Godec

Please, Forgive Me

Apologizing comes naturally to some people. I was born with this gene which was cultivated in Catholic grade and high schools and during the altar boy years, and peaked when I got my master’s degree years ago as a husband. Money, power and status tend to suck contrition from people, as you might have noticed in Rod Blagojevich’s bon voyage news conference. It’s a tenet in crisis communication and in the “anger, outrage and public involvement” training classes that we do. But now, here are some new, thorough and traditional thoughts on this subject for your consideration:

http://tinyurl.com/cbybfyn

http://tinyurl.com/chsvhlc

Groupthink and Brainstorming 2.0

You’ve probably facilitated some brainstorming sessions, or at least have been part of groups who got together to “brainstorm some ideas.” The fact is that traditional brainstorming sessions frequently devolve into an hour of your life that you never get back and have kind of fallen out of fashion. What was once thought of as the latest magical, never-fail technique to get brilliant ideas out of people does, in fact, work well under the right circumstances (and if conducted in the right way):

http://tinyurl.com/pp8u92

If you’re a brainstorming facilitator, here are some ideas for doing it better:

http://tinyurl.com/bm53fs6

This begs to question the value of working with groups in the first place. “Blasphemous suggestion for a public involvement guy!” you say? Not at all. Inclusion and transparency don’t always require a group get-together any more than it always requires a typical public meeting:

http://tinyurl.com/cq9xbmq

Motor Driven Land Conveyances

There I was on a recent pleasure trip, without a thought about work or this newsletter, exploring nature out in the great beyond of mid-America when I came across the agency placed directional/instructional sign that fuels this tirade. I discovered that, in someone’s eyes, I was not driving a car, truck, van or powered vehicle of any kind, but rather something new — I was actually behind the wheel of a “Motor Driven Land Conveyance.” The state and agency shall remain nameless here but you know who you are. Some ideas for better writin’ & communicatin’ follow:

http://tinyurl.com/7uaerq8

http://tinyurl.com/75mlbj5

And, is your AP Stylebook getting dusty?:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/8ylr3jb

Finally, if you work in or for any kind of bureaucracy, you’ll get a kick out of this video:

http://tinyurl.com/7vdo825

Has Email Destroyed Communication?

It’s a recurring topic in these newsletters, and I get more feedback from people about this than almost anything else. What do you think?

http://tinyurl.com/7r2ezca

Are emails, Facebook, Twitter ruining the art of conversation?

http://tinyurl.com/6omv9ff

And, is Facebook making us lonely?

http://tinyurl.com/7wlo29r

Shameless Promotion of Great Coaching in Public Engagement

and Dealing with the Fury of the People

I’ll be in Chicago for the five-day IAP2 Public Participation Certificate course at the end of October. The best practitioners in the business have completed this course — it’s the foundational class for anyone in public involvement.

The class will be at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) in the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower in the heart of the Loop. I hope we see you there!

Understanding the essence of the “Occupy” movement, public protest, angry people, and managing public conflict are more important than ever. You’ll learn about citizen anger and what to do about it during the two-day Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation (EOP2) class. This class is hands-on, immensely practical and has never been more relevant.

IAP2 Certificate class:

• October 29 – November 2 in Chicago

EOP2 class:

• June 4 & 5 in Vancouver
• June 14 & 15 in Chicago
• November 14 & 15 in Toronto
• March 14 & 15 (2013) in Calgary

In addition to our project work, we’re taking customized versions of these and other classes to organizations of all kinds everywhere, so contact me directly for more information.

For currently scheduled U.S. class registrations click on:

www.ExtraordinaryTrainers.com

For currently scheduled Canada class registrations click on:

http://www.rmdelaney.com/training/iap2-certificate-training-program/

John Hibbing, who helped design the study, said that it was “amazing the extent to which they perceive the world differently.” We may be more hardwired than we think.

And since writing is a big part of our collective livelihoods, here’s a terrific website that you might try if you’re not already aware of it – WordHippo.com. Hope you like it and also enjoy this month’s collection.

Godec

Government Propaganda

Should public taxpayer dollars be used to conduct public relations activities for public institutions? If you’ve been communicating in the public sector for any length of time, you’ve likely been criticized over this practice (or at least had a conversation about it with colleagues or taxpayers). It’s been a favorite happy hour debate topic for years.

