Published for The Politico, June 17th, 2010:
Most congressional hearings don’t possess the same drama or rivet public attention as many expect BP Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward’s testimony will today.
But for any company or interest group, the stakes of testifying at a congressional hearing can still be enormous. One bad answer can invite additional congressional scrutiny or doom the prospects of an organization’s crucial legislative priority.
There’s probably no advice to give Hayward that would make his appearance before the committee any easier today. But for potential congressional witnesses out there who are not dealing with a major environmental challenge, there are some basic principles of success for congressional appearances.
In preparing to give testimony before Congress, here are some basic guidelines:
Remember why you are there. If you go into a hearing thinking it’s about you and your testimony, you’re wrong.
Hearings are about the members of Congress — promoting their agendas and garnering press. You are there to help that process — either to validate their viewpoint or as a punching bag for them to make their point. (Hayward might as well write “Everlast” — the Cadillac of punching bags — on his forehead with a big black marker.)
