Sunday, September 27, 2015

Near-Misses

The other day I was sitting at a traffic intersection waiting for my light to turn green. Right before me, a driver turned to cross the road in front of me and came extremely close to colliding with another moving vehicle. There were no injuries. Neither drive slowed down or gave any indication of acknowledging what could have been literally a life-altering encounter. The near-miss took only seconds to occur, yet I can imagine it is something that must stayed with each drive for much if not the rest of day - if not longer. It certainly did with me. Watching this near-collision, it got me to thinking how often all of experience similar close calls when it comes to communicating with others.


By this, I am referring to those times when we avert arguments or hurt feelings by simply choosing to move forward without acknowledging what just happen. Example: being sarcastic or making a joke at another's expense. Chuckles might ensue but oft-times underneath comments of those kind are genuine "digs." I, myself, have done that as well as been on the receiving end of them. Many times  such interacting does not result in any kind of flare-up as all involved in the exchange, myself included, simply move forward much like those two drivers I saw. But when such an exchange does occur, is it really best to ignore what was just said?


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We are sensitive creatures. None of us particularly enjoy being the brunt of critical comments regardless of whether they come in the form of jokes. While I do believe none of us should stop being critical if the situation calls for it, I do feel it important that we and those on the receiving end of whatever negative comment we might have be more up-front as to what is being or has just been said. Simply moving forward does little good to any of the principles involved. This does not necessarily mean an argument will be the automatic result. So long as the principles are respectful and up-front, then near-misses can actually become positive exchanges.  

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Lying Is Forever

Lots of things in life, no matter how profound or impactful, come and go. Lying is not one of them. If someone is found to tell an untruth, the fall-out never really disappears. The victims may, in a sense, move-on, but rarely do they ever forget that another person purposefully set out to deceive them; trick them in a way that would either put them at a disadvantage or do them harm. In this way, lying leaves a permanent scar. Perhaps this is a good thing  because it serves as a reminder of how profound purposeful deception is. No one likes a liar - and for good reason.


Communication is nothing if not a constant flow of interaction between individuals and publics. If lying between any of those entities occurs, then whatever relationship they may have is forever tainted. The one found to be the liar forever bares the cross of lacking credibility. Once lost, being seen as credible is virtually impossible to regain. Further, when one is viewed as lacking credibility, their ability to communicate as effectively as they might wish or need to is also gone. In the oft-times imperfect world of communication, being credible is what, ultimately, keeps one afloat even during those times when their efforts do not succeed. So long as one is viewed as a teller-of-truth, then their ability to fully participate in communication wars remains viable.


Very recently, the automaker Volkswagen was found to be willfully lying to its customers and the general public regarding its efforts to adhere to emissions standards. Beginning with its 2009 model, the company purposefully installed software designed to cheat emissions tests. To compound its deplorable behavior, the company only admitted its act of deception when the Environmental Protection Agency threatened not to certify VW's models for sale after its own investigations of the manufacturer's faulty software. The result is a major company without credibility. In the coming months and even years, it will be interesting to see what steps VW does to try and regain what it has lost.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Reading Minds

The ability to read another's mind would no doubt be an impressive skill to possess. Without question, it would definitely give one an sizable advantage over another, particularly during times of negotiation, disagreement, or when trying to impress a supervisor or another with which you might wish to seek favor. Yes, I confess, to fantasizing about this from time to time. But the truth is, I am almost one percent certain I would not wish to possess that power or ability. All of us, I believe, are entitled to our private thoughts without fear of having anyone sneak in and take an uninvited peak at us when we are at our most unfiltered, unguarded and vulnerable.


My guess there are those, particularly in the communication field, who might covet having the ability to read the minds or thoughts of others, however. Doing so, they reason, would help ensure their communication efforts would be spot-on in terms of articulating messages in a way people or publics understand and even agree with. With such a track record, one's success in the communication field would be virtually guaranteed. I am sure, for instance, any chief executive officer would love having a communication officer on their staff who is never wrong. Think of the profits! Think of the good will!


