Winter 2004A Sense of the Last, Best Place.....................................2Building Stronger Legislatures.......................................3Helping Legislators Become More Effective..............4-5Class of 2003 “Students”........................................6-7Western Legislative Academy Faculty..........................8-9Legislators Learn Communication Skills............10-11WLA Class of 2003......................................................12

Thanks to vigorous recruitment and bi-partisansupport from legislative leaders and WesternLegislative Academy

(WLA) alumni, a recordnumber of state legislatorsapplied to the Academy in2003. The WLA is thepremier professionaldevelopment program forlawmakers from 13Western states and isoffered by the Council ofState Governments-WEST.The Academy took placeOctober 14-17 at theEl Pomar Foundation’sretreat center inColorado Springs,Colorado.

Eighty state lawmakersapplied for 40 slots at theAcademy. Leaders andalumni wrote more than150 letters of recommendation on behalf of this year’sapplicants.

Qualifications for admission to the Academy includecommitment to public service, to the institution of thelegislature and to personal legislative effectiveness.Preference is given to lawmakers in their first four yearsof service. Participation in the Academy is limited tolegislators from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado,Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico,Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.Since its inception four years ago, 150 legislativealumni have successfully completed the annual training

that relies on an outstanding faculty of academics,corporate trainers, legislative leaders, military and

communications experts.These WLA teachersdeliver lessons inleadership, timemanagement, teambuilding, media relations,negotiations, ethics andmore. The twin goals ofthe Academy are:

1. Helping LegislatorsBecome More Effectiveand2. Building StrongerState LegislativeInstitutions.

This year’s legislative“students” reflected theWest in all its diversity.The class includedmembers of both parties,

business men and women, public sector employees,labor union affiliates and lawmakers from both urbanand rural districts. Legislators also boasted a widevariety of occupations from horse breeding to tamalemaking.

Nevada Assembly Member Kelvin Atkinson waselected president of the class. Atkinson representsNorth Las Vegas and is in his first term in thelegislature.

Hawaii Senator Brian Taniguchi emceed the threeand half days of intensive training with humor anddiplomacy. He is the immediate past chair ofCSG-WEST. Joining Taniguchi was Idaho SenatorBart Davis who now chairs the organization. Theveteran lawmakers agreed that reaching across stateand party lines is one of the most important benefitsof the Western Legislative Academy.

For information about how to apply to the 2004Academy, call CSG-WEST at 916-553-4423 or505-424-3322.

2003 Western Legislative Academy Sets Record2003 Western Legislative Academy Sets Record2003 Western Legislative Academy Sets Record2003 Western Legislative Academy Sets Record2003 Western Legislative Academy Sets Record

Lawmakers at the WLA enjoy a lighter moment in theclassroom. Pictured here are Idaho Rep. Sharon Blockand Alaska Rep. Jim Holm.

Western Legislatures Winter 20042

CSG-WEST’s Executive Director Kent Briggsopened the WLA with the message that theWest is a unique region that binds political

leaders together regardless of party affiliation. Hesaid the amount of federal land in the West is one ofits defining characteristics in contrast to otherregions. At the same time, the West is the mosturban area in the nation with several of the fastestgrowing population centers. But what makes theAmerican West a truly remarkable place is itsdiversity, its majesty and its mythology.

This recognition of the power of place in Americanpolitical and cultural life, said Briggs, is what sets

A Sense of the Last, Best PlaceA Sense of the Last, Best PlaceA Sense of the Last, Best PlaceA Sense of the Last, Best PlaceA Sense of the Last, Best Place

the Council of State Governments apart asan organization that works for states. Eachof the four CSG regions—East, South,Midwest and West—operates in a way thatis uniquely responsive to the concerns ofits own elected state officials. In the West,CSG serves legislatures exclusively, whileother regions may include members of theexecutive branch. CSG-WEST worksclosely with other Western regional groupssuch as governors, attorneys general, citiesand counties as well as with regionalwater, energy, economic development andhigher education organizations tostrengthen the voice of the West.

