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The Type of Arrant Pedantry Up with which I Hope You Will Not Put‏

I’ve spent most of my time recently not only helping clients engage the public in stuff, but also helping those clients just talk with the public. They routinely like to think that they’re communicating but they rarely are. Language is typically the culprit. It’s not a Swahili-to-English problem, but a jargon-to-human one. 

This issue contains a handful of thoughts about words, and I hope that you’ll join me in this quest to stamp out arrogant obfuscation. Some of these stories are meaningful, some just for kicks. As Winston Churchill once allegedly wrote, “This is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I will not put.”              

 Godec

How to Use Words More Gooder

Ben Yagoda is a Professor of English and Journalism at the University of Delaware who writes extensively about language, phrases, and the rules of writing that are no longer necessarily rules. Popular culture and language evolve and change how we communicate:

http://tinyurl.com/bjlf3p9

Comma Comma Comma Comma Comma Chameleon

My professional friends and colleagues know that I’m comma challenged, I write like an ad guy — no rules. That’s why my buddy Marc edits this newsletter. But I’ve come to realize that a lot of people have comma issues:
 
http://tinyurl.com/azf9tga

Remember Tom Swifties?

Just for fun, I thought you’d enjoy looking at all of the trademarked names and terms that you may be using for generic reference. And, you’ll get extra-extra credit if you remember who Tom Swift was:

http://tinyurl.com/qhclyb8

Three Words Clients Won’t Use

It’s incredibly difficult to convince clients to utter three very effective words in public meetings.  These three words almost always give project owners and clients the credibility that they need, but it’s painfully tough for these folks to use them:  

http://tinyurl.com/bghzqt2

Great Words

I was working in Boston last week. The hotels were jammed ’cause it’s graduation time. I thought I’d add some wicked-good past commencement words:
 
http://tinyurl.com/pctce6u

Help with Teens

If you have teenagers at home, then this one is just for you. Although it might not do a thing for you professionally, it still might help to explain all of those sounds that emanate from around your house.

Be sure to watch and listen to the related, embedded video in this story…
 
http://tinyurl.com/q9evnvq

 Stupidity at the Highest Level?

 And now for my May rant: The resolution of conflict is a craft that we’re losing in my lifetime. This should make all of us sad and deeply concerned. Pop broadcast media is a caricature of journalism and gives everyone permission to act like buffoons in public and private. Consensus is an anemic and quaint notion. Beating the crap out of the other side is the goal ’cause it makes many feel tough and massages their egos. I blame Reagan:

http://tinyurl.com/pnxzdju

Training and Coaching Workshops for 2013

Public anger, opposition and mistrust have changed the rules of engagement. The two-day Emotion, Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation workshop is hands-on, effective, and has never been more important.  

The IAP2 Public Participation Certificate course is for people who want to do public involvement effectively. You’ll learn what works, what doesn’t, why and what to do about it. Please join us for one of these:          

IAP2 Public Emotion and Outrage class:

  • NEWLY ADDED July 1 & 2 in Denver/Longmont
  • September 5/6 in Chicago
  • October 10/11 in Calgary

IAP2 Certificate class:

  • July 22 – 26 in Milwaukee
  • October 28 – November 1 in Chicago

We also customize these workshops for your in-house group to give you the cultural change, strategy and tactics to move your project forward. Call me for details.

For existing U.S. class registrations click on:

http://www.extraordinarytrainers.com/schedules/

For existing Canada class registrations click on:

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

For custom workshops call 602-266-5556

Please pass this on to someone who you think could use it or would like to start getting this newsletter (we never SPAM anybody and subscribing/unsubscribing is easy).

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The Pilot’s Always the First One at the Crash

It usually happens like this…

The phone rings and someone says, “We need you to facilitate a public meeting. We have to do it; our managers have already decided the time, place and how it should be done. We know it’s gonna be bad but we need you to control the crowd.”  
 
Here’s my analogy to this kind of call: Hello, we’re plumbers and we’ve decided to build an airplane. We rode in one once so we know that it’s not a hard thing to do. Our managers had us make it out of wood and masking tape. We know that the wings are too big and that the engine is too small, but we don’t have time to fix it or redo it now. We don’t plan to ride in in this plane but we need you to fly it from here to Denver. We’ll wave when you leave and, oh, if anything bad happens, it’s you’re responsibility.

