When you work in politics and on campaigns you have to realize that you are ALWAYS “on the clock” and always being watched. If you slip up, all it takes is one email forward to make you, your candidate, or your organization look really foolish.

Don’t let this happen to you!

To help prove my point, here are my favorite all-time political staffer FAILs.

Elizabeth “Don’t call me Liz” Becton

I know, I know: old news. But you have to admit this has got to be among the best. For those of you who don’t know the story, my Congressman, Jim McDermott, has a craaaazy office manager named Elizabeth Becton. How do I know she is crazy, you ask? In the first in a series of emails with a secretary at a lobby firm, Elizabeth was referred to once by the secretary as “Liz”. What ensued was a good five emails explaining how she is never to be called “Liz” and hinted that there is a conspiracy among some on the Hill to mono-syllabize her name. Politico has the story.

Hillary Clinton Cardboard Boob Grope

OK I will be the first to admit it: I like groping cardboard as much as the next red-blooded 26-year-old American male. But when that card board is shaped like a person and that person-shape is a lady-shape and that cardboard-lady-shape has a photo of Hillary Clinton printed on it – well, sir, I respectfully draw the line.

Unfortunately, this Obama staffer does not draw that same line.

Peer-to-Peer-to-job loss

The most recent of my favorites are brought to you by a junior staffer working for the Ethics Committee. While working from home, a document containing the records of 30 ethics investigations found its way on to a peer-to-peer network where anyone could download and view it. Oops. Needless to say this young staffer promptly lost his job.

Advocacy is as much of a science as it is an art. If you are going in to a new job or even a job interview you would do well to keep these 3 rules in mind to help keep you on track and ensure that you are using your time and energy most efficiently.

Rule Number 1

Recruit outside validators of your issues. You can talk about how important food safety is until you are blue in the face but until you have some farmers, elementary school cafeteria workers and super market managers (for example) on your side you do not have enough legitimacy to make your claim. Because of course a food safety nonprofit is going to have that position – it’s there job! You need unconventional people to deliver your message.

Rule Number 2

Develop relationships. Your goal is to get the word out about the great services you provide and convince people to support your efforts. Whether you are providing a service or advocating for a policy you need people to help you on your way. Make sure that you know every key reporter in your area, have friends in elected positions and keep good relations with your constituency of supporters. You will need all of these people to succeed.

Rule Number 3

Raise lots of money. Forget what you heard. The best things in life aren’t free. In fact, most free stuff sucks. You need to pay for the things you really want. That includes an office, materials, staff, advertisements, lobbyists, etc. You will need an innovative and dynamic development program and a sharp person in charge of it to raise the funds needed to sustain a successful advocacy organization.

A couple months ago the New Organizing Institute held a job advice webinar with Ben Rattray, CEO and Founder of Change.org, then, seeing the size of the audience and the slew of questions we got, we followed up with another webinar on getting a job on the Hill (featuring Tom Manatos, Speaker Pelosi's office, and Rob Pierson, House Democratic Caucus). When over 400 people signed up for that one, we figured we had better roll up our sleeves and get these webinar advice sessions out asap.

Zach Knowling, your beloved blogger, is featured on one of these New Organizing Institute webinars - and he'll know if you sign up or not... :)

Here's a few of our upcoming events.  I'm more than willing to pile on to this list, so email over your suggestions for more speakers/topics to annemarie@neworganizing.com!

August 20th: Technology Jobs

Josh Hendler, the Director of Technology at the DNC (and a former NOI consultant), and John Miyasato, Managing Principal and former tech recruiter with Crossroads Campaigns, will give the run down of what kind of tech jobs are available, the skills you need to have to get them, and how you can train yourself to be ready for these jobs in the meantime. Sign up here!

August 28th: Beginning a progressive nonprofit career

NOI's own Heather Cronk, Training Director and formerly the Director of Campus Programs at Idealist, will answer Q&A and provide an overview of various careers in progressive nonprofits. Sign up here!