(left to right) CSG-WEST officers Sen. Brian Taniguchi (HI) andSen. Bart Davis (ID) emceed the WLA.

El Pomar Legal Counsel Kyle Hybl (left) and Chairman William J. Hybl(right) welcomed Academy members to the Penrose House in ColoradoSprings. As the largest private foundation in the Rocky Mountain West, theEl Pomar Foundation is an invaluable supporter of the Academy, generouslycontributing classroom space, a grant and meeting management services.

C o u n c i l o f S t a t e G o v e r n m e n t s - W E S T

CSG-WEST staff Mary Lou Cooper, Cheryl Lee Duvauchelle, Rich Lindsey and Eric Cole produced this newsletter.

Chair: Bart M. Davis Idaho Senate Majority LeaderChair-Elect: Kate Brown Oregon Senate Democratic LeaderVice Chair: Ron Teck Colorado SenatorPast Chair: Brian T. Taniguchi Hawaii Senator

1107 9th Street, Suite 650 Sacramento, CA 95814

916-553-4423 phone916-446-5760 fax

www.csgwest.orgcsgw@csg.org e-mail

Western Legislatures Winter 2004 3

According to former Arizona House MinorityLeader Art Hamilton, true legislative leaders understand the importance of civility. They

know there are no permanent enemies, justpermanent problems. Good leaders, he said, do thepublic’s business. And they are able to stand intheir opponents shoes to gain insights.

Democrat Hamilton got no argument fromRepublican Lane Beattie, former Utah Senatepresident. The two veteran leaders shared the do’sand don’ts of effective legislators in a session at theAcademy moderated by Alan Rosenthal, publicpolicy professor at the Eagleton Institute of Politicsat Rutgers University.

Good leaders care about people, forget about powerand criticize issues and not people, according toBeattie. They know when to speak and when not tospeak. It’s his view that leadership means solving

Political scientists from Boise State University andfrom Brigham Young University gave the Classof 2003 an overview of how and why their

institutions have changed in the last 50 years. BoiseState Professor Gary Moncrief explained that two of thebiggest change agents are rapid population growth andterm limits. Population growth has led to increasedworkloads, longer sessions and more populous districts.Term limits have altered leadership patterns, disruptedcontinuity and given more power to special interestgroups and the bureaucracy.

50 Years of Changes

Lessons from Leaders

Brigham Young University Dean David Magleby toldlawmakers that the increased use of the referendum andinitiative in the West threatens the institution of thelegislature. They essentially replace the representativedemocracy of legislatures with the direct democracy ofvoters. The only check to government by initiative, hesaid, is the court system. According to Magleby,initiatives enhance the power of special interest groupsand political consultants. Because of the nature of thedeliberative process of legislatures, they add value toissues in a way that initiatives cannot. Initiatives aremore prevalent in Western states than in any otherregion.

Building Stronger Western LegislaturesBuilding Stronger Western LegislaturesBuilding Stronger Western LegislaturesBuilding Stronger Western LegislaturesBuilding Stronger Western Legislatures

problems, not creating them. Character is thefoundation of good leadership, Beattie concluded.

Arizona Rep. Jennifer Burns and Alaska Sen. Tom Wagoner workhard to make the most of their Academy experience.

Western Legislatures Winter 20044

Managing Time!

on what you’re going to do.” Your effectiveness dependson your competence and on your character.

As she focused on a few critical habits, Stevens toldlawmakers that effective people are proactive, begin withthe end in mind and put first things first. And perhapsmost important, highly effective people take time to“sharpen the saw.” That is, they take time out to tend totheir own physical, mental, spiritual and social needs.