It’s the same call that I get from different people all too often, and my boilerplate response is usually “thanks, but no.” We facilitate some very tough public meetings, but it’s truly stupid to go out of your way to make them tougher than they need to be.
 
It’s sometimes difficult to explain to normal people what facilitators actually do, but my friend and colleague Bea Briggs at the International Institute for Facilitation and Change may have actually done it: http://tinyurl.com/clsn9b7

I hope that spring has made it to your house…see you again in a few weeks.     
 
Godec

That’s Not What I Meant

It’s common human arrogance to expect that what you say will be interpreted exactly as you intend it to be interpreted. The meanings of written and spoken words are constantly lost in translation. And to boot, we’re not very good at judging our own performances!

http://tinyurl.com/8snkfup

The best recipe for a persuasive presentation calls for a savvy mixture of problem, consequence, passion, imperfection, surprise, humor and a dash of wonder:

http://tinyurl.com/aoxyhm3

Or, if you’re looking for the fast food version of what works, here are six fundamental keys to making your presentations better:

http://tinyurl.com/a4kjl8y

Take my wife…Please! You might think that this next idea is on the lunatic fringe, but there’s some wisdom here. 
 
Great presentations have a lot in common with great stand-up comedy. Consider these eight pearls of wisdom…it’s an homage to one my heroes, the late great Jonathon Winters:

http://tinyurl.com/avjtjfw

No News Isn’t Good News

For my government pals: I thought you’d be interested to know that Pew Research has found that only three percent of TV newscasts are now devoted to government and politics. This is down from seven percent in 2006. Forty percent of newscasts are now about weather, sports and traffic. And, it’s reasonable to assume that this three percent is mostly about government shenanigans and crises of some kind. 
 
The decrease in news coverage is the result of shrinking newsrooms. Cable news is now mostly cable talk, and legitimate journalism is increasingly demonized: 
 
http://tinyurl.com/c6q49ug
 
And, if you’re disinclined to comment about your problems, consider the following:
 
http://tinyurl.com/bmetz4d

Wondering about Weiner

Popular Tweeter and former Representative Anthony Weiner is back in the news: he’s off and running for Mayor of New York City. Erstwhile South Carolina governor & famous Appalachian Trail hiker Mark Sanford is rebranding. And then there’s Lance Armstrong…

These apologists present us with an interesting set of questions:

  • Can they truly redeem themselves?
  • Are they really remorseful or just crafty?
  • Are we gullible?
  • Most importantly, does anyone really care?

It also begs the question as to whether apologizing is all that it’s cracked up to be, or whether there is remedial power in just holding a grudge.

If you’re interested in this subject, you’ll find the following collection worth reading:

Making meaningful apologies:
http://tinyurl.com/d8g6mfn

The power of apology:
http://tinyurl.com/cld5tla

Why not apologizing is a whole lot better for your ego:
http://tinyurl.com/brhtoml

Is it reasonable (or even healthy) to forgive and forget?
http://tinyurl.com/c4plsr2

Training and Coaching Workshops for 2013

Public anger, opposition and mistrust have changed the rules of engagement. The two-day Emotion, Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation workshop is hands-on, effective, and has never been more important. 

The IAP2 Public Participation Certificate course is for people who manage public involvement. You’ll learn what works, what doesn’t, why and what to do about it. Please join us for one of these:          

IAP2 Public Emotion and Outrage class:

  • NEWLY ADDED July 1/2 in Denver/Longmont
  • September 5/6 in Chicago
  • October 10/11 in Calgary

IAP2 Certificate class:

  • July 22 – 26 in Milwaukee
  • October 28 – November 1 in Chicago

We customize these workshops for your in-house group to give you the cultural change, strategy and tactics necessary to move your project forward. Call me for details.

For existing U.S. class registrations click on:

http://www.extraordinarytrainers.com/schedules/

For existing Canada class registrations click on:

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

For custom workshops call 602-266-5556

A newly discovered favorite quote:

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”

- Martin Luther King Jr.

Please pass this on to someone who you think might benefit from one of these workshops or would like to start getting this newsletter (we never SPAM anybody and subscribing/unsubscribing is easy).

