the interview. I also like the points you made about calling and emailing. In today’s political climate, no matter what side of the fence you sit, it is important to call your legislators and let them know the word of the people. Calling is one of the most effective and easy ways to get in contact with them (Kerr, Riba, & Udow-Phillips, 2015). For the project on which we are all working, calling and emailing would be a good way to connect with the legislators depending on the level of government (Kerr et al., 2015). Since I am working on a local level, I called and found out that attending a board meeting will assist my cause. If I was working on the state or federal level, a call and email may be the only lines of communication since an in-person meeting may not be logistically possible. Being clear and concise in any form of communication is the most professional way to get the message across (Kerr et al., 2015). Reference Kerr, E. A., Riba, M., & Udow-Phillips, M. (2015). Helping health service researchers and policy makers speak the same language. Health Services Research, 1-11. doi:10.1111/.12198 Patricia Markley 3/19/2017 4:53:37 PM Challenges in Lobbying Strategies Dr. Stiller and Class, Legislators and policy makers are very busy people. They suffer from a great shortage of time and they are faced with more issues than they can possibly be educated about. (Kerr, Riba, & Udow-Phillips, 2015). The first step before communicating with the legislators would be to educate myself on both the political process of policymaking and to be extremely knowledgeable and prepared surrounding the issues regarding my policy. (Chamberlain College of Nursing, 2017). Two great ways to communicate with legislators are through e-mail or phone calls. (Laxault, 2009). The next step when communicating with my legislator is to reach out by e-mail and give them a very brief explanation of the topic that I would like to discuss with them. Keeping the message simple and concise is also considerate of their time. After a return e-mail from the legislator, I would then make a phone call to set up a meeting. Creating a connection between the legislators and their constituents is a great way to build trust which will create positive relationships. (Kerr, Riba, & Udow-Phillips, 2015). During the meeting with the legislator, it is important to state the facts and provide education that truly represents your policy. Providing clear and actionable information helps the legislators understand your concerns and keeps the meeting focused. (Kerr, Riba, & Udow-Phillips, 2015). It is equally important to not keep the legislators any longer than necessary, don’t ramble, argue, lie or exaggerate. Answering questions that they may have need to be based on facts and if you don’t know an answer to one of their questions, certainly tell them that you do not know the answer but will get an answer as quickly as possible. (Laxault, 2009). Once the meeting has concluded, I will be sure to communicate via e-mail or in a personal letter, my gratitude for their time. (Chamberlain College of Nursing, 2017). In addition, if it is necessary, I will provide follow-up information to the legislator if there were unanswered questions. Critical to policy change and development are maintaining a positive relationship with the legislator. These connections should be intentional and professional, after all, the legislators are the voice of the people to create change in policies for the best interest of the people. (Kerr, Riba, & Udow-Phillips, 2015). Patti References Chamberlain College of Nursing. (2017). Retrieved from NR 506 Nursing Healthcare Policy (Week 4): Kerr, E. A., Riba, M., & Udow-Phillips, M. (2015). Helping health service researchers and policy makers speak the same language. Health Services Research, 1-11. doi:10.1111/.12198 Laxault, N. (2009). Can you hear me know? Guidelines for effective communication with legislators. Nevada Information, 18(1), 10.