“We can’t manage our time. We can onlymanage our attention.” That’s accordingto Pam Vaccaro, president of the

St. Louis-based Designs on Time. She told Academyparticipants that the overwhelming demands thatlegislators face each day frequently create timemanagement problems because of the inability to focusattention. When you focus on one thing at a time,clearing your mind of all other distractions, then youspend less time accomplishing objectives.

Vaccaro offered WLA’ers suggestions for both quickfixes and for real change to ensure that they focus onwhat’s really important, as opposed to just what’surgent. She gave tips on how to organize desks and fileand track paper, techniques for managing voice mail aswell as diplomatic strategies for saying “no” to requests.Vaccaro maintains that 20 percent of what you do gets80 percent of the results you desire, so it’s important tostay in the 20 percent area most of the time. The worstuse of your time, said Vaccaro, is to spend all yourattention on activities that are urgent, but not important.

Using reality-based cases that required participantsto vote on alternatives, ethicist Jack Marshallshared some of the secrets of virtuous lawmakers

with 2003 Academy participants. Marshall is new to theWLA faculty. An attorney and former assistant dean atthe Georgetown Law Center, he is best known for ethicstraining to bar associations across the U.S.

So what are a few secrets of virtuous lawmakers?

1. Compliance isn’t ethics (legally driven versusprinciple driven);

2. There are no ethical systems that always work(sometimes principles are at odds with eachother—loyalty versus honesty)

3. Watch out for value adjustors (when someoneyou admire acts in an unprincipled way, you mayrationalize the behavior); and finally

7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Using highly interactive exercises, seniorFranklinCovey trainer Leigh Stevens introducedWLA’ers to the 7 Habits of Highly Effective

People. At the root of effective results, she said, areeffective relationships. And trust is the key to buildingeffective relationships. Stevens reminded lawmakers thatin the words of Henry Ford, “You can’t build a reputation

4. Ethics isn’t easy! (so anticipate dilemmas inadvance)

On the flip side of the coin, Marshall warned lawmakersabout the top ten rationalizations for unethical behavior:

Secrets of Virtuous LawmakersHelping Western LegislatorsHelping Western LegislatorsHelping Western LegislatorsHelping Western LegislatorsHelping Western Legislators

Lies we tell ourselves & others

Everybody does it. It’s for a good cause. They started it. I have no choice. Nobody is hurt. Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s legal! Pick your battles. I deserve this and nobody’s perfect. This is the last time.

Become More EffectiveBecome More EffectiveBecome More EffectiveBecome More EffectiveBecome More Effective

Western Legislatures Winter 2004 5

Each yearlegislative“students” at the

WLA adjourn to theU.S. Air ForceAcademy where theywork on twoobjectives—discovering theirpersonal behaviorstyles and figuring outhow to workeffectively with peoplewhose styles aredifferent.

Lawmakers firstassessed themselvesusing a standardprofiling questionnaire.Although most people demonstrate a variety ofpersonality behaviors, they generally fall into fourcategories—dominance, influence, conscientiousnessand steadiness.

Fortune 500 negotiations trainer James F.Hennig conducted an in-depth session onnegotiations. He said that a successful

negotiator must listen, ask the right questions,build rapport, establish trust and be willing to takerisks.

Hennig suggested that one of the biggest mistakespeople make when negotiating is to underestimatetheir own power. Other common errors arejumping to conclusions, not bringing alternativesto the table and offering to split the difference. Hesaid that good negotiators always begin by havinga best alternative to a negotiated agreement inmind. And they never take the process personally.

Why Isn’t Everyone More Like Me?

What Lawmakers Need to Know about Negotiations

WLA’ers then movedinto a series of activity-based exercises. Thehands-on exercisespractically illustratedthat effective leadersmust work withindividuals who arenot like them, mustbuild teams, mustcommunicate clearly,must create anenvironment to get thejob done and mustwork together even inthe midst of majordistractions.