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Myths, Conversation & Smokin’ in the Cardinal’s Room‏

Spring training’s in full swing in the desert while my new friends in Alaska and old friends in the Midwest and East are still shoveling the white stuff. March simply isn’t fair. My work-travel schedule is robust these days; as such, I’ve owed you a mailer for a few weeks. Thanks to the people who’ve missed it and bugged me about it… you are the wind beneath my wings.

Godec

Why People Believe Myths and Just Plain Wrong Information

The essence and challenge of risk communication lies in the disconnect between facts and perceptions. Facts and science evolve, of course — that’s been the subject of lots of past (and future) articles. But the truth is that people believe all kinds of stuff that just isn’t true:

http://tinyurl.com/a8lygy4

Losing Conversation

We’re losing the art of conversation… it’s becoming as hard to find as a phone booth. Via email and social media, we send and receive exponentially more information than ever before but we’re forgetting how to simply talk with one another. Conflicts are resolved and relationships & trust are built through conversation. We can’t lose it:

http://tinyurl.com/cabyn59

Collaboration is for People Who Can’t Win

So said a recent workshop client. He had a point. Winning and getting everything that we want is what most of us would prefer. The challenge is — in spite of what your lawyer may tell you — winning it all is rarely realistic. But collaboration is risky business:

http://tinyurl.com/824nybv

And while we’re on the subject of collaboration and negotiation, we’ve often heard that meals are effective settings for successful engagements. Now there’s some evidence that supports the idea:

http://tinyurl.com/adfgwsp

The Bad News Business

Don’t be surprised if you hear that Carnival Cruise Lines is serving horse meat at the midnight buffet. Public problems for companies and government agencies are amplified by traditional and social media coverage which often turns bad news into really, really bad news.

Media doesn’t make the problem…it just makes it worse. As we all know, wailing and complaining about this kind of coverage is a just a waste of time. I don’t agree entirely with all of the following, but it’s a pretty good place to start:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/225059

And we need to clarify what ‘staying on message’ means. Clear, consistent messages are critically important, but there’s always the danger of coming off as an over-coached robot. There’s a better way:

http://tinyurl.com/acqvnq7

Smokin’ in the Sistine Chapel

Pope Francis the First has been selected as the new leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. I heard some goofball complaining about the antiquated way the church announces a successful papal vote. But are you curious about the white smoke/black smoke thing?

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/45718

IAP2′s Open Certificate and Emotion, Outrage & Public Participation Courses for 2013

Public opposition, anger, protest and conflict are facts of life and they’ve changed the rules of engagement. You’ll know how to manage them after taking the two-day IAP2 Emotion, Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation (EOP2) class. Crafted with Peter Sandman, the world’s foremost authority on risk communication, this workshop is hands-on, practical and has never been more relevant.

The IAP2 Public Participation Certificate is the class for anyone who manages or works in public involvement. You’ll learn what works, what doesn’t, why and what to do about it. I hope that you can join us for one of these courses.

IAP2 Public Emotion and Outrage class:

  • September 5/6 in Chicago
  • October 10/11 in Calgary

IAP2 Certificate class:

  • July 22 – 26 in Milwaukee
  • October 28 – November 1 in Chicago

We also customize the EOP2 class and bring it to you in-house as a workshop to find a “path forward” on your specific problem. Call me for details.

For existing U.S. class registrations click on:

http://www.extraordinarytrainers.com/schedules/

For existing Canada class registrations click on:

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

Please pass this on to someone that you think might benefit from one of these workshops or would like to start getting this newsletter (we never SPAM anybody and subscribing/unsubscribing is easy).

 

 

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Tweets, Cred, Hope and the Wisdom of AIG‏

AIG just magnanimously announced that the company will not be joining a lawsuit against the government — us — that spent $182 billion to save it from collapse. The investment firm of their former chairman filed the original suit which says that the government didn’t fairly compensate AIG shareholders when it took an 80 percent stake in the company for the bailout. So for a time they contemplated suing the fire department that saved their house. And we’re the firefighters. 

Someone’s going to say it wasn’t personal, just business and they decided against it after all, but at what point did public arrogance and stupidity become acceptable? When did it become OK for organizations to have that much gall, hubris, chutzpah and conceit, and to make it public?!
 
AIG isn’t that unique; it’s becoming more common in business and government. Bad consequences for bad behavior are the only lessons that stick for most people and there have to be consequences for AIG…we owe it to them. How much you wanna bet there’s a meeting somewhere in AIG today wondering why they have a lousy reputation?   

