COMMUNICATIONS/LEGAL - GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER COMMUNICATIONS/LEGAL - GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER 23 24 industry leaders and stakeholders. As a result, GAMs need to have excellent interpersonal and networking skills. They must be able to communicate effectively, build trust and establish positive relationships with a diverse group of people. A few core things that GAMs do to help build and relationships: • Networking: GAMs attend meetings, conferences, and events where government officials and policymakers are present. They use these opportunities to introduce themselves and bring awareness to their industry with those individuals. • Establishing Trust: GAMs work to establish trust and credibility with government officials and policymakers by demonstrating their knowledge, expertise, and commitment to their organization’s mission. • Offering Solutions: GAMs approach government officials and policymakers with solutions that align with their organization’s goals and objectives. They provide data, research, and other resources to support their position and demonstrate the potential impact of their proposed solutions. • Being Proactive: GAMs stay informed about government activities, legislation, and regulations that may affect their organization. They reach out to government officials and policymakers proactively to offer information, insights, and expertise on relevant issues. Everyone has their own unique perspectives and interests so government affairs managers must keep this in mind when conducting business. If the government official is not in the same mindset as then, the GAM must undertake persuasive communication styles to protect their organizations’ interests. 4. Government Affairs Managers Develop Strategies Sometimes when a new policy is proposed by government it can cause negative effects on a food business. For example, the government might be looking to crack down the consumption of sugar of their citizens. As a measure to combat this the government might impose a tax on the production of baked goods which have a certain amount of sugar contained within. This tax would increase the cost of producing sweets making them less competitive compared to other food items that are not subject to the same tax. If a government affairs manager worked at this baking company it would be their job to develop strategies that would prevent this tax from happening. There are many tactics they could take to help prevent this from happening. Firstly they could look to educate lawmakers and regulatory agencies on the potential negative impacts of the tax for both the company and its consumers. This could involve sending letters with research and data to support their meeting or even setting up a phone call to discuss the matter in more depth. Additionally, they could engage the public by building campaigns that bring awareness to the tax hike. This could involve working with other industry groups and trade associations to build a coalition of support to advocate the tax. Together the group could put out print ads, share the messages on social media and even attend certain community events. By combining these different tactics, a government affairs manager could create a comprehensive strategy to combat an imposed tax on bread products and effectively advocate for their company’s interests. 5. Government Affairs Managers Have Varying Levels of Education Overall, the education required to become a government affairs manager will vary depending on the organization. Some organizations will require the GAM to have a bachelor’s degree in a related field such as political science, public policy, international relations or communications. The food industry is unique in the way that it does intentionally promote from within, so career advancement opportunities are available. There are some examples where a GAM started their career on the production line and worked their way up, by showing initiative and taking the right steps to land the position. However, this position is not one that a student typically enters right after graduation. Due to the knowledge required to be competent in this role, you would need relevant work experience within a food organization to gain the right skills. This will allow you to have a better understanding of the food industry landscape, and the best ways to navigate it. 6. Government Affairs Managers Represent Organizations Government Affairs Managers (GAMs) play a crucial role in representing organizations in government affairs. They attend government meetings and hearings to provide testimony and represent their organization’s interests on relevant issues. For example, if the government is introducing new policies related to an industry, GAMs will attend meetings to discuss their concerns and advocate for their organization’s interests. For example, GAMs play a vital role in educating government officials and decisionmakers about new developments in their industry. For example, if their organization is involved in a new technology, such as improving vegan eggs then GAMs may meet with officials to explain how the company is doing things differently and how new policies may affect their organization directly. Their goal is to work collaboratively with government, to lift the entire industry while also protecting their own business interests. GAMs also help to raise the profile of their organization by engaging in outreach, education, and engagement with government officials and decision-makers. They establish a network of contacts and build relationships with industry members, business associations, influencers, and external SMEs to advance their organization’s goals and objectives. 7. Government Affairs Managers Typically Work on Boards Typically, government affairs managers will be apart of industry boards and committees. For example, in Ontario a prominent board within the food processing industry is Food and Beverage Ontario which represents multiple food businesses across the province. Although these businesses might be at direct competition with each other, there will be issues that directly affect the majority across the board. A collective voice will have more of an impact. An example of this is the current labour shortage which has had huge negative consequences for Ontario’s food processors. The board proposed a workforce development initiative, which has come to fruition called CareersNOW! to address labour shortages by raisng awareness of the industry and supporting jobseekers and employers. It’s up to a government affairs official to determine what ways that boards can assist their organization and help the industry as a whole. 8. Government Affairs Managers Write Well, Listen Actively and Conduct Research Being a Government Affairs Manager requires a wide range of skills. However, there are a few which are more essential than others. Important skills for a government affairs manager to have include: • Written Communication – Government affairs managers continuously write emails, proposals, memos and reports to government officials, internal staff and the general parties. They must ensure that their writing is concise, clear and adequately describes the points they are making. Overall, they translate complex information into easily understandable language for their audiences. • Active-Listening – Much of a government affairs managers job is dependent on building relationships with elected officials. Activelistening plays a big role in this as they must listen to the concerns of their organization while also listening to elected officials. Active listening involves reading individuals’ body language, maintaining eye contact and mirroring a speaker’s language to show interest. • Research - To create effective proposals government affairs managers need to be able to research effectively. They know where to look for information and critically assess complex legislative and regulatory proposals and know their potential impact on their company. Their ability to research only gets stronger the longer they stay in this role. Want to learn more about what a role would look like for a government affairs manager? Then check out episode 65 of the FoodGrads podcast where we interviewed Doug Alexander, Vice President of Sustainability and Government Relations at Belmont Meats. Click the photo to tune in! In this episode you will learn about: - Doug’s career journey starting from when he first graduated with a degree in Chemistry - How he progressed through out his career to his now current role -Managing failures in your role -Advice to those who are thinking about pursuing a career in the manufacturing side of the food industry Photo by Ivan Samkov/pexels.com
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