This is fun to think about, but the hard truth is there are no professional communicators who can do this. While our brain power, generally, can be quite impressive, the fact the brain weighs only three pounds and takes up a out two percent of our body weight suggests all of us have a long way to go before we become mind readers. Thank goodness. The result, communication remains a hit-or-miss proposition. As I see it, that is a good thing because it means for any of us to be successful at it, we must work hard at getting to know the folks with whom we are trying to connect. I am grateful - and frustrated - that it remains as challenging at it is.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Finding One's Voice

Growing up is never easy. It involves tons of stops and starts, mistakes, embarrassments, and humbling experiences. At least, that how it has been for me. Of course, now that I am old enough to receive social security checks, be on Medicare and receive copies of the AARP magazine, none of those not-so-fun moments that come with growing up ever happen any more. (Ha Ha). The fact is none of us ever stop truly trying to find our own voice. All of us, in that sense, are and forever remain works in progress. Perhaps the difference between those who are young and those who are not is that the oldsters are simply more settled in their ways.


For those who spend a good deal of their time writing, finding their own voice is a particular challenge. Novelists are examples of communicators who strive to establish a rhythm that is unique to them. What they produce represents their own perspective on life and their own way of describing it. What and how they write is about them. There are other professional communicators who spend a good deal of their time writing, however, that do not always have the freedom of communicating in their own voice. This is because they speak for others. Not surprisingly, I am referring to public relations practitioners.


More often than not, what these men and women compose is purposefully designed to reflect the thinking, vision, etc. of others. What they write is not about them. Rather, it is about someone else. Given that reality, how can these professionals find their own voice as writers? Is there any one they can develop a style that captures them and no one else? No. Such a blunt answer be enough to turn someone off from pursuing a career in public relations. It shouldn't. These professionals perform a valuable service: providing a voice to those who need one. The fact they have the skills to do this - speak as others would or hope to - is no small thing. In a special way, that is their voice.  



Monday, September 14, 2015

Self Portrait

All of us begin with a blank canvas. By the time we are done, that canvas is filled with images of all shape and size, a wide spectrum of color and shading, and lines and circles of varying length. Not all that is on the canvas connects, nor does the significance or even meaning of all that is there all make sense. There is both consistency and inconsistency. Stops and starts. Continuous flow and abrupt turns. Not all that covers the canvas is pretty or easy to digest. Hopefully, though, most of it is. Hopefully, most of what we and others see on that canvas elicits pride, admiration, respect, and even affection.


Ultimately, of course, we are responsible for what appears on that canvas. Through our actions and deeds, we are the ones who create that mosaic that portrays who and what we are. What is on that canvas represents our self-portrait. One element that, in essence, helps set the tone for our self portrait is found in how we do and have communicated with others. If our communication efforts have been laced with deception, exaggeration and cruelty, then our self portrait will in all likelihood end up buried in the attic of others' hearts and memories. On the other hand, if how we have strived to communicate has been on the wings of honesty, sensitivity and openness, then our self portrait will be displayed proudly and prominently by all who knew us and of us.   


These observations apply both to professional communicators as well as to the rest of us who do all we can each day to face the big and small challenges of our lives. Communication is the foundation of what we do, how we behave, and the manner in which we connect with others. This does not mean we have to do all we can to be simply liked or popular. Rather, how we communication reflects how much we embrace the truth, loyalty, kindness, being humble, and the importance of looking at life beyond our own needs or wishes.      

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Essential Abilities

Each year thousands of university students work their way through the pipeline toward their ultimate goal of obtaining a job in the communication industry. Fortunately, despite the competitive nature of the field, communication or public relations remains a growth industry. The fact that more and more executives are recognizing the value of having professionally-trained communicators on their payroll is very good news for students. Their challenge, of course, is to do well in school and develop a viable level of proficiency in all phases of communication, especially in being able to come up with ways to establish and maintain ties with various publics.