Godec

How Do You Get & Keep Their Attention?

People amble in, side conversations are underway all over the room, folks are wandering around and you have to find a way to get’em focused and rolling. Using a 2×4 is frowned upon, so are you sometimes perplexed about how to get things started? 

http://tinyurl.com/c2s4aaj

Ask an engineer what time it is and he’ll tell you how to build a watch. It’s an old and cheeky line, but not one that’s confined to any single profession. Although experts love to talk about what they know, it turns out that less is indeed more. A lot of these tips lean towards business, but they apply just as much to the public sector:

http://tinyurl.com/bowaobd

Here are the five most common presentation mistakes:

http://tinyurl.com/cztnel8

Twitter’s a 24-Hour Party

Some social media is tough for a few of us to understand. Let’s face it…it’s a new way of thinking and interacting that just didn’t exist before.
 
I ran across the following article that put one piece of social media architecture into perspective for me. I think it’ll also make sense to you:

http://tinyurl.com/bxspy48

Losing & Building Credibility

Your personal cred is constantly in motion. Subtly or dramatically, you’re always either gaining or losing it and the same goes for your organization. Here are five clear ways to lose it:

http://tinyurl.com/a5v2mkp

And while on the subject of credibility (and hubris), the Harvard Business Review has their own take on General David Petraeus, little David and company:

http://tinyurl.com/ce4474x

Toodles to ’12 & Hope for ’13

In our final farewell to 2012, I’d like to offer last year’s funniest tweets…

http://tinyurl.com/bwpwo6y

A list of last year’s 10 best and 10 worst communicators…

http://tinyurl.com/a3o4mkw

And hope for 2013…

http://tinyurl.com/awssds8

IAP2′s Open Certificate and Emotion, Outrage & Public Participation Courses for 2013

Public opposition, anger, protest and conflict are facts of life and they’ve changed the rules of engagement. You’ll know how to manage them after taking the two-day IAP2 Emotion, Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation (EOP2) class.

Crafted with Peter Sandman, the world’s foremost authority on risk communication, this workshop is hands-on, practical and has never been more relevant. We’re offering it in Tempe on February 18 and 19, 2013. Come to Arizona, bring your significant other(s), bag some rays and leave with new skills.

The IAP2 Public Participation Certificate course also will be offered in Arizona in February. This is the class for anyone who manages or works in public involvement. You’ll learn what works, what doesn’t, why and what to do about it.

February highs in Arizona push 70 degrees and there are activities galore. The course location is in Tempe on the light rail line near tons of shopping, dining and entertainment. I hope you can join us.

IAP2 Public Emotion and Outrage class:

  • February 18/19 in Tempe (Phoenix) AZ
  • March 14/15 in Calgary
  • April 25/26 in Toronto
  • September 5/6 in Chicago
  • October 10/11 in Calgary

IAP2 Certificate class:

  • February 25 – March 1 in Tempe, AZ
  • July 22 – 26 in Milwaukee
  • October 28 – November 1 in Chicago

We also customize the EOP2 class and bring it to you in-house for your agency’s specific issues. Call me for more information or a referral to one of our current or past clients.

For existing U.S. class registrations click on:

http://www.extraordinarytrainers.com/schedules/

For existing Canada class registrations click on:

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

Please pass this on to someone that you think might benefit from one of these workshops or would like to start getting this newsletter (we never SPAM anybody and subscribing/unsubscribing is easy).

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Sex, Lies and Listening to Yoda‏

The election is behind us and Thanksgiving is a memory — sadly, in more ways than one. This great holiday seems to have been reduced to just the opening act for Black Friday and the shopping season here in the U.S.

My other commitments the past couple of months have reduced this occasional newsletter to really occasional, but I hope you’ll find it worth the wait. In this rendition, you’ll find stories on better writing, active listening, apologies for past blunders, and sex vs. Facebook (weaving “sex” into anything increases readership, I’m told…) 
Christmas and its nearby holiday cousins are fast approaching, so let’s all find time to enjoy ‘em, eh?   
 
Godec

Is Yoda Writing Your Material?