September 8th: Campaign Jobs

We're bringing you two rockstar former campaign staffers - Zach Knowling, a survivor of several congressional campaign races, and Taryn Benarroch, a veteran of four campaigns, to give you the lay of the land of campaign jobs. Taryn and Zach will share what it's really like to work in a campaign, what types of jobs are available, and how to maneuver yourself into one. Sign up here!

September 29th: Staying sane during your job search

Ellen Reeves, author of "Can I wear my nose ring to the interview?" and career advisor for change.org, will talk about keeping your sanity during your job search, no matter how many months you've been at it, and ways to occupy your time in a positive way in the meantime. Sign up here!

The answer is a lot of different actors inside and outside the Capitol Beltway. But one such actor I want to focus on are the outside advocates.

In terms of politics, advocacy is typically a series of actions that an organization engages in to make a change in policy at a governing body.

Nearly anyone and any organization can engage in advocacy.

Individual citizens do this every day by taking their own initiative and writing letters to their elected officials. For profit companies engage in advocacy through paid advertisements, lobbyists, direct contact with members of a bureaucracy like the FCC, earned media (earned media is a term used to describe stories or editorials in the press) and other such tactics. Non-profit organizations do too, of course. They engage in advocacy through lobbying, advertising, grassroots mobilization, earned media, events, etc.

So let’s say that MoveOn is supporting the healthcare bill. What are some of the things they might do to make sure it passes and is a strong bill and not watered down by opponents?

• Ask their members to write letters to the editor at their local papers to urge their Member of Congress to support the bill.
• Organize groups of nurses in key states to go and visit their member of Congress in support of the bill.
• Place ads in beltway publications like The Hill or Congress Daily.
• Send professional lobbyists to talk to members about the specifics of the bill and MoveOn’s position.
• Hold events when Members are back in town with community leaders and those that would benefit from the legislation.

All of these are tactics of an advocacy strategy. A good advocacy organization will form a strategy to make a change and then select among the tactics above and others I didn’t have space to mention and put together a campaign to support the passage of a bill.

For a very specific example of an organization working to pass state-level legislation, have a look at this earlier post I did which takes you through step-by-step.

So you just got hired at a state-level environmental non-profit just as they are about to launch a campaign to pass a transportation bill that would reduce climate change through the state legislature.

How the heck are they gonna do that?

Well, there are a lot of different strategies and tactics they can employ but the basics are pretty much the same for nearly every campaign.

First

Several months prior to the start of the legislative session the group must work with their closest allies in the legislature, often referred to as champions, to put together the piece of the legislation, often referred to as “the vehicle,” that will contain the proposed code, spending, etc that will hopefully be enacted in to law.

Second

Still prior to the session, the environmental organization should come up with a set of messages they think will cast the bill in the best light. They will also want to test negative messages that the opposition to the bill will likely use to try to defeat the bill.

In today’s world with the economy in such a bad shape, the non-profit would be wise to work out messaging that will resonate with people in that mindset. I would suggest using economic messaged (often referred to as pocketbook issues), quality of life, cost savings, local control of enactment and choices – giving people more options to get with new transportation.

If the non-profit has the money, they ought to test the messages with a state-wide poll. These can be expensive, like $20,000 expensive, so not all non-profits can afford them.

Third

Once the key messages are finalized (still prior to session) the campaign now must put together a coalition of allies, spokespeople and unlikely allies – spokespeople who many people, legislators and the media may not expect to see aligned with an environmental bill and will help to recast the legislation in the frame best suited to a victory. These would include businesses from around the state, local elected officials at the state and county level, regular citizens, developers, chambers of commerce, etc. Remember, we are going after an economic message for this bill even though it is essentially an environmental bill by nature.

Fourth

Reach out to reporters, introduce the legislation and show that your non-profit is the go-to resource for questions about the issue. That way, once the bill starts to move through committees, etc reporters will come to you for a quote. Also, put together teams of spokespeople and a policy expert to meet with the editorial boards of key papers to introduce the issue. You want them to opine favorably about the bill to show higher-level support for it.