Strictly speaking, public involvement and public information have different objectives than traditional PR. Depending on the government agency and who might be in charge of it at the moment, however, the line gets fuzzy. If you’re a LinkedIn subscriber, I think that you’ll find the following online discussion worthwhile:

http://tinyurl.com/84ps69q

And while we’re on the subject of PR, here’s one take on issue management and that dreaded spin thing:

http://tinyurl.com/867trq3

Disgusting Works…

Some years ago, a top notch regional ad agency that I’ve occasionally partnered with (Riester) developed an edgy, groundbreaking smoking cessation campaign that used the slogan “Tumor-causing, teeth-staining, smelly, puking habit.” It ran in 40 states and got lots of play, but also received criticism from people who found it disgusting.

Disgust is based on the taste of the beholder, but there is one simple fact: before you can communicate with, engage or influence anybody, you’ve got to get their attention. It’s not a magic bullet, it might not be germane to your situation, but there’s a lesson here: disgusting works:

http://tinyurl.com/8x3hf5q

Speaking is Risky Business…

And it should be. As part of the ongoing war against mind-numbing PowerPoint presentations and uninspired speeches, I offer the following column from Forbes. Stay interesting my friends!

http://tinyurl.com/7qahue2

Hostility Kills

I subscribe to The Week. I got hooked on it partly because of my short attention span, partly because of the objective role that it attempts to play and partly because of the insight it offers. William Falk’s latest Editor’s Letter follows:

Hostility kills. Chronically angry men, studies have found, are three times more likely to develop heart disease, and six times more likely to suffer a heart attack before age 55. Feeling that you’re constantly at war with idiots and villains gets your body stuck in the fight-or-flight gear; a flood of hormones and toxins raises blood pressure, narrows arteries, and eats away at your innards. This all came to mind when I heard that Andrew Breitbart had suddenly fallen dead in the street at age at 43. The über-partisan Internet warrior, said his friend Matt Labash in WeeklyStandard.com, “was a man who both loved and hated with his whole heart.” The focus of his hate was “the Democrat media complex,” which he fought with ruthless abandon night and day, while delighting in infuriating those who hated him back. When he died, conspiracy theorists wondered if the White House had rubbed him out. A better question: Did he silence himself, by loving the fight too much? He leaves a wife and four children.

Breitbart was not alone on his battlefield. Twitter lit up with taunting celebrations of his demise, and on Rolling Stone’s website, crusading liberal Matt Taibbi wrote, “Good! F— him. I couldn’t be happier that he’s dead.” In response, Breitbart allies published Taibbi’s home phone number, threatened his life, and vowed to defecate on his mother’s grave. And so it goes. For more of this kind of you-stupid-Nazi-moron vitriol, just scroll through the dozens—sometimes hundreds—of rage-filled reader “comments” on any political commentary on the Web. What grand fun it is to hate! Perhaps we should think a bit more about where rage is taking us.

A Horse Walks Into a Bar…

When dealing with emotional people, can and should you use humor to diffuse the situation? This question pops up frequently from both clients and students with regards to stressful encounters. The answer of course is, “it depends.”

Humor works under the right circumstances and with the right people, but if all the “rights” aren’t there, you’ll turn a bad encounter into a disaster.Humor is a touchy subject but, when it’s right, it’s terrific. The attached is a business story but it’s definitely applicable to the public sector:

http://tinyurl.com/79lw4lu

Shameless Promotion of Great Coaching in Public Engagement

and Dealing with the Fury of the People

I’ll be in Chicago for the five-day IAP2 Public Participation Certificate course at the end of April. The best practitioners in the business have completed this course; it’s the foundational class for public involvement.

The class will be at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) in the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower in the heart of the Loop. I hope we see you there!

Understanding the essence of the “Occupy” movement, lack of civility, angry people, and managing public opposition are more important than ever. You’ll understand the anger and what to do about it during the two-day Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation (EOP2) class. This class is hands-on, immensely practical and has never been more relevant.

IAP2 Certificate class:

• April 30 – May 4 in Chicago

EOP2 class:

• June 4 & 5 in Vancouver
• June 14 & 15 in Chicago
• September 24 & 25 in Halifax

We bring customized versions of these classes and others to organizations of all kinds anywhere, so call or email me for more information.

For currently scheduled U.S. class registrations click on:

www.ExtraordinaryTrainers.com

For currently scheduled Canada class registrations click on:

http://www.rmdelaney.com/training/iap2-certificate-training-program/

I’ll also be in Tucson at the Seventh National Conference on Environmental Collaboration and Conflict Resolution — ECR 2012 on May 22 delivering a half-day session around authentic public participation.Please forward this to anyone who you think might benefit from one of these classes.

Remember, I waste my nights and weekends (and vacations) surfing the web so you don’t have to.

