Herding Cats

Don't let any one tell you public relations is easy. It's not. At least some times. There are occasions when people are in agreement when it comes to such aspects of a campaign as messages, strategies, and goals. When this happens, the challenge of implementing efforts to connect publics or promote products or people can actually be fun. But then there are times - more often than not - when not everyone does agree on a particular aspect of a campaign. This is when public relations is at its most challenging. For a campaign to have a concrete chance of succeeding, everyone involved in it needs to be actively supportive. If this is not the case, then the campaign is akin to a leaky dam: there are holes that always need plugging.

Presently, I am involved in a public relations campaign designed to promote sustainability at my university. Everyone supports the effort, of course, because it is good for the environment as well as the institution's pocket book. Unfortunately, not everyone supports the proposal to use a fictitious character unique to our institution as a symbol for sustainability. Thus, when a decision is made about this - and one is coming soon - not everyone will be happy. As a result, will these people give the overall campaign the support it needs because a key decision they did not support was made? This is a genuine concern and will require a strong public relations effort to keep them on board as the campaign moves forward.

In public relations, this sort of dual challenge is not unusual. For external efforts to succeed, a strong internal effort is required. That internal base is important because it provides the external effort with a solid foundation of support. This includes persons to volunteer to help carry out strategies So often I have seen campaigns fail because they lacked that foundation or because it was too weak to last for any significant period of time. Internal publics must not be ignored. Rather, they need be constantly nurtured and respected. At times, doing so can feel as fruitless and impossible as herding cats. But public relations practitioners should not let that discourage them even though this effort requires non-stop attention. After all, often it is an organization's internal publics that provides the manpower, budget and energy that determine the external efforts success.

Letter Writing

One thing you never hear or read about any longer is cattle rustlers. While I can't say definitively that cattle rustling never occurs any longer, I do believe I am on safe enough ground to file such an act under the category of "rare." People still shop lift, car jack, pick pockets and even snatch purses. But, at the very least, spending the day on the range stealing another person's cattle no longer comes even close to being near the top of anyone's to-do list. By the way, in case there's any doubt, I want it known that I am ok with that. But there is another act that rarely seems to occur these days that I do miss. It's letter writing. When is the last time most any one sat down and wrote a letter to another person? My guess is it has been a long time.

Writing a letter seems to becoming one of those things that people used to do. Nowadays, of course, people email, tweet or send out a message on facebook. It is not my intent here to criticize any of those or other forms of social media. They have expedited the act of communication in ways that not that many years ago seemed unimaginable. Social media allows us to communicate instantly with friends, family and contacts all over the world. This is no small thing and it is very positive. Letter writing is harder, more time consuming and requires more thought. This is why I consider it to be more personable and, ultimately, more effective.

There is something about taking a pen to paper that gives one pause. You want your handwriting to be legible, for one thing. And you want what you say to be understood. Computers enable us to delete or edit what we write with very little difficulty. Letters, on the other hand, are more challenging in that regard. And then there is the matter of the content itself. By their very nature, letters are generally not communiques that one can dash off as easily as messages being sent via forms of social media. Consequently, my sense is letters are more apt to be content rich. Plus, I believe people on the receiving end of letters because they know the time and effort that goes into preparing one and then sending it out. To the dwindling letter writers still in the world, then, I give a salute and a hearty appreciation. I admire what you do.

Random Thoughts About Appearing on Television

Lots of people appear on television every day. Even though many of them may make it seem as easy as drinking an ice tea in the privacy of their living room when no one is around, don't kid yourself. It is a big deal. A microphone is being held in front of you. A reporter is asking you direct questions. And a minimum of thousands of people are watching you strive to speak in a coherent, succinct manner that reflects properly on both you and whoever or whatever you might be representing. Any mistakes you make - improper grammar, incorrect information or even innocent flubs - are magnified in significance because you are definitely not alone and you are on camera. Your mistakes can be played and replayed and in all likelihood will be, particularly if your misstatements are grave enough. This is particularly true in these times of You Tube and the Internet. As we know, people being people, there are few things people enjoy watching more than someone who does or say something really dumb on camera.