Fifth

Identify members of the House and Senate that you will target with lobbying, grassroots, grasstops (your higher level spokespeople) and media pressure. These targets are members who want to vote with you but need some support in their local paper or members who want to vote against you who you want to pressure to vote with you.

Sixth

Opposition research. By now you should know who intends to oppose the bill and pretty likely what they are going to say about it to try to kill it. Prepare yours spokespeople using your tested language from the poll to counter their arguments.

Seventh

Session begins. You will need to get your spokespeople and your staff policy expert to testify at the committee hearings. You begin to pitch stories to the newspapers where your targeted house and senate members live, engage your grassroots to make calls and write emails to their representatives, meet with the editorial boards again to update them on the measure and urge them to write.

Eighth

Almost there. Your bill has passed the house and moved to the senate. You hold a press conference at the state capitol that thanks the legislators and champions in the house who worked to pass your bill. Speakers include your two best spokespeople and the legislators who worked hard to make it happen.

Ninth

The pressure from their constituents, the media, the editorial boards and your lobbyists push your bill through the senate – nice work!

Tenth

The bill is on sent to the governor. You do one final round of press releases and grassroots pressure aimed at the governor. She signs it. You win!

Of course these steps are written in a vacuum. Passing legislation in real life is very hard. It is always easier to defeat a piece of new legislation than it is to pass it. It takes a lot of hard work, dedicated staff and volunteers, good relationships and money.

My good friend Meg Shoemaker works for a fantastic organization called Public Interest Projects. There she manages all kinds of different programs for many different foundations.

Where do you work currently? What do you do?

I’m the Program Associate for the Four Freedoms Fund (FFF) at Public Interest Projects (PIP). We’re a national funding collaborative that supports efforts and organizations working to engage immigrants and refugees in policy advocacy, civic participation and the defense of human and civil rights.

I won’t go into the details of what constitutes a funding collaborative, since I don’t want your reader’s eyes to glaze over, but in short we provide national foundations--like the Carnegie Corporation or the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation--with the capacity and knowledge to support all levels of the immigrant rights field. My time is primarily spent on our communications and field building funding, which means a lot of hours on the phone or at conferences researching the climate around immigration in different regions and the tactics organizations are using to mobilize members and the larger progressive community.

There’s also a fair amount of reading and reviewing proposals from potential grantees, pulling together all the paperwork that’s needed to give someone else money (grants administration) and working on a good number of other little projects that no one else wants to do.

What got you involved in foundation and non-profit work?

My parents have always been involved with political and social work in the communities we lived in. I’m lucky to have them as role models. With my current job, I basically tripped into it. I knew a couple of the staff at PIP and they recommended me for the position. I didn’t even have to bribe them.

What type of organizations does you fund and work with?

Until recently we funded state-wide, immigrant rights coalitions who were connected to national immigration reform efforts and who focused on policy advocacy, civic participation and the defense of civil rights. (The Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition and Voces de la Frontera in Wisconsin are two).

This is still our main focus, but we’re lucky to have very engaged donors who’ve allowed us to expand our work to support national immigrant rights organizations (such as the National Immigration Forum and the National Immigration Law Center) as well as service providers to help build the capacity of the immigrant rights field (such as Alliance for Justice, the Nonprofit Finance Fund and American Forum).

We now have 5 initiatives: Core Field Building, Response to Harsh Enforcement, Strategic Communications, Capacity Building and Civic Participation.

How does your work affect our social and political landscape?

It’s a pretty exciting time in the immigrant rights field right now. The Obama administration has repeatedly voiced its support for federal immigration reform and the initial groundwork in Congress has started. By growing the capacity of organizations who will do the advocacy leg work, our funds will hopefully allow these groups and their members to play a role in reforming what is now a seriously broken immigration system.

What advice would you give to someone your age or younger who is looking to get into politics/foundations/non-profit work?

