Once again, The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly contest in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.  (Neologism – a new word, meaning, usage, or phrase.)

The winners are:1. Coffee (n.) the person upon whom one coughs.
2. Flabbergasted (adj.) appalled over how much weight you have gained.
3. Abdicate (v.) to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
4. Esplanade (v.) to attempt an explanation while drunk.
5. Willy-nilly (adj.) impotent.
6. Negligent (adj.) describes a condition in which you absent-mindedly answer the door in your             nightgown.
7. Lymph (v.) to walk with a lisp.
8. Gargoyle (n.) olive-flavored mouthwash.
9. Flatulence (n.) emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.
10. Balderdash (n.) a rapidly receding hairline.
11. Testicle (n.) a humorous question on an exam.
12. Rectitude (n.) the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.
13. Pokemon (n) a Rastafarian proctologist.
14. Oyster (n.) a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.
15. Frisbeetarianism (n.) (back by popular demand): The belief that, when you die, your Soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.
16. Circumvent (n.) an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.

And the Washington Post’s Style Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year’s winners:1. Bozone (n.) The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating.         The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
3. Cashtration (n.) The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for             an           indefinite period.
4. Giraffiti (n) Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
5. Sarchasm (n) The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn’t get it.
6 .Inoculatte (v) To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
7. Hipatitis (n) Terminal coolness.
8. Osteopornosis (n) A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
9. Karmageddon (n) It’s like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right?    And        then, like, the Earth explodes and it’s like, a serious bummer.
10 .Decafalon (n.) The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for           you.
11. Glibido (v) All talk and no action.
12. Dopeler effect (n) The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
13. Arachnoleptic fit (n.) The frantic dance performed just after you’ve accidentally walked through     a spider web.
14. Beelzebug (n.) Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the                morning and cannot be cast out.
15. Caterpallor (n.) The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you’re eating.

And the pick of the literature: Ignoranus (n): A person who’s both stupid and an *******.

A belated Happy Hanukah, and Happy Kwanza, Happy New Year, Merry Christmas and Happy ‘any other’ Holiday that suits your fancy this time of year. 

Godec

Another Case for Repetition and Simplicity

If you want your message, opinion or concept to stick, repeat it and simplify it.   Oh yeah, and serve coffee. 

http://www.spring.org.uk/2010/12/the-illusion-of-truth.php

http://www.spring.org.uk/2010/11/caffeine-makes-us-easier-to-persuade.php

Packing the Shampoo

When somebody expresses a request, demand, assertion, or thought that doesn’t seem to make sense to you, try not to react. Instead, pause and look between the lines.

http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2010/07/how-to-avoid-and-quickly-recov.html

Getting Everybody in Your Organization Involved

We’re finding more companies and organizations adapting the principles of effective public participation for their internal workforces to engage employees.  Here’s how Molson Coors does it.

http://smartblogs.com/workforce/2010/11/12/how-molson-coors-brewed-up-stronger-engagement/

Stop Staring at Your Problems

One of the public involvement techniques that we talk about and teach is Appreciative Inquiry which focuses on the best in people and organizations and builds on the things that work rather than just on what’s broken.   Surprisingly the research has also found (O’Keefe & Jensen, 2008) that ‘loss-framed’ messages are less effective than positive messages.

http://www.spring.org.uk/2010/12/the-influence-of-positive-framing.php

What’s next for Corporate Social Responsibility

People seem to expect companies to conduct business in a responsible and ethical manner. We expect companies to do good things — part of that triple bottom line: environmental and social performance, plus economic performance.   It’s now a big part of many communication and marketing plans, but how much of it is just part of the show? 

http://business.financialpost.com/2010/08/02/csr-cynicism-versus-authenticity/

Information Overload

Just last week I was talking with a group of people about information overload and our inability to handle or process the endless stream of email, web, text, Twitter chatter that we’re all subjected to.  It seems that this problem is actually five centuries old.  

