| EFFECTIVE
MEETINGS AND SITE VISITS
In order to have an effective
meeting, you must consider the context. As Clair Seaver, Executive Assistant
and Health Legislative Assistant (LA) to Rep. Blumenauer (D-OR) points
out, "The Congressman's schedule is chaotic. It changes from minute to
minute and meetings are sometimes postponed or canceled all together.
When the meetings do occur as planned, the Congressman often has only
a few minutes to focus on the discussion. Being able to make the point
quickly and succinctly is very important. It’s particularly important
to start the meeting with a request. That way, if you’re cut-off you’ve
at least put the most important point out there." Your job is to bring
order to chaos by following these few simple steps.
The Steps to an Effective Meeting
-
Be cognizant of your
representative’s time limitations. Don’t ask for more than one or
two meetings per year. Sometimes your message is best delivered by
phone or through a staff person.
-
Decide where you want
to meet (DC vs. the home office), after looking at the congressional
calendar (see the House and Senate websites for links to the House
and Senate calendars)
-
Decide who should deliver
your message. While those who run the program should always be involved
in meetings with Congressional offices, some members may respond better
to powerful figures in the community who support you. Above all, a
real live constituent is absolutely critical.
-
Limit the number of people
you bring to the meeting. Most Congressional offices cannot fit more
than five people.
-
About one month
before the proposed meeting time, fax the scheduler a meeting
request, including a brief description of what you want to discuss
and attendees. (Click here to see a sample
letter.) Meeting requests should always be made in writing,
as the scheduler will have to pass the request along to several
people before a decision is made. You can find phone, address,
and e-mail information from the House and Senate websites at
www.house.gov
or www.senate.gov.
Or, call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be connected
to your congressional office directly. Many offices do not post
fax numbers on their websites..
-
Follow-up with a phone call to the scheduler
about one-week after sending a written request.
-
Send a "one-pager"
about your program before the meeting, nothing more. Most Members
and staff and Members do not review materials before meetings – they
expect YOU to brief them.
-
Be very flexible – your
meeting may take place standing up in the hallway, on the run to a
vote, or may be cancelled with no warning. Members have to deal with
sudden and dramatic shifts in their schedules on a daily basis. Unfortunately,
this can affect the people they are planning to meet with.
-
Make sure you know "who’s
who" in the meeting, and take down the names of any staff
people you may need to deal with in the future.
-
Leave behind short, concise, and consistent
information.
-
Leave your information in a file folder
with your organization’s name on the label.
-
Follow up after the meeting on any requests
you made.
What to Expect
Believe it or not, Congressional
offices are tiny! Even the most senior legislative aides share tiny cubicles
with other staff. The telephones ring constantly and there are usually
at least five TVs blaring coverage of the day’s floor debate. It can be
very hard to focus on your comments when you are meeting in what may seem
like a war zone. This is why it is so important for you to be prepared
and to have thought about your message beforehand. And don’t be surprised
if the dress code is sometimes a bit casual, especially if you’re meeting
with a staff person on a day when Congress is not in session. During recess
periods, jeans and t-shirts are common. The rest of the time, more traditional
business attire is the norm. For visitors, business attire is best.
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