Godec

Handy Presentation Skills

I’d just finished working with a client to prepare her for a major on-stage presentation, and we’d talked a lot about what to do with her hands. Whether you’re a waver or a pocket stuffer, I think the first link below explains the rules handily (sorry):

http://tinyurl.com/7ww62qr

This client had solid facts, but my task was to make sure that she really connected with her audience. The second link offers three (3) simple tips to ensure that happens:

http://tinyurl.com/89fe2dv

If You Want Help, Just Ask!

The effectiveness of public participation is rooted in making better decisions by including the input of people affected by those decisions. Getting people involved isn’t a passive exercise — you have to ask. Click on the first link below to learn how:

http://tinyurl.com/5fec3p

The question of whether or not public involvement really works is (almost) answered in A Manager’s Guide to Evaluating Citizen Participation. You can download the PDF in the second link from Syracuse University and the IBM Center for the Business of Government:

http://tinyurl.com/88u42kk

Get Good at Googling

How good of a Googler are you? Every once in a while I run into something that I wish I’d known before, and am glad that I finally found. This is one of them:

http://tinyurl.com/23dans

What’s News? I Dunno…What’s News With You?

For some reason, news releases have been a hot topic lately. So, in response to reader questions, I found some examples of the latest thinking on the subject. These include some answers on using search engine optimization (SEO) for news releases; a list of things that bug reporters and bloggers the most; what you need to do to build great relationships with readers, and a list of the most overused words and phrases. I hope it’s useful:

http://tinyurl.com/6ljssou

http://tinyurl.com/77pyblk

http://tinyurl.com/78eoskn

http://tinyurl.com/6uutn33

You Gotta Get Out of the House Once in a While

A lot of people these days are engaged in smaller, home-based operations often involving just a single person. There’s joy and satisfaction in working this way and most people wouldn’t trade it for the world. However, you still need to remember to get out of the house once in a while:

http://tinyurl.com/6rdtukv

Great Training:

Public Engagement Certificate and Dealing with Angry Citizens

I’ll be in Chicago for the five-day IAP2 Public Participation Certificate course at the end of April. Ten thousand people around the world have completed this course.  It’s the foundational class for public involvement.

Our host is the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) in the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower in the heart of the Loop. I hope we see you there.

Our newest class is hands-on, immensely practical and has never been more relevant.  We’ll focus on the roots of the “Occupy” movement, civility, angry people and managing opposition during the two-day Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation (EOP2) class. 

IAP2 Certificate class:

• April 30 – May 4 in Chicago

EOP2 class:

• March 12 & 13 in Calgary
• June 4 & 5 in Vancouver
• June 14 & 15 in Chicago
• September 24 & 25 in Halifax

We bring customized versions of these classes and others to organizations of all kinds anywhere, so call or email me for more information.

For currently scheduled U.S. class registrations click on:

www.ExtraordinaryTrainers.com

For currently scheduled Canada class registrations click on:

http://www.rmdelaney.com/training/iap2-certificate-training-program/

On that subject, and in honor of Time magazine’s 2011 Person the Year (The Protester) and the debate that it has spawned — consider a quote from Frederick Douglas in 1857: “Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning; they want the ocean without the roar of its many waters. The struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, or it may be both. But it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand; it never has and it never will.”

We have a good crop of articles this month. I’ll continue to waste my nights and weekends surfing the Net so you don’t have to…enjoy!

Godec

Candidates Say the Darndest Things

You’ll find the best lines of 2011 below. Let’s hope that 2012′s crop isn’t notable just for its entertainment factor:

http://news.yahoo.com/99-percent-chosen-years-top-quote-171947746.html

Great Tips from Some Great Writers

We all write for a living – blogs, newsletters, white papers, briefs, articles, books – and all with common traits. I hope you find this article as useful as I did. After that is a good piece from the Harvard Business Review on replacing meaningless words with meaningful ones. See if you agree:

http://tinyurl.com/74owjdy

http://tinyurl.com/cf3be7z

I Have No Idea What You’re Talking About!

Admit it…how many times does this thought go through your head in the course of a week? Buzzwords, acronyms, meaningless phrases — jargon in government and business is rampant and getting worse. How can people trust what they don’t understand?!

http://tinyurl.com/73vgao9

Everything That’s Wrong in Washington…and How to Fix It

OK, that headline is a little presumptuous. However, I think the attached article is clearly worth reading:

http://tinyurl.com/6ueuux2

Restoring Trust and Credibility

It’s been a remarkable few months for some very public examples of high profile moral failure and the destruction of trust by authority figures. The first two links are worthwhile reads on these subjects and for those who say “Show me a concrete example of a way to make it work.” The last is a link to one city’s citizen solution:

http://tinyurl.com/7fpt9wf

http://www.cnbc.com/id/45292120

http://tinyurl.com/73899u2

Eat Your Vegetables

No matter how bad you think you are at public speaking, no matter how much it terrifies you or how much you hate it, you really need to do it. Here’s a relatively painless way to start. Think of it as eating your first Brussels sprout. (Note: Author likes Brussels sprouts.)

