Many leadership teams dismiss lobbying outright because they don’t see where it fits. They’re busy running operations, hitting targets, managing people. Government affairs? It feels abstract. Political. Optional. Dirty.
But here’s the truth: ignoring the policy arena won’t make it ignore you.
Peter Drucker summed it up: “Few relationships are as critical to the business enterprise as the relationship to the government. Managers have responsibility for this relationship as part of their responsibility to the enterprise itself. It is an area of social impact of the business. To a large extent the relationship to government results from what businesses do or fail to do.”
Regulations, budget decisions, permitting delays, labor rules — these things can shift under your feet without warning. And if you’re not at the table, you’re reacting from the outside.
If you need to make the case to your executive team, frame it in business terms:
- Risk management. Advocacy is not just about winning, it’s about avoiding or minimizing your losses. One regulation or budget cut can hit harder than a bad quarter.
- Opportunity capture. Legislators are constantly looking for projects to champion and partners to support. But they won’t call if they don’t know you.
- Competitive intelligence. Your peers, competitors, and business opponents are already active. Staying silent can cost you leverage you didn’t know you had.
- Strategic alignment. Government affairs should support your business plan — not sit off to the side. It’s an extension of your external affairs, brand, and growth strategy.
- Scalable entry. You don’t have to start with a lobbyist or a full-blown campaign. But someone in your organization should be paying attention, making connections, and building muscle. In many organizations, this falls to the legal team, but it can be anyone in your organization. Find someone who enjoys politics, but can put your business interests above partisan politics.
Takeaway:
Don’t let “we’re too busy” be the reason your company loses influence. Smart leaders know when to invest in advocacy. It’s not a political play. It’s a business one.