One of my pet peeves, this is.  See if you’re guilty….

http://tinyurl.com/99ykpen

And something fresh and crispy for real hardcore word wonks:

http://tinyurl.com/cn33dxf

The Incredibly Simple Key to Effective Listening

Most people who manage or facilitate public engagement and consensus processes know that active listening — ensuring that people know they’re being heard — is a critical skill.  For people who still don’t know how to do it, here’s a simple suggestion:

http://www.aspire-cs.com/being-quiet

A Sorry State of Affairs

Two of my current clients have, shall we say, slightly checkered pasts. They’re not bad people in the traditional sense, but they’re ironically similar in that neither has historically dealt with people in a very transparent or upfront manner. Now, those offended are standing as roadblocks to each one’s future success.

But as I’ve learned, managing public outrage and ego is a piece o’ cake compared to the outrage, anger and ego of some clients. Apologies are tough, but sometimes it’s the only way to move forward.  Here’s another endorsement:

http://tinyurl.com/cad2no9

Lies, Damn Lies & Statistics

We just came out of an election cycle in which an awful lot of pundits and talking heads missed badly on their predictions. Peter Sandman points to data showing that researchers routinely produce results that clients can live with (especially when controversial issues are involved). It’s not because researchers are dishonest…it’s because research tends to be qualitative and subject to interpretation. So if you’re trying to game the system, here are some helpful hints for you (and yes, I’m being facetious)…
     
http://tinyurl.com/cxv9a7o

And if you’re offended by the idea that researchers or other expert professionals might not be as pure as the driven snow, know that half of what you know probably isn’t true:

http://tinyurl.com/9zz2xqs

And as long as I’m offending researchers and scientists, here’s something equally offensive for self-selected members of the environmental community:

www.enn.com/top_stories/article/45122

Sex, Nicotine & Facebook

A previous story in this mailer cited research that showed our need to talk about ourselves is impressively high and speculated that it might help explain the phenomenon of social media. Maybe we should add this to the evidence:
 
http://tinyurl.com/8kkhpbx

The Foundation of Effective Public Participation and the Art & Science of Managing Public Anger and Opposition

The IAP2 Public Participation Certificate course will be offered in Arizona again in January. This is the foundational class for anybody who manages or works in public involvement. You’ll learn what works, what doesn’t, why and what to do in your situation.

January is a terrific time to be in the Valley of the Sun — average high is pushing 70 and there are activities galore. The course location is in Tempe and right on the light rail line near tons of shopping, dining and entertainment.

I’ll be teaching the course with Marty Rozelle and Ruth Yabes, both incredibly experienced and knowledgeable. It’s our once-a-year chance to teach it together (which we have a lot of fun with and students say they love). 

Understanding and working with public anger, protest and conflict is huge these days. You’ll learn about managing it during the two-day IAP2 Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation (EOP2) class — based on the work of Dr. Peter Sandman, the world’s foremost expert on risk communication.

This workshop is hands-on, practical and has never been more relevant. We’re offering it in Tempe at the same location as the Certificate course (noted above) on January 31 and February 1, 2013. Come to Arizona, bring your significant other(s), bag some rays and leave with new skills.
 
IAP2 Certificate class scheduled:

  • January 21 – 25, 2013 in Tempe, Arizona

EOP2 class currently scheduled:

  • January 31 & February 1, 2013 in Tempe, Arizona
  • April 2013 in Toronto
  • October 2013 in Calgary

We’ll also customize the EOP2 class for your agency’s specific issues. Call me if you’d like more information or if you’d like to talk with one of your clients.
For above scheduled U.S. class registrations click on:

http://www.extraordinarytrainers.com/schedules/

For above scheduled Canada class registrations click on:

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

And please forward this to anyone that you think might benefit from one of these workshops or might like to start getting this newsletter (We never SPAM anybody and subscribing/unsubscribing is easy).

 

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Fat Chance Getting Me to Change‏

The Autumnal equinox is almost upon us. I can tell because Phoenix is a city that’s been built on a fairly precise topographical grid. In fall and spring, the sunrise is directly on the centerline of the eastbound street on which I’m driving while heading home from the gym at around 6:15 a.m. Sunglasses hardly cut it and, not owning a welder’s helmet, I just keep my eyes closed. Squinting causes wrinkles. 

This issue is more significant than usual. I continue to waste my nights and weekends scouring the Internet so that you don’t have to, but I’ve just recently been able to carve out the time to pull it together.
 
