Do the preparatory work; once you are in the room, it is too late.

principle — attributed to Sarah Brown

Brown's lesson from time in and around government is direct. By the time you are in the room with the decision-maker, the moves have already been made. The work is upstream. Briefing the staff. Mobilizing the supporting voices. Getting the right people positioned to argue for the position. Preparing the documents the decision-maker will read before the meeting. The discipline runs counter to the romantic image of the persuasive advocate winning over the official across a table. The actual winning happens in the weeks before the meeting, in the dozens of small acts that shape what the official already thinks by the time they arrive. Advocates who skip this lose to advocates who do it.

For lobbyists, advocacy organizations, and policy entrepreneurs preparing for high-stakes meetings. The principle is most useful as a corrective to the instinct to over-invest in the moment and under-invest in the preparation.

preparation, government, advocacy, in-the-room