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/cambridge/articles/2010/11/28/information_overload_the_early_years/

Great Training  

I spent the first part of November in South Africa working with friends and colleagues on the new IAP2 Affiliate there, and delivering the Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation course locally for the first time.  South Africa is a wonderful place and always a memorable experience.

We’re planning dates and locations for the ‘Emotion and Outrage’ course in 2011and booking in-house classes, so if you’re interested or have suggestions about where you’d like to see it delivered  please let me know at jdg@GodecRandall.com

We’ve set some of the 2011 dates for the IAP2 Certificate course in Public Participation:

February 28-March 4 Orlando, Florida; March 14-18 St Louis, Missouri; April 4-8 San Antonio, Texas; May 9-13 Denver, Colorado; July 11-15 Chicago, Illinois; and October 3-7 Santa Fe, New Mexico.   Phoenix and other dates will be added and if you’d like us to bring it to your town let me know.

For people working for BLM or other federal agencies, the IAP2 Certificate in Public Participation course will be held the week of January 24, 2011, at BLM’s National Training Center in Phoenix.  It’s free to BLMers and may be open to other federal employees if there’s space available.   And did I mention that it’s supposed to be 82 in Phoenix today.  Register through https://doilearn.doi.gov/ or contact Cathy_Humphrey@blm.gov or call 602-906-5536 for more information.

I’m Sorry to Tell You This

One key principle of crisis communication and outrage management is the ability to sincerely, skillfully and effectively apologize.  According to Canadian researchers (from LiveScience.com) it turns out that women apologize more because they feel their actions more often require an apology.  As Saturday Night’s Seth Meyers would say, ‘Really’?!   It’s not that men are less willing to admit fault, it’s that we apparently set the bar higher in what we think requires an apology.  When we think we’re wrong both sexes apologize 81 percent of the time.  Men just think they do fewer things wrong.  

And now we learn that Dick Cheney never apologized to Harry Whittington (according to Harry), the guy that Dick shot while quail hunting in South Texas.  Harry actually apologized to “Mr. Cheney and his family” for all the adverse attention, but although Dick conceded he’d pulled the trigger, he never apologized to Harry.  You’d think that shooting somebody in the face would warrant a quick, “my bad”, or maybe a fruit basket.         

How People Are Persuaded

I’ve heard it said that persuasion belongs in the fields of PR and lobbying but has no place in authentic public participation, but I don’t buy it.  People need to be persuaded to participate and people need to be persuaded to look at issues objectively and reasonably to make informed judgments and decisions.  One of my first influencers was Dr. Robert Cialdini who authored a groundbreaking work called Influence.  He’s done a lot of work around motivation and marketing but the psychology is applicable to many situations.    Three basic human goals are keys to understanding what influences and persuades each us.

http://www.spring.org.uk/2010/07/3-universal-goals-to-influence-people.php

Bad Meetings are Good Meetings, the Rule of Three, or Not Showing Up

I get calls from people asking for help, guidance or facilitation because they’re facing a ‘bad’ meeting (their words) and they’re scared and want someone to make it a nice meeting (my words).  One of the first things that I have to do is explain that conflict is ok because conflict is life.  Meetings can be good ways of resolving conflict and by trying to avoid or stifle conflict you’re probably just moving it or delaying it which means it’ll probably grow.  The role of a facilitator is essentially to create a safe space for people to work out differences.  So don’t be so afraid of bad meetings.      

In media, spokesperson and presentation training we frequently refer to the development of only three key messages.  Lots of times clients object to this as a limit and wonder why we can’t have five or more key messages.  The reasoning is simple:  people are able to remember roughly three distinct things from any event, lecture, meeting, book or article.  It’s just a really good rule of thumb and also applicable to the internal or external meetings that you’re running.   

One other thing that might improve your meeting is you not showing up.

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/10/be_brave_have_a_bad_meeting.html

http://smartblogs.com/workforce/2010/10/21/to-run-a-good-meeting-you-have-to-respect-your 3s/

http://www.bnet.com/blog/business-strategy/how-to-run-a-meeting-don-8217t-show-up/108?tag=mantle_skin;content

If you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.