Major Danny Millerconducted the training at

the U.S. Air Force Academy using some of the same exercisestaught to officers and cadets. Currently on assignment to thePentagon, Miller also owns the New Heights Training &Development, Inc.

A group of legislators demonstrate that completing a missiondepends on working together as a team.

Students at the Academy were paired with lawmakers from otherstates for assignments. Here Wyoming Rep. Elaine Harvey workswith Montana Sen. Trudi Schmidt.

Western Legislatures Winter 20046

Class of 2003Class of 2003Class of 2003Class of 2003Class of 2003

Western Legislatures Winter 2004 7

Legislative “Students”Legislative “Students”Legislative “Students”Legislative “Students”Legislative “Students”

Western Legislatures Winter 20048

Jim HennigJF Hennig AssociatesPam Vaccaro

Designs on Time

Adam SchragerKUSA TV Denver

Western LegislativeWestern LegislativeWestern LegislativeWestern LegislativeWestern Legislative

Kent BriggsCSG-WEST Gary Moncrief

Boise State University

David MaglebyBrigham Young University

Michele AmesRocky Mountain News

Jack MarshallProEthics

Western Legislatures Winter 2004 9

Lane BeattieFormer Utah Senate President

James Humes (aka Winston Churchill)Colorado State University

Lisa RobinsonNew Heights Training

Leigh StevensFranklinCovey Company

Danny Miller, USAF andNew Heights Training

Alan RosenthalEagleton Institute, Rutgers University

Academy FacultyAcademy FacultyAcademy FacultyAcademy FacultyAcademy Faculty

Arch LustbergLustberg Communications

Art Hamilton, Former ArizonaHouse Minority Leader

Western Legislatures Winter 200410

An afternoon spent with communications trainerArch Lustberg is like being plugged into an electrical outlet. With equal parts humor and

tough love, Lustberg took lawmakers at the Academythrough an intensive session of on-camera mediainterviews, speech making and invaluable lessons inpolitical communications.

The goal is to be liked, says the former CatholicUniversity speech and drama coach. Likeabilityhappens when you raise your eyebrows, open your faceand smile. Use positive statements that project the samewarm image you would if speaking to a neighbor. Use

body language and gestures to project a caring attitude.And use your voice in a quiet, conversational way.

Michele Ames ofthe RockyMountain News

and Adam Schrager ofKUSA-TV in Denver leda lively session on howlegislators can work moreeffectively with the media.Ames advised lawmakersnot to take aggressivequestioning as negative, toexpect the media to dig forfacts and to remember tospeak like a “common”person.

Tough Love Helps Lawmakers Give Speeches and Interviews

Journalists Deliver Media Advice

Lustberg also pointedout the communicationspitfalls that often triplawmakers. Intellectualdysentery is high on hislist of “thou shall nots.”Lawmakers arespeechmakers, whenthey should bestorytellers, he said.They mouth buzzwords, ramble and usegovernment jargon

when theyshould besimple andbrief andclear.Lustberg advised legislators to “interface,replicate and exacerbate only in the privacyof your own home.”

Arch Lustberg has coached governors, congressional leaders,presidential appointees and corporate leaders in dynamiccommunications. His latest book is “How to Sell Yourself.”

Schrager said that the singlemost important advice hecould offer legislators is todevelop good relationshipswith the media. Heencouraged lawmakers to taketheir time when responding toquestions and to understandthat deadlines are real.Schrager told legislators theyshould talk to the media as ifthey were talking to aneighbor or friend. Keepmessages simple and brief,he concluded.

Legislators LearnLegislators LearnLegislators LearnLegislators LearnLegislators Learn

“Interface, replicate and exacerbateonly in the privacy of your ownhome.” -Arch Lustberg, Lustberg Communications

NV Assemblyman William Hornegets an on-camera lesson in howto handle hostile mediainterviews.

Oregon Representative Mitch Greenlick mixes it up withmedia panelists.

