New Year’s Goals For The Ag Community Focused On A Strong, Prosperous 2008
Jan. 7th, 2008 by adminCattle Network
Dan Murphy
7 January, 2008
As 2008 begins a critical year for all of agriculture, AgNetwork.com reviews the goals and priorities from a select group of advocacy groups and trade associations. Some of those are entirely predictable – such as lobbying for the most favorable version of the farm bill. Others center on policy, marketing of even educational goals.
All of the organizations below work hard at a variety of initiatives all aimed at strengthening various segments of agriculture, All deserve the support – monetary, as well as political – of their members and constituents.
But can we pause for a brief editorial comment? In contacting the organizations profiled here, too many had “designated spokespeople” solely empowered to discuss the group’s priorities. And if they were unavailable, media inquiries (of any sort) get shelved until such time as the spokesperson resurfaces.
That’s a missed opportunity, but more importantly it speaks to one of the most neglected aspects of running an organization that interfaces with the media: internal communications. When the folks answering the phones or responding to emails are unwilling or unable – doesn’t matter which – to verbalize the group’s mission, or its key goals, that’s a red flag.
Should receptionists be able to articulate a group’s top priorities? Yes. They’re your de facto spokespeople. Should office managers, entry-level staff, even temporary interns be aware of what they’re working for and to what mission their efforts are supposed to contribute? Absolutely.
Unfortunately, the mindset among some advocacy groups and trade associations – and I can say this because I’ve been there – is that we have spokespeople, and we have staff. The former are tasked with articulating the group’s goals; the rest of the organization is on a need-to-know basis.
And too often, it’s presumed that they don’t need to know.