OK, I’m stealing a line from Seinfeld who was talking about our innate fear of public speaking.  But it’s a real thing!  Admit it, even seasoned speakers and those who many of consider to be ‘hams’ most often have some anxiety about speaking to groups of people.  At a recent small event I watched a speaker literally shake for the ten minutes of his presentation, he wasn’t having a fun day.  I hope he reads this.     

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/09/how_to_overcome_communication.html

Employee Engagement

Recently we have been customizing and delivering internal employee engagement training and workshops to help managers and HR people do a better job of involving their workers in the future direction, decisions and operations of businesses and public agencies.   Research and evidence tells us that employees expect to have more of a say in the workplace than they have in the past.  That makes for happier, more loyal and more stable workers and managers, and better decisions by senior management smart enough to take advantage of the intellectual capitol that they already have.  Here’s a quick take on the subject.     

http://smartblogs.com/workforce/2010/10/13/macys-lisa-gick-on-building-strong-employee-engagement/

If you’re going through hell, keep going

Winston Churchill said that.  Most things that Churchill said were remarkable and inspirational.  I’m reminded of this fact now at the height of campaign season while we’re all enjoying these non-stop inspirational candidate ads.  I’m not naïve enough to wish for a Churchill but a few minor heroes would be nice.  He’s the guy that I usually mention when asked, ‘What person – living or dead – would you most like to meet’, I’ve always viewed him as a patron saint of conflict and crisis.        

http://blogs.forbes.com/geoffloftus/2010/09/30/lead-like-winston-churchill/? boxes=leadershipchannellighttop

Great Training  

This week I’m delivering the two day IAP2 Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation course in Chicago, and then it’s off to Johannesburg to teach this particular course in South Africa for the first time.   We’re planning dates and locations for this course in 2011and booking in-house classes, so if you have some interest or suggestions about where you’d like to see it delivered  shoot me an email jdg@GodecRandall.com

We’ve set some 2011 dates for the IAP2 Certificate course in Public Participation:

February 28-March 4 Orlando, Florida; March 14-18 St Louis, Missouri; April 4-8 San Antonio, Texas; May 9-13 Denver, Colorado; July 11-15 Chicago, Illinois; and October 3-7 Santa Fe, New Mexico.

For folks working for BLM or other federal agencies, we’ll be offering the IAP2 Certificate in Public Participation course from Monday, January 24 – Friday, January 28, 2011, at BLM’s National Training Center in Phoenix.  It’s free to BLMers and may be open to other federal employees if there’s space available. 

It’s a great foundational course for anyone working in public involvement, public affairs, communications or public policy.  And face it, can you think of a better place to be than Arizona at the end of January?    

Register through https://doilearn.doi.gov/ or contact Cathy_Humphrey@blm.gov or call 602-906-5536 for more information.

Big Government is Not the Issue

By Steven Kull

An abridged version of the following article appeared in Politico. It includes some newly released poll findings that can be viewed here.

Conventional wisdom is that the political pendulum has swung away from the Democrats–driven by a fierce reaction to a “Big Government” agenda. This spawned the tea party movement. But the story is not so simple.

Polls do show that the tea party is striking a chord with many Americans. In fact, 52 percent of Americans feel sympathy with the tea party movement, according to a new poll from WorldPublicOpinion.org.

But it does not appear that this sympathetic response is connected to the tea party’s warning about Big Government. Only 31 percent of tea party sympathizers say their main concern is that government “is becoming too big.” Rather, 55 percent say their greater concern is that the government “is not following the will of the people.”

Even among the hard core who say that they are very sympathetic to the tea party–one in five overall–only 46 percent cite major concerns about Big Government. More of this group, 47 percent, express greater concern about the lack of democratic responsiveness.

Speakers at tea party rallies regularly invoke the theme that the government is not responding to the will of the people and claim the mantle of representing the people in defiance of the government’s failure to respond. Sarah Palin, at the climax of one speech, said, “This movement is about the people. … Remember, all political power is inherent in the people, and government is supposed to be working for the people.”

