Roll Call

I recently had an irresistible proposition for a member of Congress: "What if I could show you a technology which, in one hour, would make thousands of your constituents consider you accessible and fair, increase their trust in your judgement, and triple your approval rating on one of the toughest issues Congress faces?"

"Social media is the ultimate equalizer. It gives a voice and a platform to anyone willing to engage." That statement by Internet entrepreneur Amy Jo Martin has profound implications in a democracy. Prior to the introduction of the Internet, the process of engaging elected officials was viewed as cumbersome and intimidating, perhaps only available to wealthy campaign donors. New research by the Congressional Management Foundation suggests that social media, "the ultimate equalizer," perhaps has the potential to influence that dynamic even more.

As congressional offices approach the final quarter of 2015, the dreaded topic of "performance reviews" raises its ugly head. The topic is dreaded in Congress for a few reasons that could include: employees perceive it as unfair, a grading of their work akin to a first-grade report card; managers view it as an annoying requirement with no connection to office goals, or; offices avoid them completely, leaving staff frustrated without any clear and meaningful feedback on their work.

Last year, I was giving a speech to an association about how Congress works and was asked, “What’s the biggest obstacle to improving the democratic dialog in America?” I replied, “Bad writing.” By following these five tips, citizen advocates' correspondence can stand out amoung the crowd.