Senior Vice President, Public Affairs
‘Tis the bustling season when we turn the page on 2025 and usher in a new year. At Goff, the season is dotted with celebrations, year-end reviews, and a tradition of signing holiday cards for clients, colleagues and friends. I’m somewhat notorious in the office for being tardy in sending my seasonal greetings, but I promise it’s for good reason.
One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in my political career is that no matter how complicated a policy issue or how thorny a regulatory path, authentically understanding the individuals who are part of the process is imperative to have a real chance at success. Now politics— or more specifically politicians — get a bad rap for being transactional or superficial, and that can be true. But the most effective politicians, and dare I say leaders, are those who take the time to build authentic relationships. Why? Because successful negotiations, effective messaging and coalition building are absolutely rooted in genuinely understanding the person on the other side of the table.
When you consider some of the public meltdowns at the Minnesota Capitol, I would suggest that many of them stem from the fact that the lawmakers involved simply don’t know each other. They talk around one another, make offers in negotiations that their adversary could never realistically accept and develop solutions without agreement on the problem trying to be solved. The same can be said for the lack of understanding between lawmakers and advocates.
To not have our clients be “those people,” we spend a lot of time getting to know lawmakers and we often get asked how to build relationships without coming across as transactional or superficial. It’s increasingly difficult in an era of short attention spans, stretched schedules and stark political divisions. However, it is not hard to do. It simply requires intentionality, empathy and a handful of tried-and-true best practices for building authentic relationships:
- Tell your story and ask about theirs. A person’s “why” is one of the more intimate details necessary to understanding a person. And we all love to share our stories. But make sure sharing isn’t a one-way street.
- We remember people and stories. Too often, we lead conversations with details, facts and figures. I promise you, most people don’t remember those things. They will remember your story.
- Little things matter. Remembering someone’s birthday, asking about someone’s pet or hobby, and following up after a meeting — it’s the little things that mean a lot.
- Make the time. Our schedules get slammed and usually it’s the soft stuff that gets moved to the bottom of the to-do list. Pencil in the time for the networking coffee, make a “just because” call and always sign the holiday card with more than just a name.
Fostering real, genuine relationships requires consistent effort, especially when time feels scarce and divisions run deep. Taking the time to truly understand those around you — colleagues, clients, policymakers and advocates — pays dividends far beyond any single negotiation or policy win. As we turn the page toward 2026 and set our sights on new goals, challenge yourself to lean in and take the time to strengthen the relationships around you.