From the difficulty of getting people to change and trust components to better presentations and   beliefs vs. truth, I think you’ll find something here that floats your boat.

Godec

About That Change Thing

Adapting to change is one of life’s perennial challenges. Making sense of why change is difficult for most of us requires learning a bit about something called the “system justification bias.”  Although it’s a painful reality, it is imperative for us to understand this bias so that we can learn how to deal with it:

http://tinyurl.com/dyjzwcz

Connecting with People

Knowing that we still have six-plus weeks of campaign ads to endure is a little sad. At least the conventions were entertaining.

Politics aside, most pundits tend to agree that Bill Clinton still has the ability to connect with people in a pretty remarkable way.  Want to know how he does it?
 
http://tinyurl.com/braz8xf
   
In the business of communication, it’s often referred to as “emotional memory”

http://tinyurl.com/9ygbbg5

Killer Presentations

I get more feedback about presentation tips than almost anything else. As such, I’ve made a concerted effort to mine more advice. I think you’ll find at least some of these useful:

http://tinyurl.com/8oocru8

And if you’re already good…well, there’s always something new to learn, right?

http://tinyurl.com/9439qw6

Rewriting the Presenter’s Presentation

Here’s something that I’ve always suspected. Finally, I have some evidence to back it up. You’re probably familiar with the “inner voice,” right? It’s that voice in your head that you hear when you’re reading one of your favorite books — you hear the characters speaking, adding emotion, tone, etc.  Well, it also happens in boring meetings:

http://tinyurl.com/74maqfm

Beliefs vs. Truth

We tend to judge the likelihood of something happening based on the top-of-mind examples and magnitude that we think of. It’s a primary lesson in risk communication and outrage management. That’s why high-profile media coverage of crimes makes us check our locks twice. It’s also why we buy lottery tickets in spite of the fact that, as my buddy Bill says, “Your chances of winning are about the same whether you play or not.”
 
http://tinyurl.com/8zch4cu

No B.S. – Trust

It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t offer at least one story on the subject of trust and credibility. This is an excerpt from the book No B.S. Trust-Based Marketing. Although it seems that much of what’s written about trust here is from a business application, it’s a short hop to understanding public sector implications:

http://tinyurl.com/939ds25

35 New Words in the Dictionary

And for those of you who think you know everything, here’s 35 things you probably didn’t…even if you’re a muggle:

http://tinyurl.com/cghme4s

The Essence of Effective Public Engagement
and the
Art & Social Science of Serious Opposition

I’ll be in Chicago for the five-day IAP2 Public Participation Certificate course at the end of October. This is the foundational class for people 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 to see you there! 

Understanding and working with public anger, protest and conflict is critical to any public engagement project. You’ll learn about managing this emotion during the two-day Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation (EOP2) class — based on the work of Dr. Peter Sandman, the world’s foremost expert on risk communication. This workshop is hands-on, practical and has never been more relevant.

IAP2 Certificate class scheduled:

  • October 29 – November 2 in Chicago
  • January 21 – 25, 2013 in Arizona

EOP2 class currently scheduled:

  • November 14 &15 in Toronto
  • January 31 & February 1, 2013 in Arizona

We routinely customize the EOP2 class for your agency’s specific issues. Call me if you’d like more information or if you’d like to talk with one of your clients.

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

http://www.extraordinarytrainers.com/

For above scheduled Canada class registrations click on:

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

I’d appreciate it if you’d be kind enough forward this to anyone you think might benefit from one of these workshops or might like to start receiving this newsletter.  (We never SPAM anybody and subscribing/unsubscribing is easy.)

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Truth, Fairness and Body Language for Boys‏

We’re in the season of dust storms in Arizona. We always have ‘em around the summer thunderstorm/monsoon season but when TV weatherpersons started suggesting the use of “haboob” instead of “dust storm” to describe ‘em — well — that’s when the virga hits the alluvial fan.
 
Some folks in Arizona hate importing Middle Eastern words more than they hate importing Middle Eastern oil. A lot of folks in our business like words though, so I thought that you’d like this story:
 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18796493

Godec

Truthiness

William Falk has a timely commentary in the July 27 issue of The Week:

When Jerry Sandusky was charged with sexual abuse last November, I received several anguished emails from Penn State loyalists. Our cover that week depicted one of the abuse victims with his head hung in sorrow, as he stood, alone and ignored, in the shadow of Joe Paterno’s famous statue. “I know Joe, and he will be vindicated,” the most impassioned of the loyalists wrote. Paterno, he said, was a great man, and would never have ignored-let alone covered up-evidence that Sandusky was a pedophile.
 