Over the years I have had numerous occasion to appear on television in various interview settings. Fortunately I have never said or done anything that was so inappropriate or wrong that it came back to haunt me or the entities I represented. One key reason for this is the respect I give television reporters. Whether they are young or old, experienced or not, I appreciate what they do and the value they bring to our society. The great majority of reporters with whom I have worked have been extremely kind and professional. They are there to collect information and then incorporate your responses into their story. Often times they interview more than one person for any given story, so your part represents only a piece of this journalistic pie. But exactly how big your piece is depends on what others say and how well you do.

I go into each television interview knowing what it is I will be expected to talk about. This gives me a valuable opportunity to prepare what it is I want to say. My own rule-of-thumb is to develop two or three key message points and then do my best to stick to them throughout the interview. Even if I am asked a question that takes me off message, I try to incorporate at least one of my key message points into my response in a way that does not seem forced or contrived. While I want to answer the reporter's questions I also want to speak to the men and women who are watching from their homes or offices. After all, contrary to what it may seem, television interviews are not just about the reporter and, in this case, me. They are also about me and the people are who are watching and listening. One must never lose sight of their public if they are going to communicate effectively.

Communication and Aging

It is my unfounded or untested theory that the moment we are born we display the ability to be effective and well-rounded communicators. First, we want to be heard. Either we cry out on our own or are helped along when a doctor or other attendant gives us a gentle pat on the bottom. Before you know it, we are making our first pronouncement to the world with the cry: "I'm here!" Within seconds of our first outcry we are responding or listening to what is being communicated to us - the warmth and affection of our mother or the comfort of a warm cloth - and quiet down, become cuddly and return the affection we are being given. And, thus, our entry into the world represents the beginning of our lives as communicators. Perhaps it is beginner's luck or maybe it is the fact we have an innate instinct to utilize two-way communication, but I view our first moments in and of life to be a good example of healthy communication.

Unfortunately, the older we get the less we seem to be able to maintain a healthy balance between speaking and listening. For many of us, age appears to enhance a desire or even a need on our part to be heard and lessen any inclination within us to want to listen to others. That's too bad because never is an ability to listen effectively more important to us than when we are older. After all, the older we get the more we need others. Therefore, it behooves us to do all we can to encourage people to want to be around us and tolerate our idiosyncrasies, accept our frailties and give us a hand on that inevitable day when we have difficulty standing on our own.

Is our decline as effective communicators necessary? Does it have to happen? Are we doomed to descend into being active proponents of one-way communication? Is there anything we can and should do to recapture that first success as a two-way communicator the day of our own personal world premiere? My response to those questions reflects my believe that with age comes a natural decline in all aspects of our lives, including and especially communication. For instance, I sure cannot run as fast as I used to. Nor am I always able to call up specific words at specific moments with the relative ease I used to possess. And now, at the beginning days of my seventh decade, am I always in the mood to hear out others like I used. But the good news is I recognize the importance of listening like never before and therefore work harder at it than I ever did. I must say the positives of that effort far outweigh the negatives. For me, at least, the moral of this observation is that as our talents and strengths decline, we need to pick the ones that are worth fighting to maintain and keep viable. For me, one is the ability to achieve two-way communication.

Bedside Manner

There's an old show tune that claims people either have style or they don't. Personally, I believe everyone has it. It is just that everyone's style is different. It could be in the way a person dresses or in the way they carry themselves when they walk across a room. For better or worse, whatever distinguishes us from each other is our style. This certainly is true when it comes to communication. Take doctors, for instance. In my life as I have lived in different places and have had a range of bumps and bruises over the years. As a result, I have dealt with, coped with, endured and, yes, even enjoyed a range of physicians. All were competent but not all had a good bedside manner.

Not all gave me the sense they really cared about my well being even though I assume they did. Other doctors, on the other hand, made me believe my well being was as important to them as if I were a member of their own family. When they asked me how I was doing, those particular doctors actually seemed to listen to my reply. They did so by looking directly at me, nodding as I talked, asking questions when appropriate, and not fidgeting with their equipment or tools. Sometimes the doctor would even share some information about him or herself and their own lives. At the end of the appointment I would feel as if the doctor and I were collaborators in working to ensure I remained in good health. By exhibiting this kind of active listening, these particular doctors provided me with a much better medical experience even if what was ailing me in the first place was placing me under significant stress and discomfort.

