News

Once in a while, I have the opportunity to look in the rearview mirror at my 20-plus-year career working at organizations such as Catholic Charities USA and Goodwill Industries International as an advocacy and government affairs professional.

Identifying advocacy leaders within the network was always a headache. While local agencies had a footprint in key legislative districts, we often didn't know who within the agency (besides a ridiculously busy CEO) to contact when we needed that agency to reach out to their Member of Congress about an important issue. Furthermore, once we were lucky enough to identify the advocacy leader at the key agency, that person often lacked the existing relationship with the congressional offices and the skills to effectively engage them.

Join CMF on March 21 for this session on "How to do the (legislative) work your boss was elected to do." This program will feature senior staff from House personal, committee, and support offices who will offer their guidance and expertise on successfully achieving your legislative goals.

With a divided Congress, developing a relationship that works for your organization despite the political climate is more important than ever. This Advocacy Leaders Network event on March 15 will explore how to work with this new Congress, win the time and attention of staff and members, and frame the stories that will drive action.

The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) released its Job Description for a Member of Congress, the newest publication in a suite of resources designed to ensure a smooth transition to Congress for new Members and their staff.

How do you react under stress? Do you really know how your team views your leadership? Are there times when you are your own worst enemy and don't even realize it? As recent news cycles have shown us, the actions of team leaders, and the way those actions are perceived, have real impacts on how staff perform. Join us February 4 for a workshop that will explain emotional intelligence (EQ) and how use it to lead a team more successfully.

Was your office unable to attend the Orientation for Senior Aides program hosted by the Committee on House Administration in November 2018? Did you attend, but still have questions? Or have senior staff joined your team who need a top-level briefing on EVERYTHING about getting your office up and running? If so, our January 31 session is for you!

University of California at Irvine Ph.D. student and former CMF Research Assistant Samantha McDonald presents a new paper, “Constituent Correspondence in the U.S. Congress: A Survey of Staff Perspectives.” Sam’s work focused on surveying Legislative Correspondents to understand the flow and impact of constituent communications on Capitol Hill. It is an outstanding contribution to the growing body of work in this field.