Pocket Lobbyist

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Calgary, AB
Pocket Lobbyist

A subscription-based platform for government relations and public policy professionals.

06/19/2026

The clue is in the name: successful government relations is ultimately about relationships. It’s finding the overlap between your organization’s priorities and the government’s priorities, and working together to meet in the middle. 🤝

The most effective strategies focus on what is achievable, practical, and beneficial to both sides. Understanding your organization’s relationship with government, whether through funding, regulation, legislation, or advocacy, helps determine what tools and approaches are available to you.

Good lobbying starts with understanding the landscape, recognizing where leverage exists, and building a strategy that works within reality, not against it.

Want to become a better lobbyist for your organization? Sign up for our Fall GR 101 Cohort at pocketlobbyist.com/gr-101

06/18/2026

The most straightforward lobbying advice? Focus on doing good work. Progress has a way of finding organizations that create real value.

Organizations often assume that influence comes from connections, access, or having the right lobbyist. In reality, governments pay attention to organizations that are solving real problems, creating value, and delivering results.

A strong mission, a clear purpose, and a track record of impact will open more doors than most people realize. The role of a lobbyist isn’t to get you noticed. It’s to help you navigate the opportunities that come once you are.

Good organizations get invited into the conversation. Good government relations strategies help them make the most of it.

06/15/2026

Lobbying often gets a bad reputation, but influence itself isn’t the problem.

At its best, lobbying creates better communication between government, businesses, non-profits, and citizens. It helps decision-makers understand real-world impacts, identify better solutions, and make more informed choices.

Good lobbying is ethical, transparent, and grounded in evidence. It’s about making the case that what benefits your organization can also benefit the communities and people government serves.

A healthy democracy depends on thoughtful engagement.

06/11/2026

Red flags? Here are a few.

No judgment. Just a few signs that government relations might be more relevant to your life and career than you think.

Swipe through and see how many apply to you, and then sign up for our fall GR 101 cohort: https://www.pocketlobbyist.com/gr-101

06/10/2026

One of the biggest mistakes organizations make in GR is never defining what success actually looks like.

If you don’t know where the goalposts are, every win can feel too small and every setback can feel bigger than it really is.

We’ve seen organizations make meaningful progress, build strong relationships, and achieve important milestones, only to feel frustrated because they never took the time to define what they were trying to accomplish in the first place.

The reality is that success in government relations isn’t always a single policy change or funding announcement. Sometimes it’s building credibility. Sometimes it’s gaining access. Sometimes it’s moving a conversation forward.

The important thing is being clear about what success means to you. Otherwise, you’ll spend your time focusing on what you didn’t get instead of recognizing how far you’ve come.

Government relations is an infinite game, not a finite one.

06/05/2026

One of the most underrated skills in government relations is honest communication.

Too often, people find themselves in a meeting with a minister, elected official, or senior decision-maker and become so focused on the moment that they forget to clearly communicate what actually needs to be said.

The challenge is that consequences don't disappear simply because they're uncomfortable to discuss.

Good government relations means being honest about risks, concerns, and unintended consequences. It means raising issues early, communicating clearly, and focusing on solutions.

Or, as we like to say: "Say what you mean, but don't say it mean."

The goal isn't to create conflict. The goal is to create understanding and move toward a better outcome.

06/03/2026

One of the biggest misconceptions about government relations is that you need to have spent decades working in politics to be effective.

You don't.

What you do need is curiosity, empathy, and a genuine understanding of how systems work.

The best government relations professionals understand that decision-making is rarely simple. Elected officials, political staff, and public servants are often balancing competing priorities, stakeholder interests, public opinion, and imperfect information.

That's why effective lobbying isn't about finding the perfect argument. It's about understanding where your goals overlap with government priorities and finding ways to move forward together.

The people who do this work well aren't necessarily the ones with the longest political résumés. They're the ones who take the time to understand how the system works and how the people inside it experience the challenges they're trying to solve.

05/30/2026

A simple truth about decision-making: the people who show up are the people who get heard.

Whether it's government, business, a non-profit, or even your own household, decisions are made by the people at the table. If your perspective isn't being communicated, it's difficult for it to be considered.

That's why lobbying exists.

Despite its reputation, lobbying is simply communicating with government to influence outcomes. It's not a niche activity reserved for a select few. It's something organizations across the private, public, and non-profit sectors do every day.

Too often, people assume change happens on its own. In reality, change happens when people identify an issue, communicate it effectively, and advocate for a better outcome.

If a government decision affects your organization, your community, or your industry, someone needs to be part of that conversation. Be a lobbyist!

05/26/2026

Hot take: AI should not be doing your government relations strategy for you.

Large Language Models (LLMs) like Claude or ChatGPT can be incredibly useful for gathering research, identifying trends, and collecting information quickly. But government relations is still a deeply human industry built on relationships, timing, and judgment. Basically, it comes down to understanding people and the psychology that drives them.

That’s why we treat AI as a tool, not a replacement for strategic thinking.

Information gathered through AI should still be cross-referenced with primary sources, validated, and interpreted through real-world context. Because when the stakes are high, accuracy and nuance matter.

05/22/2026

These are unprecedented times in Alberta politics right now (hug your favourite lobbyist).

Between shifting political priorities, uncertainty, rapidly changing conversations, and high-stakes decisions being made in real time, many organizations are trying to figure out what all of this actually means for their future, and the future of Alberta in general.

If you’re feeling uncertain, you’re not alone.

That’s exactly why we created GR 101. The program is designed to help professionals and decision-makers better understand government, politics, lobbying, and political risk so they can navigate uncertainty more strategically and confidently.

Our Fall 2026 cohort begins September 17, and we expect demand to be high given the current landscape.

If you’ve been thinking about joining, we recommend claiming your spot early: https://www.pocketlobbyist.com/gr-101

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