http://tinyurl.com/d2466ju

Great Training:

Public Engagement Certificate and Dealing with Angry Citizens

I’m heading back to the Windy City to teach the five-day IAP2 Public Participation Certificate course April 30 – May 4. Ten thousand practitioners have now completed this course and most tell us it’s the definitive class for people in our field. Our host for this open class is the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) located in the Loop in the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower. It’s a great location, a tremendous class and spring in Chicago is a special time.

We will focus on civility, angry people and managing opposition during the two-day Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation (EOP2) class. You’ll learn why people get so angry and what to do about it. It’s hands-on, immensely practical and never been more relevant.

The EOP2 class in 2012 is scheduled for Toronto, March 5-6; Calgary, March 12-13; Vancouver on June 4-5; Chicago, June 14-15 and Halifax on September 24-25.

For the U.S. classes click on:

www.ExtraordinaryTrainers.com

For the Canada classes click on:

http://www.rmdelaney.com/schedule.html

In keeping with the spirit of the season, Father James Martin (the “Official Chaplain to Colbert Nation” and a frequent guest on the (Stephen) Colbert Report) has a new book out called “Between Heaven and Mirth” that you might like. He was on NPR’s “Here and Now” with Robin Young last week. Here’s one of my faves:

Guy buys a car and calls a priest, a minister and a rabbi to bless it. The priest sprinkles it with holy water, the minister has everyone hold hands and sing and the rabbi cuts a half inch off the tailpipe (Rimshot!)

And as long as we’re (loosely) on the subject of the soul, the following link will take you to the most powerful images of 2011. Here’s to a better 2012…I’ll talk to you next year.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-most-powerful-photos-of-2011

Happy Holidays!

Godec

The Human Touch

During the past few months, I’ve coached or spoken to several groups of twenty-somethings. This experience has shifted my perspective — communication styles are on trial.

For some smart, tech savvy people who communicate most comfortably with their thumbs, the personal and emotional nature of citizen engagement seems like a foreign concept. Last month’s contribution mentioned (OgilvyOne Worldwide) CEO Brian Fetherstonhaugh’s quote, “How many people have solved a difficult emotional topic via e-mail or text? So far, I haven’t found a single one.”

The following story is geared towards job hunters, but the points are universal to anyone in the public communication biz:

http://tinyurl.com/c7lsjnz

Just Two Questions

We’ve talked so much about the importance of first impressions in this mailer. Now, we find the essence of the subject from research conducted at Princeton University. It seems that people ask just two questions when they meet you:

http://tinyurl.com/426csta

Crisis Communication — Generally Speaking

Last month, I spent some time talking with a group of smart people about crisis management and communication. In the process of poking around on the Web for some fresh twists, I ran across the following that I thought you’d enjoy.

The first is a quick two-and-a-half minute video from retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal about making your team work best under tough circumstances. The second is a list of what may have been the biggest blunders of 2011 (Herman Cain might be late to this list.) The third is a crisis response guideline according to McDonalds:

http://tinyurl.com/88bq8y2

http://tinyurl.com/83wrsvf

http://tinyurl.com/7uqoo7q

“Risk…Risk is our Business!” – Captain James T. Kirk

Rick Jones is a risk manager who’s written about the causes of anger and emotion that we deal with everyday. Risk perception is the personal nature of how we view uncertainty in the things that we experience. This brief article explains it nicely:

http://tinyurl.com/7ce2es3

Guaranteeing Failure in the Beltway

The failure of the congressional budget super-committee provides valuable lessons for all of us in the decision facilitation business. Following are three clear conditions that guarantee failure and three recommendations that improve your odds. Read on:

http://tinyurl.com/77dddqy

You’re Right…They really are Goofing Off

If you’ve suspected that they’re not really doing anything productive in front of the computer, guess what? :

http://tinyurl.com/6pforxf

Citizen Engagement Training in Arizona – January 2012 (Average High 67º F)

The five-day IAP2 Public Participation Certificate course will be offered in Phoenix/Tempe during the week of January 23, and the two-day Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation class will be held on January 31 and February 1.

The location is right on the light rail line near lots of great hotels, restaurants and night life. You’ll get plenty of ideas about dealing with the public, and lower your handicap by at least 20 strokes. Come join us!

