There is no professional environment that shifts more rapidly than congressional offices. At a recent CMF program for House senior staff, author, coach and CMF management consultant Beverly E. Jones shared lessons on how staffers can be adaptable and agile, yet become more resilient and find stability in their workplaces.
Capitol Hill is home to perhaps the most rapidly changing, unstable work settings imaginable. With lessons from her latest book, Think Like an Entrepreneur, Act Like a CEO, Beverly E. Jones discussed how being an entrepreneurial thinker can help congressional staffers become resilient and find stability in this ever changing environment.
To begin, Jones told a story from her childhood in which she sought to decrease the amount of sugar she used in her tea by progressively removing a few more granules of sugar from her spoon each morning. This was the inspiration for what Jones calls the "sugar grain principle" – that anybody can change anything if they are conscious of what they wish to change and work methodically toward it daily. Jones argued that this principle can be useful for congressional staffers who want to begin thinking like an entrepreneur and in turn become more resilient, adaptable and comfortable with the constant change associated with Capitol Hill.
Jones then had the training session break into a group exercise in which each table spent a few minutes discussing three brands they loved, and explained what exactly it was that they loved about each brand.
Jones used the exercise to demonstrate that just as entrepreneurs utilize branding extensively, so too should congressional offices. She explained that building your own brand will help you better understand how your work impacts other people, how other people view you, and can help set you apart from competition.
The training then turned to the topic of listening, and how valuable a tool listening can be for ensuring resilience. Jones explained that while it's an absolutely essential skill, it's not one you can fake. Studies have found that when study participants actually are listening, subjects judge the participants as more intelligent and even more attractive. Listening is a valuable tool for congressional staffers looking to stay resilient because it can help you understand what's happening around you, and show others that you care, both traits that are essential in dealing with members, other staff, and constituents.
To finish the training and demonstrate the power of listening, Jones had the group begin another exercise in which pairs of staffers took turns acting once as a mindful listener and once as a constituent talking for two minutes straight about any topic. Afterward, Jones asked the participants how it felt to both act as the speaker and as the listener. Everyone agreed that while it felt good to have the full, undivided attention of someone, actually giving someone that attention and actively listening to another individual was difficult. Jones ended the training by using these responses to emphasize how powerful a strategy listening can be in helping congressional staff find stability.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Beverly Jones, MBA, JD, PCC, is a master of reinvention. She led university programs for women before trailblazing her career as a Washington lawyer and Fortune 500 energy executive. For 40 years she has helped other professionals and leaders survive and thrive. Since 2002, Jones has built a respected executive coaching and consulting practice, leading retreats and mentoring professionals of all ages to advance their careers, shift directions, or boost their productivity. Based in the nation's capital, she works with accomplished leaders in Congress, at major federal agencies, NGOs, universities, and large corporations. She is a popular blogger, and her podcasts are distributed through public media.
