Harnessing Your Policy Superpowers

In our role as policy professionals, we routinely deal with complex processes and subject matter outside our immediate span of control. We may likely find ourselves depending on the efforts of key partners to accomplish parts of the work. We may also recognize, all too clearly, that policy development is a collaborative and cross-functional effort involving others over whom we may have no actual authority. If policy making is a team sport comprised of players from distinct silos within the organization, how then do we most effectively engage the team resources for the policy program?

Following are three superpowers that may be utilized to harness the power of a cross-functional team for the policy office, especially when dependent on informal influence rather than direct formal authority to accomplish tasks.

The Power of Relationships

Build trust and relationships with key organizational stakeholders

Relationships provide the secret sauce to get things done. Determine the key partners to your work who are outside your span of control and intentionally seek them out. Build mutually beneficial alliances to support the policy work.

The Power of Clarity

Establish role clarity within the policy process

Although we are partners in the policy process, our roles will vary. Ensure your partners are clear on what you are asking of them and when it is needed, as well as how it supports their interests.

The Power of Culture

Understand the culture of your organization

Knowing the informal conventions about how things work and what is valued in your particular environment provides the crucial context around how to get things done most effectively and avoid missteps. Develop keen organizational awareness.

Through these avenues of influence, we may create a pathway for cross-functional collaboration that allows us to accomplish and maintain outcomes beyond our immediate office resources. We activate expanded assets within the organization for the policy work by leveraging our influence.