I’ll be back in Chicago with the Certificate course the week of May 7, and the 2-day Emotion class on June 5 and 6.

I’ll also be teaching the Emotion and Outrage class in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, and Halifax in 2012. For more information about Canadian classes click on:

http://www.rmdelaney.com/schedule.html

For the U.S. classes click on:

www.ExtraordinaryTrainers.com

More commonly known as a fall election cycle, Blame-U-Flu is symptomized by candidates’ blame towards one another for anything and everything from bed bug infestation, restless leg syndrome & the lousy economy to indecisive cowering in the wake of Hurricane Katrina six years ago. These same folks are first in line to take personal credit for inventing 800 thread count sheets, defeating polio and scaring Hurricane Irene the hell away from Manhattan last summer.

There isn’t a cure for Blame-U-Flu. Unlike influenza, no drug store vaccinations, NyQuil or mom’s chicken soup will alleviate the aches & pains that some candidates can cause.

It’s simple, really: when the going gets tough, the (not-so) tough point fingers and yell. When things do go according to plan, you can bet that the people yammering for credit and headlines are probably standing on the shoulders of stoic, mild-mannered professionals who just went ahead and did the actual work. This dynamic reminds me of my favorite Jon Stewart quote: “(This) country is run by extremists because moderates have sh#%t to do.”

So, what’s a body to do? In a word, “Trust.” Trust the boys and girls in the trenches who, day in and day out, work the problems and find viable solutions with nary a thought of public adoration or pollster points.

In any collaborative effort, the value of these people – and the trust they deserve — cannot be overstated. We depend on them to help us decide who to follow, listen to, take advice from, confide in, or collaborate with. Trust needs to be nurtured, especially with the ones that “brung ya to the dance.”

The following article from the Harvard Business Review talks about the importance of trust, going as far as saying that it is the “new gold.” It is definitely worth a read:

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/07/one_thing_that_makes_collaboration.html

So, to the people who actually do the work, thank you. Give yourself a pat on the back and enjoy some personal satisfaction in the knowledge that, if it wasn’t for you, it wouldn’t have gotten done. The problems that need fixing, and the future that needs to be planned, are not going to be fixed and planned by the people with titles, money or privilege. These things will be done by workers, staffers, grunts and specialists – in other words, by real people quietly going about the business of getting s#%t done. Trust them and, every once in a while, thank them as well.

Godec

Last “TANGO” (I Hope…)

In the cyber-parlance of our time, my newly-coined acronym (coming soon to an iPhone near you) stands for “Texting ‘Ad Nauseum’ Garners Obtuseness.” The following article explains why. Read on…

http://tinyurl.com/3vthpmw

Proof All Pubic Materials

Ever since approving a 30,000 print run with that disorderly word, I’ve been sensitive to proofreading and inclined to work with really good proofreaders. Here are 10 of the best tips that I’ve seen yet:

http://tinyurl.com/3uk3od2

Creating Reality

Again on the subject of trust: faith in business and government is the lowest it’s been in our lifetimes. Perception has created its own reality for the economy (fewer people spending + less demand = less production + higher unemployment) and political gridlock. Even the Wall Street Journal suggests it’s time we started helping leaders understand what trust is; how to build it and how to sustain it:

http://tinyurl.com/3ep6nw8

Fillers and Empty Words

I hate it when I see myself in self-help articles. If you’re a presenter, facilitator or trainer of any stripe, you may find this as useful and disturbing as I did:

http://tinyurl.com/3fdvde2

Jerk or Milquetoast?

Come on…you know people who fall into one of these two categories. More to the point, you’ve probably worked for people who fall into one of these two categories.

As jobs get more complex and more competitive, and there are so many more demands on people’s attention, it’s tough for leaders to know how hard (or how little) to push and/or how assertive to be. This might help…a little:

http://tinyurl.com/5rnrpmm

IAP2USA – Join Us…Cheap!

And for all of our public involvement-inclined pals, have we got a deal for you! Right now you can join the International Association for Public Participation – USA — during our ‘Grand USA Opening’ — for only $99. Click on:

http://tinyurl.com/3t3cwzu

Great Training in Arizona in January 2012 (Average High 67º F)

For the first time in a long time, the five-day IAP2 Public Participation Certificate course will be offered in an open class in Phoenix/Tempe during the week of January 23rd. The two-day Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation class will be offered on January 31 and February 1, 2012.