Justin Graber echoed, “When it’s [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi and [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid vs. the will of the American people, America is on our side.”

These messages resonate. In the new WPO poll, 83 percent of the general public says that the will of the people should have more influence than it does. Those very sympathetic to the tea party are even higher — at 95 percent. Asked whether “this country is pretty much run by a few big interests looking out for themselves or for the benefit of all the people,” 81 percent of Americans say it is run by big interests; as do 90 percent of the strong sympathizers.

From a political perspective, what really matters is how the tea party message is reaching beyond the Republican base. This reach is substantial.
Among those who are sympathetic to the tea party, only 39 percent are firmly Republican. The remaining 61 percent include those who lean Republican (15 percent), are independents (20 percent), lean Democratic (6 percent), or are firmly Democratic (20 percent).

Among these non-Republican tea party sympathizers, just 23 percent say they are primarily concerned about Big Government, while 59 percent say they are more concerned about the government being unresponsive to the people.

Yet there is little evidence that most Americans have turned to the Republican model of small government. A recent Washington Post poll asked, “Which party do you think has better ideas about the right size and role of the federal government?” A plurality chose the Democratic Party (45 percent) over the Republican Party (40 percent).

At the same time, there is political danger here for the Democrats. When the electorate is feeling frustrated that the government is not being responsive, it puts them in a mood hostile to incumbents — who right now are largely Democrats. It makes them want to reshuffle the deck in hope of getting a better hand.

President Barack Obama was elected on a wave of hope that his administration would change Washington dynamics. There is a growing sense now that, in key ways, the new bums are the same as the old bums.

The Obama administration seems to understand the need to convince the public that they are truly listening and responding. With some fanfare, the White House established an Office of Public Engagement to do just that.

But, while this office’s website lists some interesting activities, which may appeal to the tiny sliver of the public who knows it exists, it has had little effect. WPO asked how much influence the people’s will has on the government, on a scale of 0 to 10: The mean response was 3.8 — no better than the rating President George W. Bush got in a 2008 poll. Asked how much influence the people should have, the mean response was 7.5.

Further, asked how well elected officials in the Federal Government understand the views of most Americans, 67 percent said “not that well” (42 percent) or “not well at all” (25 percent).

To move the needle on the perception of responsiveness is likely to require going to scale in a way that is highly visible to the U.S. electorate.

It has to move well beyond the scale of the Office of Public Engagement. It should also move beyond focusing on the tiny fraction of the public who self-select to express their views. To give voice to the public, it is necessary to scientifically select a representative sample of Americans — just as is done in a standard poll.

Some people in Washington have the impression that the American public have a negative view of policymakers paying attention to polls and thus would not like the idea of anything that involves such a sampling process. This is a major misperception. Even when presented the argument that “when government leaders are thinking about an important decision” they “should not pay attention to public opinion polls because this will distract them from deciding what they think is right,” eight in ten rejected it in favor of the argument that government leaders should pay attention to polls.

But this does not mean that most Americans think that the government should mechanically follow the results of polls, especially when it comes to matters that involve complex information that may not available to most Americans. What an overwhelming number of Americans do agree on (84 percent in the most recent WPO poll) is that “The goal of Congress should be to make the decisions that the majority of Americans would make if they had the information and time to think things over that Congress has.”
Around the country there have been numerous experiments in which representative samples of Americans have been given in-depth and balanced information on public policy issues. In some cases these are conducted over the internet, while in others people are briefed in person and engage in discussions. Finally their views are aggregated and reported to government leaders.

Americans express great enthusiasm for these kinds of processes. They have confidence in the American public and think that government decisions would be better if they were informed by the results of such processes.

Naturally, there is some risk here. Were the administration to take these kinds of processes to scale and really give the citizenry as a whole a voice, it might not always say what the administration wants to hear.

But only when this is done will Americans really have confidence that they are being heard. And until they have such confidence, they are likely to continue to lurch between the parties and applaud the strident messages of groups like the tea party, looking for leaders who will realize the democratic ideals that they learned in school, and despite their disappointments in many elected leaders, still take to heart.