I prefer this kind of bedside manner when it comes to dealing with doctors. For that matter, I prefer it when I am interacting with most everyone. It is that kind of style that is conducive to meaningful exchanges and, ultimately, ties that bind. Unfortunately, not everyone exhibits this kind of communication style. (I am no longer talking about doctors now.) Their manner is brisk and business like. Their eye contact is fleeting. Their ability or desire to listen is minimal. They do not give out feelings of warmth or regard. In essence, their style of communication is cold and lacking in humanity. Effective communication happens when one displays a good bedside manner. We all have that kind of style within us. It is a simple matter of thinking about how alone we feel when we talked at in a cold and abrupt manner and then deciding not to treat others that way. How our take on life would improve if more people showed that side of themselves!

The Value of Pennies

Money is not cheap. Last year, for instance, the United States Mint lost nearly $22 million making pennies and nickels. Yet so many of us, me included, take those same coins that we accumulate over the course of a day and week, throw them in a drawer and rarely utilize them again. Shame on me and shame on others who might do that as well. Those particular forms of currency - the cheapest ones in our economic system - have value and should be treated accordingly. While it is true a pocketful of pennies and nickels might not enable us to place a down payment on a new car or a house, they do represent a form of exchange that should not be taken lightly or dismissed out-of-hand.

Just the other day, I was at the local grocery store purchasing a few items by cash. In fact, cash was all I had. The final bill came to $4.02. I gave the grocer a five dollar bill with the expectation I would be given 98 cents back in change. Instead this very nice cashier pulled two cents out of her own pocket, placed them in the cash register and then, overriding my insistence not to do that, gave me a one dollar bill back in change. It was a very nice gesture on her part; an act of kindness that re-enforced the notion that often times it is the little things in life that ultimately turn so-so days into good ones and even make the sun shine a bit brighter than perhaps it already is. And she did it with just two pennies.

Communication is much the same way. Much like pennies and nickels, seemingly small acts of communicating can go a long way. This is why I believe so many parents try and teach their children to make "please" and "thank you" regular parts of their vocabulary. That kind of currency goes a long way, too. Someone we are with is silent and we say, "a penny for your thoughts" in the hope they will share what is on their mind while knowing we care enough to ask and then listen to what it is they have to say. I challenge any one to calculate how much that kind of exchange is worth. Yes, we all gravitate toward rolls of cash and big speeches. Make no mistake, they have their place and certainly their value. But let us not overlook or underestimate those pennies in our drawers and the seemingly inconsequential words of outreach. They, too, go a long way.

Past and Present

When it comes to attempting to persuade the public to take certain actions, communicators often have an intriguing and even ethical challenge with which to contend. There are times when they must decide how much of the past to include in messages that are often designed to focus on the public's present situation. This dilemma arises when the past does not jive with what the public wants now. A timely example of what I mean can be found in the upcoming 2010 November elections. Republicans are being very critical of the Democrat's economic policies. Fair enough. Republicans recognize a vast uneasiness among Americans at our nation's high unemployment rate and growing national debt. They argue their priorities of decreasing regulations and continuing to provide tax breaks for the wealthy are the best solutions to putting our nation back on sound economic ground. Unfortunately for them, it is these very policies that put our nation on such shaky economic footing in the first place.

Yet, if one believes the current polls, Americans seem to be responding favorably to the Republican message. Why is this? One reason is probably a genuine lack of confidence in what the Democrat's economic policies have been over the past twenty months. As a result, the general public is restless and impatient over what the Democrats say are their sound policies, which, they claim, need time to adequately reverse the economic damage caused by the Republicans. But Americans want to feel better about their economic situation now. They are hurting and struggling to remain economically solvent. Thus, Americans are in no mood to wait for what the Democrats claim will be a healthier tomorrow.

A second reason is the Republicans, with their disciplined messaging, are successfully taping into the uncertainty of the American public. While both parties are promising better days ahead for Americans, Republicans are promising relief now without mentioning their failed policies of the past. On the other hand, the Democrats, more realistically, claim their solutions need more time to work because of the deep economic hole our nation is in. I am biased toward the policies of the Democrats because I believe them to be more sound and fair and because I view the messages from the Republicans as being disingenuous and misleading. Americans are in a vulnerable state.