The location is right on the light rail line near lots of great hotels, restaurants and night life. You’ll go home with both a measurably enhanced way of dealing with the public…and a tan! 

www.ExtraordinaryTrainers.com

Godec

Public Engagement is Golden…

…and Employee Involvement is finally getting its long-overdue “props.” By way of introduction, there’s little more to say about these articles other than that they’re two of the more compelling and convincing arguments in favor of authentic participation that I’ve read:

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2814

http://tinyurl.com/3vdpzn4

Make it Straight and Make It Simple

We’ve talked quite a bit about what makes for the most effective style of written and/or verbal communication. Research has found that ambiguity and complexity are not only bad, they make things worse:

http://www.spring.org.uk/2011/06/why-concrete-language-communicates-truth.php

Spotting “Horrible Bosses” in Real Life

What made the recent film “Horrible Bosses” so funny is that we’ve all had, have or can expect to endure at least one really horrible boss during our professional lives. Here’s hoping you either a) don’t have one or b) are not one yourself. Quotes from two of my own personal-favorite ex-bosses include: “This week we’re having another sales contest…the winner gets to keep his job,” and “If you won’t read my mind then I’ll find somebody who will.”

Following are a few “tells” to help you spot the body language of a horrible boss and, hopefully, buy yourself a little time to get that resume’ in order:

http://tinyurl.com/69rspfr

The Power of Tchotchkes

Twist your tongue trying to pronounce them (it’s “Chahtch-keys”) or simply call them by their most common handle – “Free Stuff.” Either way, they include the complimentary shoulder bag that you scored at last month’s trade show; the pen proffered by your insurance agent and the refrigerator magnet that came stuck to your calzone with some pizza joint’s menu on it.

In other words, tchotchkes are any one of the hundreds of gratis promotional doo-dads that come shamelessly emblazoned with someone’s name, logo and business information. Advertisers offer them with one simple goal in mind: to elicit ongoing recollections of people, products or places that they really, really want you to remember.

Surprisingly, tchotchkes are now almost as common in government as they are in business. Here’s what works and why:

http://tinyurl.com/3ux2mee

Too Frequent, Irrelevant or Boring…

…and I’m trying very hard to make sure that these mailers are “none of the above”:

http://tinyurl.com/4xjer4h

Don’t Just Take My Word for It…

“Thank you for a great opportunity to learn – it’s rare nowadays to walk away from an educational experience and feel not only enriched as a professional but also as a human being. Thank you for enabling a truly a powerful experience!”

Great Training…It’s Not Too Late! 

The two-day Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation course is being taught in Chicago on August 23 and 24, 2011 and you still have time to join us.  Remember, we’re always booking in-house classes, so contact me @ jdg@GodecRandall.com.

Upcoming dates for the IAP2 Certificate Course in Public Participation;

• October 3-7 Santa Fe, NM
• December 5-9 Washington, DC
• January 23-27, 2012 in Phoenix

 I hope you can join us for one of these courses.  Please pass it on to anyone that you think might benefit. Other days will likely be added so check www.ExtraordinaryTrainers.com for the latest information, details and registration.

Godec

The Science of Delusion

This mailer is a little late again, as much as I enjoy them I wasn’t going to spend my last days on earth in front of the computer. But now that the apocalypse is delayed I think it’s time to talk about why people believe the things they believe and why facts and science make it worse.

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/03/denial-science-chris-mooney

Making Better Government

Having worked for both a government agency and for a Fortune 50 international corporation, I discovered that each lives in its respective bubble, rarely understanding the role, value or needs of the other.

Government needs to evolve as a primary convener of decision-making not the “decider” mentality that just doesn’t work anymore. Stephen Goldsmith is the deputy mayor of New York City, a former two-term mayor of Indianapolis and the author of The Power of Social Innovation.

http://http://tiny.cc/135o3

Impressing Dr. Bainter

Dr. Bainter was an old-school, highly articulate, formal literature professor with a Ph.D from Yale. How he wound up at a state school in Wisconsin is anybody’s guess — we always suspected witness protection.

While he might be happy with the language used in many government, public documents — he’s not the audience. We need to write for and communicate with real people who often have far less education. There are dozens of tips and here are a few: 

• Find an editorial buddy
• Ask:  What is the purpose of your message?
• Remember the five W’s
• Check for Accuracy
• Check for “interrupters”
• Remove extraneous phrases, clichés and poor word choices
• Avoid using social media language abbreviations and symbols in e-mails or documents to strangers

http://tiny.cc/6nck5

A Crisis of Disrespect

It’s become increasingly acceptable to treat other people callously, vindictively and dismissively. Just being angry makes it okay. And of course when somebody treats us that way, it’s okay to reciprocate. I blame media deregulation, but hey, that’s just me.

