{"id":267693,"date":"2019-11-21T11:30:58","date_gmt":"2019-11-21T16:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/issues\/some-practical-advice-for-new-political-staffers\/"},"modified":"2025-10-07T22:44:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T02:44:13","slug":"some-practical-advice-for-new-political-staffers","status":"publish","type":"issues","link":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2019\/11\/some-practical-advice-for-new-political-staffers\/","title":{"rendered":"Some practical advice for new political staffers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Below is a slightly expanded version of a list of practical advice for new political staffers that I first posted on <\/i>Twitter<\/i><\/span><\/a> in advance of the announcement of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau\u2019s new cabinet on November 20. Some of these points are wisdom passed on to me by colleagues and mentors, others come from my own professional experience in government and more recently as a professor working with a new generation of political professionals. Following a surprisingly positive response from politicos of many different stripes, here I\u2019ve expanded the list to include smart additions from others who contributed their wisdom. <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

1) Pick up the phone and call your counterparts in other parties and in provincial offices. Call just to say \u201chi, I\u2019m looking forward to working with you.\u201d Also, invite them out for a coffee (when you\u2019re in the same town). At that informal meeting, be the kind of person they will want to have coffee with again. These cross-party and inter-governmental relationships can make a world of difference when your boss needs to work with counterparts. <\/span><\/p>\n

2) Do the same thing with stakeholders who have an interest in your policy portfolio (whether you work for a minister or an opposition critic). But do this with care. Lots of groups will actively reach out to meet with you, and you can learn a lot from them. Also take time to reach out beyond the usual suspects to the people who aren\u2019t in Ottawa and can\u2019t easily fly there for a lobby day. Call them on the phone. Again, make this the kind of conversation they will want to have again, freely and genuinely. Ask them how they think things in your portfolio are going. By building better relationships with stakeholders, you\u2019ll learn more and you\u2019ll also be more effective for your boss. <\/span><\/p>\n

3) Have an in-office plan for a \u201cdepth of 2\u201d on any file. This means sharing information so that at least two people in the office are well-apprised of a given issue. You\u2019ll be able to cover for each other fairly seamlessly when someone gets sick, or is away, or gets burnt-out (this will happen \u2013 see points 5 and 6 below).<\/span><\/p>\n

4) Read up on parliamentary procedures, even if you are not the legislative assistant or director of parliamentary affairs. Here are links for the House<\/span><\/a> and the Senate<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 <\/span>You don\u2019t need to be an expert, but you should have some understanding of the rules, especially in a minority, when parliamentary business is more likely to be contested. <\/span><\/p>\n

5) Plan ahead for your health and well-being while in this job. You cannot do the job if you are unhealthy or unwell, and it is your responsibility to take care of yourself. This might mean different things for different people. Find what works for you. <\/span><\/p>\n

6) Make time to see the people who are and were your friends <\/span>before<\/span> politics. They are important. Also, see your family and be truly present when you are with them. They are extra important. These are the people who need you and value you whether your party is up or down. <\/span><\/p>\n

7) If you are in a ministerial office, take the time to learn about your department and the people in it. Public servants really are not out to get you and they don\u2019t report to you. Who writes the notes you see and who signs off on them? You are all working, in different ways, to support the person who is ultimately responsible and makes the decisions \u2013 your minister. Whether you work for the governing party or the opposition, never yell, insult or be condescending with non-partisan public officials. Your behavior reflects on your boss (who will be held responsible for your conduct). Your relationships and reputation are what make it possible to be effective. <\/span><\/p>\n

8) If you can, set aside a little money in a flexible (liquid) but higher (as much as possible these days) interest-bearing account. Your current livelihood is uncertain and cannot be planned the way some other careers can \u2013 especially not in a minority government situation. You are at the mercy of events and often subject to post-employment restrictions. Buy your future self some time to think and pick a next path when it is time to leave. <\/span><\/p>\n

9) Come to work each and every day humbled by the institutions you serve and try to leave them a little better than you found them. Never forget that it is a privilege to be able to contribute, in any way, to the governance of our country. <\/span><\/p>\n

10) Admit honestly what you don\u2019t know. Never ever freelance (presenting a view or request that doesn\u2019t accurately reflect your boss\u2019 position) because your personal policy views are, frankly, largely unimportant. If you haven\u2019t persuaded your boss, that\u2019s on you.<\/span><\/p>\n

11) Reach out to academics and other researchers who have deep expertise in specific areas. We are usually pretty happy to talk to anyone about what we know, and are sophisticated enough to understand you won\u2019t always follow our advice. But, remember, outside experts don\u2019t work for you and aren\u2019t rewarded at work for helping you out. <\/span><\/p>\n

11) Ask others for help. Find a mentor and be available as one to others who come after you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bon courage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Photo:\u00a0Shutterfly\/By Rawpixel.com<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Do you have something to say about the article you just read? Be part of the\u00a0<\/i>Policy Options\u00a0discussion, and send in your own submission.\u00a0Here is a\u00a0<\/i>link<\/i><\/span><\/a>\u00a0on how to do it. |\u00a0Souhaitez-vous r\u00e9agir \u00e0 cet article ? Joignez-vous aux d\u00e9bats d\u2019<\/i>Options politiques\u00a0et soumettez-nous votre texte en suivant ces\u00a0<\/i>directives<\/i><\/span><\/a>.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Below is a slightly expanded version of a list of practical advice for new political staffers that I first posted on Twitter in advance of the announcement of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau\u2019s new cabinet on November 20. Some of these points are wisdom passed on to me by colleagues and mentors, others come from my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":276560,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-10-08T02:44:16Z","apple_news_api_id":"6769bb6a-9172-4360-9a8e-d39e9255e5db","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-10-08T02:44:16Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AZ2m7apFyQ2CajtOeklXl2w","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[9358,9372],"tags":[9133],"article-status":[],"irpp-category":[4295],"section":[],"irpp-tag":[],"class_list":["post-267693","issues","type-issues","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politique","category-recent-stories-fr","tag-federalisme","irpp-category-politique"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nSome practical advice for new political staffers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2019\/11\/some-practical-advice-for-new-political-staffers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Some practical advice for new political staffers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Below is a slightly expanded version of a list of practical advice for new political staffers that I first posted on Twitter in advance of the announcement of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau\u2019s new cabinet on November 20. 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