Having said that, however, what specific qualities in prospective employees are employers looking for these days? What strengths do they want their communicators to have? In  new public relations textbook called "Think Public Relations," authors Wilcox, Cameron, Reber and Shin identify six what they term "essential abilities." They are: writing skills, research ability, planning expertise, problem-solving ability, business/economics competence, and expertise in social media. These qualities, the authors say, are important regardless of whether the college grad enters into the for-profit or non-profit sector.


The majority of these qualities need little explanation. Being able to write well, conduct research and navigate social media, for instance, speak for themselves. But what about "business/economics competence?" What does that mean? The answer, briefly, speaks to the communicator's ability to carry out their duties more as a manager rather than simply as a staff member. Employers want their communicators to be deciders; to sit with them at the conference table and view issues from a marketing and economic perspective rather than just as a public relations matter. For up and coming professional communicators, this means becoming well-versed in business and economics.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Sadat-Begin-Carter

It was 37 years ago this month when U.S. President Jimmy Carter convened an historic summit with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin for the purpose of achieving a peace agreement between the two nations. The gathering, held at Camp David, lasted 13 days. As we know, the end result was the signing of a significant treaty between the two adversaries. The journey to that joyful ending was not pretty. From the first day to the last, there was much shouting, fuming, private meetings, and great exasperation among the principals and their teams. Collectively, they demonstrated that communication, particularly as it pertains to highly sensitive issues, is not pretty or easy.


Last year, a wonderful book on this summit was written by Lawrence Wright. Called "Thirteen Days in September," it captures the dynamic of these three leaders in their effort to achieve what many, including each of them at times, believed to be an unreachable goal. Often times, professional communicators, myself included, present the act of communication as being the bottom-line, key ingredient when it comes to individuals or publics coming together to reconcile a dispute or overcome differences they may have. No where is this better illustrated than in the great effort made at Camp David by Sadat, Begin and Carter over a nearly two-week period.      


To achieve the results they did, each man had to look behind their own views and objectives. They had to examine the issues at-hand from each other's perspective. This included not only properly assessing and understanding each other's histories, biases, and emotional and intellectual challenges and attitudes, but also weighing them against the current concerns facing each leader and their respective country. In doing so, without question, Sadat, Begin and Carter demonstrated great courage. Each had much to lose in terms of their own careers but also the well-being of their nations. By communicating effectively, they literally made the world a better place.   




Thursday, September 3, 2015

North Korea

One area in North Korea that represents what one might call a "growth industry" is the military. As a country that is led by a very repressive regime, huffing and puffing seems to be a way of life. Under the rule of its dictator, Kim Jong il, the military is regularly showcased as a way of demonstrating the country's so-called might as well as a way of driving home the message to the international community that North Korea is to be taken seriously.  On the one hand, the good news for Jong il and his cronies is that the international community does, in fact, pay attention to them. But on the other, much of the world community holds that country's leadership in contempt and has much sympathy for those living there.


One area that most definitely not showcased in this country is information. Not surprisingly, it is the policy of the dictator that rules the country to keep a very tight grip on information that contradicts his core message: he is wise, supreme, life in North Korea is grand, and any problems they may have are the fault of the rest of the world, particularly the United States. The country's citizens have no access to the Internet. In addition, their ability to learn anything about the rest of the world via books, magazines and other forms of media is extremely difficult. The result is largely a nation of people who are purposefully kept in the dark. They know only what they are told.


One might ask: How can people live in such an environment? Perhaps one answer is because they are poor, hungry and do not know any better. From the moment they are born and throughout their youth and into adulthood, North Koreans are fed targeted information. The government, as the entity controlling the information flow, does not deviate from its talking points. Consequently, such a scenario where information is shared under the tightest restrictions, ignorance reigns. This illustrates not just the importance of information, but the fact it needs to be as diverse.and open as possible.