Steven Kull, a political psychologist, is director of WorldPublicOpinion.org and the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland.

William Hazlitt said, “Nothing is more unjust or capricious than public opinion.” Yet public opinion is what it’s almost always about. Facts are important, data is helpful, and science defines reality. But public opinion grounds decisions. And that’s what these monthly-ish mailers are all about.

Articles include basic advice about social media, the best ways to deliver bad news, 23 things NOT to say in an email, and why morning people are better. (Yeah ok, so I’m a morning guy and a little biased.)

Godec

Great Training at a Discount

The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Planning, Communication and Techniques Certificate course will be offered at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) the week of September 13. Make sure you register by August 22 for early discounted pricing.

Then we’ll be back at CMAP on October 27 and 28 with the new Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation class. I hope you’ll join us, just send me a quick email and I’ll send you the information. jdg@GodecRandall.com

Terror at the Front of the Room

It’s been said that public speaking and death are two of the biggest, basic fears for most people. Even accomplished speakers and subject matter experts get nerve twinges. Here are six, simple ways to cope:

http://artpetty.com/2010/06/28/leadership-caffeine-prepare-your-mind-to-conquer-presentation-anxiety/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+artpetty%2Fmanagement_excellence+%28Management+Excellence+by+Art+Petty%29

You Have To Get Up Pretty Early in the Morning To….

While growing up my dad felt that sleeping past six was perfectly ok…if your illness was terminal. My first job out of college was doing morning-drive radio. So, I’ve seen a lot of sunrises and I finally feel vindicated, read on:

http://hbr.org/2010/07/defend-your-research-the-early-bird-really-does-get-the-worm/ar/1

Bad News Bearers

A significant amount of my time in the corporate world was spent closing facilities during the downturn of my Fortune 50 employer. As lousy as the assignment is there are ways of doing it skillfully and with compassion.

http://blogs.bnet.com/career-advice/?p=1108&tag=landing-pad;work-life

Ever Feel Like You’re Just Talking to the Walls?

Steve Roesler is a smart guy who offers 10 fundamental ways to be more persuasive on the job. It’s grounded in salesmanship 101 but it really shouldn’t take much imagination to realize that many of these apply whether you’re selling Fords, health care reform or freeway corridors. If you click within this link you’ll find another 40 suggestions that take the subject a bit deeper.

http://www.allthingsworkplace.com/2010/06/ten-ways-you-can-be-more-persuasive.html

Why You Should Hate Twitter, FaceBook and your I-Phone

Nicholas Carrr wrote a fascinating and important magazine article a couple of years back and is now out with a possible groundbreaking book detailing what the internet, instant messaging and our reliance on constant communication may be doing to our brains and ability to reason. I’ve already sent this to a friend who gets up to check his email in the middle of the night.

http://www.openculture.com/2010/06/cognitive_consequences_a_conversation_with_nicholas_carr.html?utm_source=feedburner

The Days of the Spokesmodel May Be Numbered

Watching BP try to handle their Gulf problems and reputation has shed some light on how the future of corporate mouthpieces may be changing. Here’s one thought on the subject:

http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2010/06/28/the-wizard-of-oz-and-corporate-voice/

Cyber Space is Forever

In case you missed it when it aired, National Public Radio (NPR) ran a story detailing the words that should NOT go into your emails.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127829646&ps=cpr

Faking It

A friend of mine always used to say that sincerity was the first and most important thing to learn how to fake in good communication. Here’s something to add to your list of non-verbal tips.

http://www.spring.org.uk/2010/06/duchenne-key-to-a-genuine-smile.php

How and Why to take Social Media More Seriously

In spite of what Nicholas Carr says social media is a fact of life. These articles offer some basics from the experts, and a new report from AARP reported by Reuters, that shows it’s not just generation x and Y that are embracing it.

http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2010/06/14/social-media-experts-no-1-tips/

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65943W20100610

What BP Might Have Considered

I’ve been working with a long time business client on updating their issue and crisis management and communication protocol recently and naturally there’s been a lot of anecdotal talk about the ‘problem in the gulf.’ I ran across the following from INC. which I think offers a nice, simple look at what almost any organization needs to consider and plan for.

http://www.inc.com/guides/how-to-communicate-in-a-crisis.html< ><–>

An article (paraphrased below) from Eric Effron in The Week made a nice comparison on a topic that you may be dealing with.

