3 Mistakes New Offices Make When Setting Up Their Comms Program
Launching a comms program in a new Congressional office is an exciting time, but even in this early stage there are crucial mistakes you should work to avoid.
According to Max Swagler, “Poor communication can have serious consequences. It can damage your reputation, it can destroy relationships with colleagues and folks on the hill, and it can lead to missed opportunities for engagement with constituents in your district.”
Max Swagler is the Vice President of Professional Services at Indigov and works with government offices on the Hill everyday helping them develop effective communication strategies. Max has over a decade of experience leading organizations through large enterprise technology transformation and organizational change management.
Throughout his time working with Congressional Offices, there are a few big mistakes Max sees offices commonly make.
1. Burning Down Everything on Arrival
Most newly elected officials are eager to differentiate themselves from their predecessors. But being too hasty to dismantle the old systems can lead to a major missed opportunity.
“Certainly there are some changes you’re going to want to implement on day one. But don’t ignore the past either. If you reframe what came before your member’s arrival as information, even if it’s poorly or inadequately done, you can learn a lot about what has worked and what hasn’t.”
By taking the time to evaluate past communications strategies, you won’t actually be starting from square one. Instead you and your team can replace or upgrade certain tactics that are failing while retaining the elements that work well.
2. Not Planning for Knowledge Capture
There are many offices that get so caught up in the moment that they take for granted the unique expertise and experiences of the individuals on their team.
“The most significant intellectual asset of any congressional office is its people. But turnover is increasingly more common and oftentimes a lot of that knowledge leaves with that person when they walk out the door.”
It is essential that a new office takes time to think about how they want to retain key institutional knowledge and interdepartmental connections even after the individual who brought those assets inevitably departs.
“Really focus on what your sources of record are going to be. Where is that information going to be captured? Who is responsible for capturing it? If you aren’t sure, go talk to other offices that have served previously or hire someone who has experience overseeing a knowledge management program.”
3. Failing to Follow Up on Goals
“The third mistake we always see is folks set their goals, and then forget about them.”
Right after being elected, members and their burgeoning offices are often swept up in a planning fervor. They create exciting and ambitious goals for all sorts of things. On the communications side, we often see teams identify outcomes they want to see such as:
- Increased newsletter subscribers
- Improved email response time
- More survey responses and event signups
But once the new Congress enters session and every staffer is getting pulled in countless directions, those goals are easy to lose sight of. Offices must put forethought into how progress towards those goals are going to be monitored.
“Create a culture of reporting on goals frequently. Hold staff accountable to progress reports and designate time for strategy sessions when you see results trending in the wrong direction.”
Tip: Make the Most of Technology
“Engage with technology providers and ask how they can provide you with the ability to configure reports and dashboards to make your work easy to track.”
Get in touch to learn how Indigov and its team of former Hill staff can streamline your communications programs and help you avoid these common missteps!