1. VIDEO OVERVIEW

Title: “How to Staff Your Principal”

Runtime: 17:08

Speaker: Jeff Small

YouTube: Project 2025 Private Training Video: Staffing an Office (Transcript)

This video, part of Project 2025’s Presidential Administration Academy, focuses on the practical aspects of serving as a close aide to a senior government official, such as a Cabinet secretary. Jeff Small, a former senior advisor to the Interior Secretary and current chief of staff to Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., draws on his experience to provide insights and advice for aspiring conservative staffers.

The video’s significance lies in its focus on the day-to-day operations of a high-level government office and the essential role that staffers play in supporting their principals, managing their schedules, and advancing their agendas. While the content is largely practical, it subtly reinforces the Project 2025 theme of loyalty and the importance of aligning oneself with the principal’s ideology and goals.

2. KEY THEMES & FRAMEWORKS

  • The Chief of Staff as “Gatekeeper”: Small emphasizes the chief of staff’s role as a “gatekeeper,” controlling access to the principal, managing their schedule, and filtering information. This highlights the importance of loyalty and trust in this position.
  • Understanding the Principal’s Priorities: The video stresses the need for staffers to understand the principal’s priorities, goals, and communication style to effectively support them and anticipate their needs.
  • Building Relationships and Trust: Small highlights the importance of building strong relationships with the principal, other staffers, and career staff, emphasizing the need for trust, communication, and a shared commitment to the mission.
  • Managing Up and Down: The video provides practical advice on how to “manage up” (effectively supporting the principal) and “manage down” (supervising and delegating to junior staff), emphasizing the importance of clear communication, delegation, and accountability.
  • Loyalty and Discretion: Small implicitly reinforces the importance of loyalty to the principal and discretion in handling sensitive information, aligning with Project 2025’s broader emphasis on ideological alignment and control.

3. DETAILED BREAKDOWN

3.1 The Role of the Chief of Staff

Small begins by outlining the key responsibilities of a chief of staff, emphasizing their role as a “gatekeeper” who controls access to the principal, manages their schedule, and filters information. He stresses the importance of loyalty, trust, and discretion in this position.

Quote: “The chief of staff is the principal’s right-hand man. You’re the gatekeeper, the confidant, and the problem solver.”

3.2 Understanding Your Principal

Small emphasizes the importance of understanding the principal’s priorities, goals, communication style, and decision-making process. He suggests that staffers should anticipate the principal’s needs, provide them with the information they need to make decisions, and help them to stay on track.

Quote: “You need to know your principal inside and out. What are their priorities? What are their goals? How do they like to communicate? What’s their decision-making style?”

3.3 Building Relationships

Small highlights the importance of building strong relationships with the principal, other staffers, and career staff. He emphasizes the need for trust, communication, and a shared commitment to the mission.

  • With the Principal: He suggests that staffers should build a strong rapport with the principal, earning their trust and confidence.
  • With Other Staffers: He encourages teamwork and collaboration among staffers, emphasizing the importance of clear communication and a shared understanding of roles and responsibilities.
  • With Career Staff: He acknowledges that career staff can be a valuable resource, but he also cautions staffers to be aware of potential differences in ideology and priorities.

Quote: “Relationships are everything in this town. You need to build strong relationships with everyone you work with, from the principal to the career staff.”

3.4 Managing Up and Down

Small provides practical advice on how to “manage up” (effectively supporting the principal) and “manage down” (supervising and delegating to junior staff).

  • Managing Up: He suggests that staffers should anticipate the principal’s needs, provide them with concise and relevant information, and help them to stay on schedule.
  • Managing Down: He encourages staffers to delegate tasks effectively, to provide clear instructions, and to hold junior staff accountable for their work.

Quote: “You need to be able to manage up and manage down. You need to be able to support your principal and to lead your team.”

3.5 Conclusion: The Importance of Service

Small concludes by emphasizing the importance of public service and the opportunity that staffers have to make a difference in the lives of Americans. He encourages them to be dedicated, hardworking, and committed to the mission of the administration.

Quote: “Serving in government is an honor and a privilege. It’s an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of the American people.”

4. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

The video does not focus on specific policy recommendations but rather on providing practical guidance to potential political appointees.

5. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

  • Prepare Staffers for Success: Equip potential staffers with the skills and knowledge they need to effectively support their principals and to advance a conservative agenda.
  • Emphasize Loyalty and Trust: Highlight the importance of loyalty to the principal and the need for a close and trusting relationship between the principal and their staff.
  • Promote Efficiency and Effectiveness: Encourage staffers to be efficient and effective in their work, maximizing the principal’s time and impact.
  • Foster a Conservative Culture: Subtly reinforce the importance of aligning with the principal’s conservative ideology and goals.

6. HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Small draws on his experience working in the Trump administration and for a conservative member of Congress to provide practical advice and to illustrate the challenges and rewards of serving as a staffer. He implicitly contrasts the conservative approach to staffing with that of previous administrations, suggesting that conservatives are more focused on loyalty, efficiency, and results.

7. POTENTIAL IMPACTS

  • Increased Politicization of Government: The emphasis on loyalty to the principal and the subtle reinforcement of a conservative ideology could lead to a more politicized and less independent bureaucracy, where political considerations trump expertise and merit.
  • Erosion of Institutional Knowledge: The focus on “hitting the ground running” and the potential for high turnover among political appointees could lead to a loss of institutional knowledge and experience within government agencies.
  • Concentration of Power: The emphasis on the chief of staff as a “gatekeeper” could concentrate power in the hands of a few individuals, potentially limiting access to the principal and hindering open communication and collaboration.

8. CRITICISMS & COUNTERARGUMENTS

  • Lack of Transparency and Accountability: Critics might argue that the emphasis on loyalty and discretion could lead to a lack of transparency and accountability, making it easier to hide wrongdoing or to make decisions without proper scrutiny.
  • Groupthink and Echo Chambers: Opponents might argue that the focus on ideological alignment could create echo chambers within government offices, where dissenting viewpoints are silenced and critical thinking is stifled.
  • Undermining the Merit System: Critics might argue that the emphasis on loyalty over expertise and experience could undermine the merit system and lead to a less qualified and less effective government.

9. KEY QUOTES

  • “The chief of staff is the principal’s right-hand man. You’re the gatekeeper, the confidant, and the problem solver.” This quote highlights the central role of the chief of staff and the importance of trust and loyalty in this position.
  • “You need to know your principal inside and out. What are their priorities? What are their goals? How do they like to communicate? What’s their decision-making style?” This quote emphasizes the importance of understanding the principal’s needs and preferences.
  • “Relationships are everything in this town. You need to build strong relationships with everyone you work with, from the principal to the career staff.” This quote highlights the importance of building relationships and trust within the government.
  • “You need to be able to manage up and manage down. You need to be able to support your principal and to lead your team.” This quote emphasizes the dual role of a staffer in supporting their principal and managing their own team.
  • “Serving in government is an honor and a privilege. It’s an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of the American people.” This quote appeals to a sense of patriotism and public service.

10. RHETORICAL ANALYSIS

Small’s presentation is delivered in a conversational and relatable tone, drawing on his personal experience to provide practical advice to aspiring staffers. He uses anecdotes, humor, and a down-to-earth style to make the information engaging and accessible. However, he also subtly reinforces the Project 2025 agenda by emphasizing loyalty, discretion, and a conservative worldview.

11. SUMMARY & SIGNIFICANCE

The “How to Staff Your Principal” video provides valuable insights into the day-to-day operations of a high-level government office and the essential role that staffers play in supporting their principals and advancing their agendas. However, it also subtly promotes the Project 2025 agenda of loyalty, ideological alignment, and control, potentially contributing to a more politicized and less independent bureaucracy under a future conservative administration.

This video highlights the importance of understanding the dynamics between political appointees and career staff, the challenges of navigating the bureaucracy, and the need for effective communication and teamwork. It also raises concerns about the potential for a conservative administration to prioritize loyalty over expertise, to concentrate power in the hands of a few, and to create a less transparent and less accountable government.