Western Legislatures Winter 2004 11

Churchill scholar, presidential speech writer andactor James Humes delivered lessons in leadershipto the WLA Class of 2003 at closing night

graduationceremonies.In thecharacter andcostume of SirWinstonChurchill,Humes sharedthe secrets ofthe 20th

century’sgreatest orator.

He advisedlawmakers totake control oftheir audiencesby pausingand lockingeyes beforeuttering aword. Beginwith a bang, headmonished,

The Language of Leadership

and relegateintroductionsof dignitariesto the middleof yourspeech.Know yourbottom linemessageand polish itto perfectionin advance.Surpriseyouraudience bybeing briefandmemorable. Don’t make speeches. Tell stories. Paintpictures with your words such as Churchill’s never to beforgotten phrase—“an iron curtain has descended acrossthe continent.” And finally, Humes told lawmakers toend speeches as strongly as they begin, with a powerfulquote or anecdote.

James C. Humes is the Ryals professor of language andleadership at Colorado State University at Pueblo. His mostrecent book is “Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln.”

Communication SkillsCommunication SkillsCommunication SkillsCommunication SkillsCommunication Skills

WLA Elects Class President

Professor James Humes shares WinstonChurchill’s language of leadership atWLA graduation ceremonies.

Newly elected WLA Class of 2003 president Nevada Assemblyman Kelvin Atkinson(second from left) is surrounded by well-wishers. From left to right are Rep. ElaineHarvey (WY), Atkinson, Rep. Linda Flores (OR) and Rep. Mike Lange (MT).

Colorado Sen. Paula Sandoval practicesspeechmaking.

Western Legislatures Winter 200412

WLA Class of 2003WLA Class of 2003WLA Class of 2003WLA Class of 2003WLA Class of 2003

Back row (left to right) Raymond Rose (CO Rep.), William Horne (NV Asmb.), Dale Brandland (WA Sen.), Mike Schaufler (OR Rep.)

3rd Row (left to right) Ralph Samuels (AK Rep.), Mitch Greenlick (OR Rep.), Elaine Harvey (WY Rep.), John Barrasso (WY Sen.),Rick Laible (MT Sen.), Vicki Berger (OR. Rep.), Brad Dee (UT Rep.), Curt McKenzie (ID Sen.), Kelvin Atkinson (NV Asmb.),David Thomas (UT Sen.), Michael Lange (MT Rep.)

2nd Row (left to right) Michael T. Morley (UT Rep.), Jane Powdrell-Culbert (NM Rep.), Elaine Smith (ID Rep.),Trudi Schmidt (MT Sen.), Liz Gentile (WY Rep.), Tom Wagoner (AK Sen.), Cindy Evans (HI Rep.), Jennifer J. Burns (AZ Rep.),Linda Flores (OR Rep.), Jim Holm (AK Rep.), Stan Cooper (WY Rep.)

1st Row (left to right) Gay G. Kernan (NM Sen.), Ramey Johnson (CO Rep.), Beverly Woods (WA Rep.), Paula Sandoval (CO Sen.),Mike Hewitt (WA Sen.), Olivia Cajero Bedford (AZ Rep.), Jon Riki Karamatsu (HI Rep.), Thayer Verschoor (AZ Sen.),Dawn Morrell (WA Rep.), Sharon Block (ID Rep.), Melodie Williams Aduja (HI Sen.)

Not Pictured: Marcus Conklin (NV Asmb.), Irvin Harrison (NM Rep.), Phil Lopes (AZ Rep.)

El Pomar FoundationAltria Group, Inc.Bayer Healthcare

Coors Brewing CompanyCox Communications

Eastman Kodak CompanyElectronic Data Systems

GlaxoSmithKlineInternational Gaming Technology

Intermountain Rural Electric AssociationMedImmune Inc.

Microsoft CorporationSalt River Project

The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Colorado

A Special Thank You to the Sponsors of the 2003 Western Legislative Academy