PROFESSIONAL VERSUS AMATEUR PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCATES

Professional Public Policy Advocates

• Have tons of ideas, pick one and do their best to make it happen.
• Know it’s almost impossible to achieve one thing.
• Are always learning.
• Do research, they take all factors into account before they start and determine what the landscape holds.
• Are all about execution. Sure, they occasionally abandon a project when they see further effort is fruitless, but the mark of a pro is someone who begins and ends.
• Let their work do the talking.
• Are extremely confident.
• Are all about the big picture.
• Hold no one in contempt, but they haven’t got much time for losers.
• Have paid their dues, and are still paying them.
• Know anything worth accomplishing takes a long time, and what might look like overnight success is rarely such.
• Never slap their own backs, and are oftentimes uncomfortable with others slapping their backs.
• May be anxious, but they’ve performed the task so many times they let instinct take over, they go on their experience, nervousness never comes into the equation.
• Know that life is about a series of breaks.
• Don’t like to fail, but when they do they pick themselves up, dust themselves off and get back in the game.
• Listen.
• Are cool, calm and collected.
• Show empathy.
• Show up and stay as long as it’s interesting and profitable, criticizing  gains them nothing, so they don’t.
• Believe what people do.

Amateur Public Policy Advocates 

• Have tons of ideas, are excited about all of them and see none to fruition.
• Think they can do everything.
• Think they know everything.
• Start with no preparation.
• Don’t finish.
• Are worried about image.
• Demonstrate insecurity.
• Can only see what’s in front of them.
• Hold those above them in contempt.
• Have no idea what dues are.
• Believe in instant success.
• Boast.
• Get nervous.
• Are looking for their one big break.
• Are afraid to fail.
• Interrupt.
• Demonstrate their bile, they get frustrated or angry and it’s easy to see.
• Bristle.
• Are always telling you how busy they are and how hard they’re working.
• Believe what people say.