Important lessons learned working for Feinstein

Sen. Dianne Feinstein had hundreds of staffers over her decades of public service. But we all share a common DNA because of our experience working for her.

She wasn't the easiest boss, but those of us lucky enough to work for her saw firsthand her grit and intelligence. Every single one of us was shaped by her.

I learned many lessons from the six years I spent working for Feinstein. Here are my top four.

• The first thing you learn working for Feinstein is to not “bul—-” her. She could always tell when you weren't exactly sure about something and, like a bloodhound, she would pounce.

It's much better to say, “I don't know, but will find out and get back to you.” The staffers who figured this out quickly did well. The ones that didn't didn't last very long.

• She expected her staff to be the most prepared people in any setting because she held herself to the same standard. Whether it was a product of when she came of age or her experience of almost always being the only woman in power in a given room, she expected us to do our homework.

That training is something that I carry with me to this day. You don't always know if you are going to win a given fight or cause, but being fully prepared will give you the best shot.

• Presentation matters: She famously had a staff dress code — hosiery and closed-toed shoes for women, no beards for men — and it was old-fashioned in a way that few Senate offices were.

It reminded me a lot of my step-grandmother, who insisted I take etiquette classes as a teenager. Both she and Feinstein didn't want anything to distract from the message. If you were sloppy, people could discount you.

To win a fight, you need to knock down every possible angle of attack and make people take you seriously. I hated wearing pantyhose — it felt like sausage casing on my thighs — but I carry the idea of presentation with me today.

Whenever I have an important day or event, I dress up. It's a sign of respect and shows that the event matters to me and is worth making an effort.

• Good ideas can come from anywhere. A lot of political offices are extremely hierarchical with the lowest staffers having little to no access to the elected official.

Feinstein famously had “all staff” meetings where we would struggle to fit into the largest conference room in her Washington, D.C. office while the state staff listened in on the conference line. These meetings were an opportunity to share new ideas, to ask questions and to see her sharp wit (and brain) up close.

I started in her office as a legislative correspondent on her Senate Judiciary staff at age 22. My job was to respond to constituents' letters and occasionally take meetings with constituent groups when more senior staffers were unavailable.

It was during one of those meetings when I met with the Polly Klaas Foundation, who told me about child abductions by family members. They are much more common than stranger kidnappings and, sadly, the outcome for the children was just as dangerous.

I immediately thought this was a policy gap that legislation should address. In almost every other office on Capitol Hill, the idea wouldn't have gone anywhere. Feinstein was different.

With the support of my supervisor, I presented the bill idea to her. We went back and forth for weeks, tweaking and strengthening it. She pressure-tested the proposal in every way she could to make sure it was solid. She never once said I was too young or too “green” to be proposing it.

I can still remember the day she said, “Get a Republican cosponsor and I'll do it.” After getting the agreement of former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (RTexas), we introduced the bill and eventually it was signed into law.

Thank you for your service, Sen. Feinstein, and for all the ways you have left your mark on our nation.

Those of us lucky enough to work for her saw firsthand her grit and intelligence. Every single one of us was shaped by her.