Effective use of documents will help you manage regulation and the regulatory process. This notion that you can and should manage the regulatory process and your reaction to it is not a new idea. Peter Drucker has talked about the necessity of businesspeople taking an active role in managing the regulatory atmosphere that surrounds them. But there is much fear and trembling when approaching the regulatory process because it appears too big for people to grasp. It can be managed. The process itself provides some handles for people to grasp. Once you start the process defined here, you will see that you will be getting early warnings of pending agency action so that you can adjust your plans to take agency plans into account or you can comment at appropriate times and places. Your voice will be heard and will play a part in agency rulemaking and you will know about relevant regulations in your field.
It is reasonable to foresee a growing interest in regulation. Recent events in many regulatory agencies place the regulatory process in the public forum and in the middle of public attention. The promise of action in these agencies means that businesspeople had better start monitoring the regulatory process. If you are already monitoring regulations, you may want to do so more closely now.There are many services that can assist you in keeping up to date on these issues. Many are available in both printed and online formats. But in order to get the most value from these services, you have to do some homework first. A cost-effective search can be done only after you define, precisely, what kind of regulation you canreasonably expect and from what agencies those regulations are likely to come.Discovering what agencies regulate your business or area of interest is an important first step. That way, you do not miss any regulations that are important to your business. List all the things your business handles and all the action verbs connected WIth your business. Then look up these words in the U.S. Government Manual index. The index will refer you to agency descriptions that you should read to see if the agency in question regulates a part of your business. Note the names of the agencies and you now have your list of agencies that will get your special attention. When you actually do this process, you will find that you are not dealing with the whole complex maze of government regulation, but perhaps, only one or two agencies. This is much more manageable than a maze. The Manual is online at www.gpoaccess.gov/gmanual/.Now simply scan the Federal Register each week for releases from your list of agencies. The Federal Register is available in libraries, government depositories, and by subscription from the U.S. Government Printing Office. Note especially any PROPOSED regulations, These are important to you for two reasons. First, you have the opportunity to comment, either in writing or in person, on proposed regulations. Second, note that the regulations are PROPOSED, not FINAL. That means that you can use this time for planning appropriate strategies and opportunities that will arise as a result of the new rules.To make this work for you in a cost-effective way, place your name on the mailing list of any agency in which you are interested, The addresses are given in the U.S. Government Manual for each agency description under the heading "for further information .... " This is helpful to you because you may get advance notice of issues, problems, and proposed regulation ideas.You can use these data first, for your own business planning, and second, so that you may become a fountain of value in your interviews, in the job that you will get because you knew what was important to your future, and for your associates, customers and clients.
If you have tried this, or have had any similar experience or questions, please comment. Also, if you have any particular questions about employment research, please comment.
Here is another opportunity for job-searching help. This weekend, Robin Ryan, employment expert and author of the new book Over 40 and You're Hired, will be featured on KCTS and KYVE television stations in Washington State. It will also available in Canada on the CONCAM satellite.