Problem is it’s extended to a lot of areas, one being the workplace.  A lot of public involvement principles are now used for employee engagement and if you really want to engage these folks, you need to do it authentically and respectfully. 

http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2011/03/15/respect/

Great Training

The two-day Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation course will run in Chicago on August 23 and 24, 2011 and we’re always booking in-house classes, so contact me @ jdg@GodecRandall.com.

 Upcoming dates for the IAP2 Certificate Course in Public Participation;

• June 13-17 Flagstaff, Arizona
• July 18-22 Chicago
• August 1-5 St. Louis
• October 3-7 Santa Fe, NM
• December 5-9 Washington, DC
• January 23-27, 2012 in Phoenix 

You can still get in under the “early rate” if you sign up now.  I hope you can join us for one of these, please pass it on to anyone that you think might benefit.

Other days will likely be added so check www.ExtraordinaryTrainers.com for the latest information, details and registration.

And finally we’re back here with a variety of articles that I think you’ll use, from better decision making, persuasion, media, and tips for delivering terrific presentations and speeches.  I hope you enjoy them and you’ll be able to join us for one of our upcoming training courses listed down below.     

Godec

The Dumb Decisions That We Make

It might seem overly simple but the fact is that there are four basic reasons for the bad decisions that we’ve all made.  Our inherent brain flaws include jumping to conclusions, presuming there’s a black & white answer, stereotyping, and believing most of what you read.  So read on:     

http://tiny.cc/0p1je

Persuasion and Influence

You are constantly bombarded by people and messages trying to influence your opinions, behavior and perceptions.   It’s not just strangers trying to sell us something but our families and friends as well.  We ALL play the influence game, to one degree or another. 

It’s a subject that we’ve talked about before in this column but now 18 of those expanded tips and ideas have been collected in one place.  Whether you’re trying to do it better or spot the attempts of other people trying to work their way into your psyche, here you go.  

http://tiny.cc/pc8fj

Media Hype and Managing Interviews

This will shock no one but the news media – at least the business news media — hypes itself.  It’s not inherently wrong — newspapers need readers, radio needs ears, and TV needs viewers in order to survive.     But now we have evidence.  And as long as we’re on the subject, here are some solid tips for managing your next interview.     

http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2011/02/17/cnbc-ceo-chats-seldom-break-news-study/

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/03/media_mistakes_and_how_to_avoid.html

Delivering the Speech that Knocks it Out of the Park

It’s a subject that generates more feedback than almost any other.  We’ve talked about it before here but I recently ran across a really nice approach and take on the subject, and it’s great to be able to use baseball metaphors again!  Let me know what you think.

http://blogs.hbr.org/pallotta/2011/03/delivering-the-speech-of-your.html

Brainstorming: The just OK Way and the Right Way

Whenever a group of people have to generate ideas or solutions somebody invariably says ‘let’s brainstorm some ideas’.  Most of the time that’s exactly the right thing to do, but sometimes those sessions are painful, not very productive and leave some people feeling like they’ve been run over.  So here are some tips for making your next brainstorming session a lot more effective.      

http://smartblogs.com/workforce/2011/02/14/make-the-most-of-your-brainstorming/

Great Training  

The two-day Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation course will delivered in Chicago on August 23 and 24, 2011 and we’re always booking in-house classes, so contact me @ jdg@GodecRandall.com  

Upcoming dates for the IAP2 Certificate Course in Public Participation;

• June 13-17 Flagstaff, Arizona;

·         July 18-22 Chicago;

·         August 1-5 St. Louis;

·         October 3-7 Santa Fe, NM;

·         December 5-9 Washington D.C.; and

·         January 23-27, 2012 in Phoenix   

I hope you can join us for one of these, please pass it on to anyone that you think might benefit. 

Other days will likely be added so check www.ExtraordinaryTrainers.com for the latest information, details and registration.

Godec

Trust and Credibility

Public involvement and consensus require moving beyond anger and (re)building working relationships.  Good relationships are grounded in trust and credibility.  Edelman – the world’s largest public relations agency — conducts an annual global Trust Barometer survey and this year’s results are interesting.    

http://www.steverubel.com/a-devaluation-of-friendship-may-be-driving-tr

Tips for Writing Op-Ed Articles

Joe Goldman from AmericaSpeaks assembled a really nice list of tips for writing newspaper opinion pieces recently and gave me permission to pass them on to you.    

Limit the article to 750 words.
Shorter is even better. Unfortunately, newspapers have limited space to offer, and editors generally won’t take the time to cut a long article down to size.

Make a single point — well.
You cannot solve all of the world’s problems in 750 words. Be satisfied with making a single point clearly and persuasively.

Put your main point on top.
You have no more than 10 seconds to hook a busy reader, which means you shouldn’t “clear your throat” with a witticism or historical aside. Just get to the point and convince the reader that it’s worth his or her valuable time to continue.