People need to be communicated with honestly and ethically even if it means not telling them what they want to hear. While I generally try not to focus too much on politics in this blog, the current battle of the messages going on right now between our two major political parties lends itself nicely to the focus of this entry. By not providing the public with more rounded messages that include pertinent information from the past along with promises of the future, the seriousness of this debate and judgment of the American public are being seriously undermined. Communicators should not ignore the past in messages they design for the present no matter how no matter how inconvenient it might be.

Lynch Mob Mentality

Is there any one who is not concerned for our country these days? Is there any one among us who, on some level, is not fretting over the future direction and stability of the nation? I don't think so. At least I hope not. If anything, that is the way it should be. Ideally, as citizens, we should always care about the state of our union, its health, stability and future. Further, we should never stop seeking ways to turn this concern into positive and tangible action so that we truly are doing all we can to keep our states united and our international standing strong. After all, aren't we as citizens all supposed to be on the same side?

Lately, I confess to having doubts about that. There is too much yelling. Too many people drawings lines in the sand. Too many people who seem to be unwilling or unable to look past their own interests or agendas and instead focus on ways for citizens to building on their commonalities, and band together to work toward the greater good. A major part of being an active and concerned citizen is not only defined by one's activism but in how they exhibit that involvement. For instance, shouting down others, spreading lies and distortions, participating in violent actions, being disrespectful, and not being open to consensus are indicators of poor citizenship that only brings harm to the ideals of our nation. It is great to have strong views and to make them known with passion and zeal. But it is unacceptable to express those views in ways that counter and even stifle the ability of others to do the same and leave no room for ultimate agreement. Shouting down or physically intimidating others are the actions of bullies and not those who support democracy.

Lynch mobs, by definition, do not abide by democracy. They are driven by passion, mindless anger and a disregard for what is legally and ethically right. "Might makes right" is their credo. I see far too many pseudo lynch mobs today throughout the United States. They are making the most noise and, consequently, conclude they are right. They are not. We are a nation founded on the principles of tolerance, extended hands, fair shakes, and openness. A very heated disagreement over the building of a Muslim community center in New York City is going on these days. It has even triggered similarly heated and troubling disagreements in other parts of the country over the building of places of worship for Muslims. As a result, there has been lots of talking at, little if any talking with, and even reports of violence. Only an adherence to good communication techniques will squash the lynch mobs that have emerged over this issue and others. But for that to happen, people have to be willing to listen. Talk about a tough first step.

A House Divided

Not too long ago I reread what has come to be called President Lincoln's famous "house divided speech." The specific quote that gave and continues to give this particular speech its wings is this: "A house divided against itself cannot stand." What helps give this phrase such power is the fact it is as relevant in today's world as it was when Lincoln first spoke them regarding the divisive debate over slavery. Our nation has never been more divided than it was in the months and years leading up to the Civil War. While I certainly do not believe our nation is headed for another civil war, there is no doubt that a great unrest exists within our borders, one that does not seem to be showing any signs of losing momentum.

I love debate. I love differences of opinion and believe different perspectives on any given issue are healthy. I do not want everyone to march to the beat of the same drummer, nor do I want to be part of a society that lacks or frowns upon free speech. At the same time, I do love being part of a society that reveres tolerance. But what disturbs me about much of the current division in our nation is so much of the debate seems to be riding on the backs of those who are intolerant and disrespectful. It is what I call "blind debate" in which people's idea of interaction involves talking at rather than with each other. Not only does that not get any one anywhere, but it makes people want to shout even louder at each other. Sadly, that is not so much communicating as it is noise making.

My solution is our nation needs more debate and less noise. Not only do we need cooler heads, but we need cooler heads with good communication skills. All of us who feel passionate about many of the issues of the day and are convinced that our perspective is the right one, need to remember that we are never going to gain agreement or lasting regard for our positions unless we accept the reality that we must listen to what others are saying, understand their perspectives, identify those points on which they and us agree, and then begin to patiently and respectfully build on that consensus. Bullies may get their way, but the compliance they receive never has more than a limited shelf life.