Government Relations Should Be Cultivated When Nothing's Wrong — By the Time You Come Knocking With a Problem, It's Already Too Late
I've been in policy communications for many years. The most common mistake I see companies make isn't neglecting government relations — it's that they only think to cultivate them when something's already wrong.
A regulation is about to be amended, and only then do they scramble for a way in; a tender is about to open, and only then do they start paying calls; something goes wrong and a regulator is watching, and only then do they wonder who they should know. Come knocking at a moment like that, and the other side reads the two words on your face at a glance: you need something.
And a relationship built on need is the most fragile kind.
The government relationships that are truly useful are the ones already in place before you have any request at all.
A large part of my own work is exactly this. I founded a media and international public-policy advocacy firm; every quarter I fly to Washington and cultivate a handful of think tanks closely tied to the core of White House power — not because I have some case to handle that quarter, but because "being continuously present" is itself the heart of this work. So that when something real does happen, when Washington needs to understand Taiwan, that relationship isn't built on the spot — it's already there.
Why are those three words, "when nothing's wrong," so crucial?
Because when you interact in calm times, what you exchange is understanding, not interest. The other side gets to know the real you — your expertise, your judgment; and you get a clear read on what they truly care about, their rhythm, their difficulties. So that when a day comes when you genuinely need to connect, there's already a "floor of trust" between you — you speak, and the other side knows you're not someone who suddenly appeared to use them, but the person who was always around, whose word is good.
Trust is not something you can cram for at the last minute. It can only be built over time, deposited one instance at a time.
And this doesn't only apply to dealing with government. It applies to every relationship where, at a critical moment, you'll need the other side to nod — investors, regulators, media, the key people in your industry. The common thread: you can't wait until the day you need them to start getting to know them.
So if you ask me when to start cultivating government relations, my answer is: when you have absolutely no use for them. Because what you build then is a relationship; what you build only when you need it isn't a relationship — it's a transaction. And a transaction can't hold up the moment that truly matters.