Until (fairly) recently, many New Yorkers, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg, were relishing the opportunity to bring self-described 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his co-defendants to justice near the scene of their monstrous crime. But Bloomberg has now urged the Obama administration to find a more suitable locale, citing the security risk and the enormous police tab. His remarks echoed the growing opposition to the trial from businesses that fear a drop-off in customers and from residents worried about being blocked from using neighborhoods streets. New Yorkers may pride themselves on being tough, but they have succumbed to NIMBY – the “not in my backyard” lament that’s heard whenever local sensibilities clash with broader public purpose.

It’s a widespread syndrome. We understand the need for homeless shelters, prisons, and hazardous waste sites – we just don’t understand why they have to be plopped down in our towns. Who doesn’t favor development of alternative energy to reduce our debilitating addiction to foreign oil? But please, put those unsightly solar-power transmission lines and wind turbines someplace else. When President Obama pledged to close the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, the legal complications of transferring the prisoners to the U.S. were the least of his obstacles. “You think Yucca Mountain is a NIMBY problem?” warned Sen. John McCain. “Wait ’till you see this one.” He was referring to the Yucca Mountain nuclear-waste repository in Nevada, which was established by Congress in 1987, cost billions to build, and has not (and will not) received a single barrel of spent fuel.

Never underestimate the power of NIMBY.

John

Moving People from Rage to Reason

A new two-day class that deals with managing an outraged public (there’s plenty of that to go around these days) is being offered in D.C. on April 8/9, Vancouver on April 22/23, and in Chicago on October 27/28. We’re also bringing this class in-house to agencies and companies dealing with these challenges. Student reviews are excellent and classes fill fast. Please contact me for more information.

E-mail is Making Us All Stupid

I get the irony of sending out these newsletters and then criticizing e-mail — believe me, I do. But the fact is that we need to understand the consequences of how we’re communicating these days. As we deal with information overload and constant interruptions, something’s happening in our brains: An erosion of an area called effortful control which regulates attention. The more you check your CrackBerry or iPhone, the more you need to check it. So check this story:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2010/march/204980.html

Nine More Reasons That Obama’s Health Summit Failed

If you ever spend time hosting, facilitating or attending meetings I suggest you consider this from The Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704784904575111770147757484.html#articleTabs%3Dinteractive

Tips for Nailing Your Next Presentation or Speech

This is a twofer – two different links (one from Harvard Business Review) with slightly differing takes on the subject. Briefly – get closer, listen, and think about how you want your audience to feel. You can write these on your hand along with your speaker notes.

http://postcards.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/03/02/how-to-capture-a-crowd-expert-advice/?section=magazines_fortune&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmagazines_fortune+%28Fortune+Magazine%29

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/03/three_steps_to_make_your_next.html

Dealing with Real Human Beings

We’re now all “a-twitter” about social media, and there’s no question that we’re witnessing a revolution in communication, but before you hire somebody to manage your Facebook page maybe you should consider hiring somebody to answer your freakin’ phone!

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/02/1507355/social-networking-not-enough-for.html

When you flatter someone they’re more likely to look on you favorably, even if your flattery is pretty transparent and shameless.

The truth is that most of us think we’re above average even though that’s, of course, statistically impossible. It is actually called…the above-average effect – duh. Scientific American reported that researchers in Hong Kong recently asked people to rate the appeal of a hypothetical department store after the store’s advertising praised the readers fashion tastes. Even after the researchers admitted the experiment readers rated the store more positively than others and said they’d shop there.