Tell readers why they should care.
Put yourself in the place of the busy person looking at your article. At the end of every few paragraphs, ask out loud: “So what? Who cares?” You need to answer these questions. Will your suggestions help reduce readers’ taxes? Protect them from disease? Make their children happier? Explain why. Appeals to self-interest usually are more effective than abstract punditry.

Offer specific recommendations.
An op-ed is not a news story that simply describes a situation; it is your opinion about how to improve matters. Don’t be satisfied with mere analysis.

Showing is better than discussing.
You may remember the Pentagon’s overpriced toilet seat that became a symbol of profligate federal spending. You probably don’t recall the total Pentagon budget for that year (or for that matter, for the current year). That’s because we humans remember colorful details better than dry facts. When writing an op-ed look for great examples that will bring your argument to life.

Use short sentences and paragraphs.
Look at some stories in most major newspapers, and count the number of words per sentence. You’ll probably find the sentences to be quite short. You should use the same style, relying mainly on simple declarative sentences. Cut long paragraphs into two or more shorter ones.

Don’t be afraid of the personal voice.
When it comes to op-eds, it’s good to use the personal voice whenever possible. If you are a physician, describe the plight of one of your patients. If you’ve worked with poor families in your community, tell their stories to help argue your point.

Avoid jargon.
If a technical detail is not essential to your argument, don’t use it. When in doubt, leave it out. Simple language doesn’t mean simple thinking; it means you are being considerate of readers who lack your expertise and are sitting half-awake at their breakfast table or computer screen.

Use the active voice.
Don’t write: “It is hoped that [or: One would hope that} the government will . . .” Instead, say “I hope the government will . . .” Active voice is nearly always better than passive voice. It’s easier to read, and it leaves no doubt about who is doing the hoping, recommending or other action.

Make your ending a winner.
You’re probably familiar with the importance of a strong opening paragraph, or “lead,” that hooks readers. But when writing for the op-ed page, it’s also important to summarize your argument in a strong final paragraph. That’s because many casual readers scan the headline, skim the opening column and then read only the final paragraph and byline.

Submitting a Letter
Before submitting a letter, check with your local newspaper for its guidelines (usually posted on their web site), then follow these general tips. Include your name, address, e-mail address and telephone number. Papers may need to contact you if they are considering printing your letter. Don’t worry—they won’t print your contact information. If the newspaper doesn’t call you, call the newspaper. Ask to speak to the person in charge of the “Op-Ed” section. Ask if they plan on printing your letter, and if not, see if they have any feedback for you.

Balanced Arguments are More Persuasive

When you believe you’re right and the other side is wrong the last thing you want to do is talk about their side.  But it’s the smartest thing that you can do.

http://www.spring.org.uk/2010/11/balanced-arguments-are-more-persuasive.php

Misunderstandings and Ignoring the Voices in Your Head

Technology makes communication faster and sometimes easier, but not better. Problems and misunderstandings also move faster and easier.  I find myself on conference calls on an almost daily basis, sometimes two or three a day and sometimes with a dozen people on the line.  I used to think it beat the alternative,  but sometimes I think this is a miserable way for people to interact. http://blogs.hbr.org/pallotta/2010/12/communicate-with-humanity.html

Jargon is Great for your Ego but Really Bad for your Audience

After working for Fortune 50 high-tech companies and for technical government agencies I now speak several languages, of which all are some form of English.  

“People use jargon because they want to sound smart and credible when in fact they sound profoundly dim-witted and typically can’t be understood, which defeats the purpose of speaking in the first place,” says Karen Friedman. 

Thanks, Karen.  If I’d said that my jargon-laden friends might have been offended.

http://www.forbes.com/2011/01/06/annoying-business-jargon-entrepreneurs-business.html

Great Training  

We’re planning dates and locations for the two-day Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation course in 2011 and booking in-house classes, so if you’re interested or would like to see it delivered  near you please let me know at jdg@GodecRandall.com   We’ll be in Chicago on August 23 and 24.  

We’ve also set 2011 dates for the IAP2 Certificate Course in Public Participation;

·         April 4-8 San Antonio;

·         May 2-6 Washington D.C.;

·         Mid-May Denver;

• June 13-17 Flagstaff, Arizona;

·         July 18-22 Chicago;

·         August 1-5 St. Louis;

·         October 3-7 Santa Fe;

·         December 5-9 Washington D.C.; and

·         January 23-27, 2012 in Phoenix   

Other days will likely be added so click on ExtraordinaryTrainers.com for the latest information, details and registration.