Organizational Culture in the Senate

During the first two weeks of my internship with Senator Ossoff’s office, I have been able to gain an understanding, and appreciation for the unique culture that exists within the Senate and individual Senate offices. While this internship is remote, I still have been able to learn a lot about the office culture and main goals in that regard.

In the remote/hybrid setting of the office now, most communications within the office occur via Microsoft Teams, Email, and a messaging app we all use, with formal communications going more through email and informal through the messaging app. On my team, we have regular check-ins to discuss ongoing, completed, and upcoming projects as well as maintain open lines of communications to help us stay ahead of major issues within our portfolio. Within our office, in addition to some of these more informal meetings, we also have more formal meetings with constituents and advocacy groups to discuss what we can do from a legislative perspective to assist them.

The context for my site is also really interesting, and plays a major role in the overall office culture. Given the historical nature of the Senate, and its role in dictating public policy for today and the future, as well as the reach of its impact, everyone is aware of the role we play in addressing the major issues of today and tomorrow. Because the office represents all of Georgia, including members of both political parties in a polarized nature, there is a concerted effort to work across the aisle both at the staff and Senator level, and to also work with local leaders of both parties. Additionally, because Senator Ossoff represents Georgia, we must be focused more especially on issues that affect Georgia and also have an understanding of how each issue/policy we look at impacts Georgia. For example, we spend a lot of time on health care, voting rights, agriculture, and aviation given their relevance to Georgia. And on issues outside of these main ones, we are always trying to find the Georgia connection to ensure that we are working for the best interests of the state.

Altogether, I think that this history and overall context serves as a unifying factor in the office as it cements the fact that we are all working on the same team, to achieve the same goals, and to improve the quality of life for all Georgians and help the state grow.