When people say we look good we tend to believe it – because we want to believe it.

Upcoming Coaching and Training

We’re offering the new two-day Emotion, Outrage and Public Involvement class in Calgary March 25-26, Washington D.C. April 8-9 and Vancouver April 22-23. This course is idea for understanding and learning to manage public melodrama.

The IAP2 Certificate in Public Participation course is scheduled for the week of April 5 in Kansas City and the week of May 3 in D.C. Contact me about customizing and bringing either of these classes to your in-house group.

Tiger and Toyota

According to the day-after polls, Tiger’s stiff, canned, and not-terribly-sincere looking/sounding apology seems to have done some good for his credibility, after all of these months of silence. I’ve always believed that Tiger’s main fan base (higher income guys who like golf) will tend to forgive him pretty quickly anyway, and if they don’t, I doubt that it’s going to wreck his career. I watched his apology and came away feeling that he was sorry more for the embarrassment of getting caught than for his infidelity. If he is sincere, he’s obviously not getting great advice or coaching. Too bad, he can afford it. I suspect that his ego and his lawyers are running the show, much like Toyota.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/232962

Body Language

Whether you like it or not, research has found that people decide how they feel about you in as little as two seconds of seeing you, or hearing you, if it’s on the phone. If they like what they see or hear, they’ll unconsciously tend to look for the best in you and look for opportunities to say “yes.” If they don’t like you, the opposite is true.

The first thing someone notices about you is the quality and level of energy you give out. That means your attitude – including your posture. The second thing they respond to is your clothes. It happens so quickly it’s as if they see both things at the same time, and then form their first impressions about you. Your attitude tells people if you’re approachable, charming or a dud. Your posture is an indicator of your overall health and confidence, and clothing speaks volumes. It tells others what kind of person you see yourself as, your socioeconomic status, whether you’re conventional or flamboyant.

Here are four ways to help create a great first impression:

1. Adjust your attitude. More than anything else it’s your attitude that determines how people feel about you when you first meet. Try to be more upbeat, welcoming, and somewhat enthusiastic.

2. Charm can be learned. There’s an old joke about the difference between introverted and extroverted engineers (or academics, or scientists — substitute any other introverted group that you want to make fun of) – the extroverted ones stare at your shoes instead of their own when they meet you. So work to make eye contact with other people, if only for a couple of seconds – this unconsciously signals that trust is in the air. Just notice the person’s eye color – that may be enough.

3. Smile genuinely – a little. A smile sends a signal that you’re happy, confident, and open. If you’re dealing with a difficult situation and an emotionally charged situation, that smile may need to be somewhat more refined and subtle. Grinning at someone who’s scared or angry doesn’t work in your favor.

4. Practice open and relaxed body language. Instead of crossing your arms over your chest point your chest/heart toward theirs and keep your hands generally visible and in the front of you. It sends a non-threatening message.

When working a meeting, particularly with people you don’t know:

Dress to match the audience. People tend to be more comfortable with others like them.

Don’t hide by the door or the wall. People around the edges are called wallflowers for a reason.

Ask “Talk-Show Host” questions. The best way to start conversations is with statements followed by open-ended questions, not questions that can be answered by a yes or a no. “Twenty years ago there were only 15,000 people living here. How do you think we should handle traffic for the next twenty years?” And make sure you give some feedback to their answers.

If it’s Easy it Must be True

We tend to believe and agree with the things that are easy for us to understand, and conversely we tend to disagree with things that we find too complex and difficult. That may sound pretty obvious and intuitive but there’s new research that supports how important this issue is when it comes to communicating complex and technically challenging information.

Psychologists are only beginning to uncover the surprising extent to which fluency guides our thinking, and in situations where we have no idea it is at work.

Check out this story in the Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/01/31/easy__true/

Giving in to Public Protest

The world’s biggest retail chain gets routinely derailed by a handful of local activists. You may not have known that it’s actually part of Walmart’s management strategy. Read on:

http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/publicoffering/post/729167/How+Does+David+Beat+Goliath?