I distinctly remember the first time I heard the term “functional excellence.” After seven years in M&A law at a large firm, I had just made the leap to an in-house role with a global manufacturer. I was green to corporate-speak and quickly realized I had a lot to learn.
One of the operating leaders took pity on me and became my translator. “Functional excellence rests on process,” he explained. He went on to describe benchmarking, best practices, meaningful metrics, strategic alignment—you get the picture. I remember nodding along, somewhat dazed, and finally asking: “Okay, but what does this have to do with the practice of law?”
To me, law was… special. Unique. An art more than a science. It wasn’t something you measured using metrics or reduced to a process.
Looking back nearly thirty years, I find my naiveté cringeworthy. Today, the idea that functions must operate with rigor and structure is standard in high-performing organizations. Whether finance or HR, communications or legal, functions are expected to demonstrate value through discipline, integration, and results.
The government affairs function, however, is often left out of this conversation.
Where Is Government Affairs in the Excellence Conversation?
Organizations like SHRM and the Association of Corporate Counsel offer robust resources—webinars, playbooks, peer benchmarking—to help professionals elevate their functions. Functional leaders are expected to engage in continuous improvement, adopt best practices, and show impact.
Government affairs is frequently viewed differently.
This is not due to lack of importance. The influence of government on corporate outcomes has only grown in recent years. Yet many companies continue to treat government affairs as a black box—a world of handshakes, instinct, and relationships that cannot easily be measured or managed.
The result is that GA functions are often underdeveloped, under-resourced, and disconnected from the broader enterprise.
Why Functional Excellence in GA Is Urgent
Government affairs professionals often rely on “soft skills”—relationship building, policy intuition, creativity. These remain essential. Without structure, process, and alignment, even the best instincts struggle to scale or demonstrate impact.
The most successful corporate GA teams have recognized this shift. They benchmark peers, adopt standard work, prioritize issues based on business impact, and track results in ways that resonate with the C-suite.
This is not about abandoning the art of the work. Rather, it is about pairing it with discipline and strategy.
Government affairs, at its core, is a stakeholder function. Just as investor relations manages Wall Street and HR manages employees, GA manages a set of stakeholders—policymakers and regulators—who significantly influence the business.
Companies that demand functional excellence from the teams who manage capital and talent should apply the same expectations to the team managing regulation, policy, and public-sector engagement.
What Functional Excellence Looks Like
So how do the best companies do it? How do they build GA functions that deliver measurable value?
Here are four critical areas where structured GA teams create business impact:
1. Opportunity Identification
It is easy to see the need for GA when facing a threat—unfavorable regulation, permitting delays, or policy risk. The most effective teams, however, identify proactive opportunities. They help secure R&D funding, identify regulatory advantages, and uncover tax incentives that advance business goals.
When government affairs is embedded within the business, it becomes a strategic asset—not just a reactive shield.
2. Prioritization and ROI
Without a framework, GA professionals often focus on the loudest issue or the latest request. Structured teams use categorization tools, stakeholder mapping, and role clarity to ensure alignment with the company’s broader priorities.
This kind of discipline results in better use of resources and greater impact per initiative.
3. Maximizing External Resources
Trade associations and advocacy firms can be valuable. Many companies, however, do not evaluate their effectiveness regularly. Functionally excellent GA teams manage these partners with the same expectations and performance measures used for any business-critical vendor.
Doing so improves efficiency, transparency, and return on investment.
4. Value Demonstration
Many assume government affairs cannot be measured. While quantification can be complex, it is both possible and necessary.
Strong GA functions identify outcomes, connect them to business metrics, and communicate those results in ways that leadership can understand. Demonstrating value builds internal credibility and secures sustained support.
Is It Worth It?
With limited time and competing priorities, some executives may question whether investing in GA excellence is the best use of resources. The answer, in many cases, is yes.
Government is a critical stakeholder. Failing to engage with discipline and clarity can result in missed opportunities, increased exposure, and inefficient allocation of resources.
Companies that approach GA as a structured function gain strategic advantage. They reduce risk, unlock funding, and help shape policy outcomes that others merely absorb.
The Bottom Line
Functional excellence in government affairs is not aspirational—it is attainable. More importantly, it is increasingly essential.
At TGS Advisory, we work with companies to assess, build, and optimize their GA functions. Our clients—often mid-sized publicly traded manufacturers and industrial firms—come to us knowing that status quo engagement is no longer sufficient. We help them structure, scale, and demonstrate the impact of government affairs.
The regulatory and political landscape is not becoming simpler or less important. Companies must decide whether their GA function is equipped to influence that landscape—or is merely reacting to it.
Those who lead will be better positioned to succeed.