First, try to get a job at the Carnegie Corporation because they still have tea time. Other than that, most nonprofit/foundation/politics work isn’t anything like working at a random law firm or financial company. My colleagues are incredibly passionate about the issues they’re supporting. You might be better off in a different field if you’re ambivalent about social justice. If you’re looking for a job tell everyone you know (and people you don’t) that you’re looking. It’s totally cliché, but it’s also true that you get jobs through people you know. Also, expect to pay your dues somewhere. If you want to work 9 to 5, you’re in for a surprise.

Photo by Steph Goralnick.

They herald from all different walks of life; from every corner of this spaceship we call Planet Earth. They make you look bad in front of your parents at the company picnic. They try to talk you in to buying a used Daewoo at the Ford dealership. And nine times out of ten they – succeed?

That’s right.

Those slick, fake smiling people you love to hate – those brown nosers – actually do make it in life and work!

Now, I’m not advocating that you become a brown noser, per se, but I am suggesting that you take on some of the better qualities that the brown noser has to offer.

Let’s go to the encyclopedia archives:

Entry 1: The Coat-tailer

This is one of the most common species of brown noser in the workplace. Like their evolutionary relatives, the remora fish, they sucker on to a larger, more powerful host and survive off their leftovers.

In the office, this guy is always seen with the boss, constantly agreeing with her, joining her in meetings and bringing her coffee – like every day. He will do well for himself under her protection. He gets to work on the cool projects that she brings in and gets to meet her higher-level contacts due to his consistent close proximity to her.

Nose depth: 1.5 centimeters

What you can learn from the coat-tailer

Don’t be afraid to approach your boss and strike up a conversation. Just know your limits. You don’t actually want to become a coat-tailer – you just want some of the benefits.

Instead of insinuating yourself into meetings with your boss and her team, show interest in the project and ask to be included, even offer to make a coffee run for the attendees beforehand. Strive to make yourself a fixture in your boss’ informal cabinet but don’t appear needy or clingy. This will go a long way to endearing yourself to an important person in your organization and give you a leg up in experience and responsibility if you play it right.

Entry 2: The Yes Man

“Great Idea Mike! Wow! You really hit that one right on the button – as usual! You always know just the right direction to take a new project. If only I was that good. Is there any way I can help ya with it? I mean, I would just love to work with you!”

Enough said.

Nose depth: 2 centimeters

What you can learn from the Yes Man

The Yes Man in our quote above said one thing right: “is there any way I can help ya with the project?”

As you have capacity at work, and your direct supervisor allows it, you should look for opportunities in your organization, even outside your department, to collaborate and learn from others.

One of the best ways to do this is to simply volunteer yourself. Now, the only way for this to work is to have a supervisor who doesn’t feel threatened by this and will allow you to do it. If they aren’t, and you volunteer yourself to another senior person, you will be smack in the middle of some nasty inter-organizational politics and likely have your wings clipped by your immediate boss who now distrusts you.

But if you can make it happen, ask around and see if you can work with others to expand your skill set and responsibility.

Case 3: The used car salesman

zOMG who likes this guy? Who? Tell me!

Honestly? Not many. No one can really stand these particular ‘nosers. That is why they run in packs together and tolerate each others personalities’ so theirs in turn will be tolerated.

Look out for their unique popped collars and colorful pink polo shirts. Smell the Axe hair gel? That’s them.

These are the least successful yet most oblivious brown nosers known to the encyclopedia.

They can go on for hours, shiny smile plastered on their face, and sell, sell, sell whatever the hell they are trying to get out the door and into your living room while at the same time not realizing you want to kill yourself.

Nose depth: All in, baby. Like a bad poker bet.

What you can learn from the used car salesman

Sell something that actually benefits you and your organization: yourself. It sounds cheesy but its true and you can do it without using Axe hair products. I’ve heard someone even do it while using Selsun Blue. But I digress.

Tactfully and at the appropriate points in a meeting or conversation say something like: “Oh, you know? I have some experience in that field. I would love to talk more about and here your ideas.”

Snap!

You just dropped an expertise that was unknown to your colleague AND offered to use it on a project. This will come off as helpful rather than an out-of-the-blue brag about your skills.