"Shark Tank" Goes Government: 5 Best Practices for State Budget Hearings

Happy state budget hearing season! You won’t be shocked to hear this, but most state agency leaders hate legislative budget hearings. It’s hard to blame them - your agency’s entire budget is on the line, you have to master hundreds of pages of data for your many line items, and a seemingly harmless comment can trigger a legislative meltdown and derail the entire hearing. Fun stuff, right?

I’m one of the few folks who loves budget hearings. They're the government equivalent of pitching to investors. And when you nail it, the legislators are eager to partner with you, provide funding for your vision, and help you and your agency transform lives for millions of people.

Here are my best practices for state agency leaders prepping for budget hearings:

1. Trust wins the day.

   1. The better your relationships, the better your hearing goes (even when challenging issues arise).

   2. Invest in those relationships year-round, not just when budget season comes around.
      

2. Keep it simple.

   1. Legislators don’t care about 95% of what you do. For that 95%, stick to high-level summaries and brief descriptions, and only go into specifics if needed.

   2. To help you stay on track, write a script with key bullets and likely Q&A for each line item.
      

3. Know your audience.

   1. Anticipate what questions you’ll get, and prepare to answer them proactively or address the questions you’re likely to get.

   2. Be aware of "trigger words" and terminology that could derail the conversation. (For example, I learned the hard way that the term "COO" tends to trigger a 10-minute rant on the many unnecessary layers of government bureaucracy. However, the term "Deputy Division Director" sounds just fine!)
      

4. Know your content.

   1. You and your teammates are the experts, and you build trust when you can answer questions quickly and accurately.
      

5. Transparency is key.

   1. Navigate the “Goldilocks problem.” Keep your remarks high-level, but make sure you give enough detail so no one thinks you’re hiding something. With practice, you’ll get it just right.

Bottom Line:  

High-trust relationships with legislators are your best route to a smooth budget hearing. But at the end of the day, there’s no substitute for solid preparation and tailored delivery.

Michael Lanahan serves as Founder and Principal of MBL Ventures, a consulting and executive coaching firm that helps government, nonprofit, and business leaders navigate strategy, structure, and government.

To learn more, please visit www.mblventuresllc.com.