Now we know Joe Pa did just that (see Controversy of the week), and his statue will probably soon be hauled away (As was done on July 22). But let’s not smugly conclude that only the Penn State community could be so blind that hubris and self-delusion are confined to Paterno’s Happy Valley. The same, boundless capacity for denial lies within every one of us.

Social psychologists have various terms for the tricks the mind plays on itself: cognitive dissonance, confirmation bias, motivated reasoning. Human beings are not, at our cores, rational creatures. We’re tribal and emotional, and fiercely defend our deeply held beliefs; we look for evidence and arguments that confirm what we already think, while ignoring or rejecting that which does not.

It takes enormous effort-and self-awareness-to view the world without narrow blinders. “To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle,” George Orwell once said. So let’s not be too hard on the people who were so certain Joe Paterno was a saint. Instead, let’s ask ourselves: What’s in front of my own nose that I am refusing to see? What delusions am I protecting, and at what cost?

It’s All About Me, Me, Me

Country music’s Toby Keith had a hit a few years ago called “I Wanna Talk About Me.” It was a tongue-in-cheek tune but dead-on in defining human nature. We all have a deeply engrained need to be heard. That goes a long way in explaining social media, this newsletter, and working with people in general. The following is from the Wall Street Journal:

http://tinyurl.com/cxy2f2y

The Ultimate Game of Fairness

Of all the factors that contribute to public anger, fairness (or the perceived lack of it) is probably the hugest. Being treated unfairly incites all of us. There are a couple of quick stories on PsyBlog about this that are worth reading. A thing called “The Ultimate Game” seems to tell us that most people act fairly, or at least want others to see them acting in a fair way:

http://tinyurl.com/6ttv6a7

And of course, fairness lives in the mind of the beholder:

http://tinyurl.com/d6xod36

The New Employee Communication Rules of Engagement

The former communications director of McDonalds recently spoke at the 2012 International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) World Conference in Chicago. He did a really nice job of outlining the principles for our brave new world:
 
http://tinyurl.com/cefuuxp 

Body Language for Boys

I’ve worked on a variety of issues recently requiring clients to speak and engage directly with people who don’t like them very much. So I’ve spent a lot of time helping these (mostly) guys understand how to connect with and build relationships with the folks that they’re talking to and working with. I ran across the following and think it is spot on:

http://tinyurl.com/6lz5e7n

Coaching Public Engagement and the Art & Social Science of
Dealing with Angry People

Chicago will be the site of the five-day IAP2 Public Participation Certificate course at the end of October. This is the foundational class for people 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 to see you there! 

Understanding and working with public anger, protest and conflict is critical to any public engagement project. You’ll learn about managing this emotion during the two-day Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation (EOP2) class — based on the work of Dr. Peter Sandman, the world’s foremost expert on risk communication. This workshop is hands-on, practical and has never been more relevant.

IAP2 Certificate class:

  • October 29 – November 2 in Chicago

EOP2 class:

  • November 14 & 15 in Toronto
  • January 31 & February 1 2013 in Arizona
  • March 14 & 15 (2013) in Calgary

We routinely customize the EOP2 class for your agency challenges and specific needs.  Please contact me for more info.

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’d be grateful it if you’d forward this info to anyone that you think might benefit from one of these workshops or might like to start receiving this newsletter. (Never any SPAM and subscribing/unsubscribing is easy.)

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Ric Ocasek was Lead Singer of the Motor Driven Land Conveyances‏

Based on your feedback, I’ve been trying to find more stories about communication and consensus-related topics that I hope will interest you the most. In this issue, you’ll find ideas on the art of apology for crisis and outrage managers, and some compelling thoughts on what social media might be doing to communication and human connection. I’ve also run into some “interesting” communication issues and was brainstormed into a coma recently, so lemme know what you think and what you might like more of.

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/

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Disgust, Hostility and Propaganda

Spring is early; Etch-a-Sketch stock is going through the roof and University of Nebraska research shows that our politics might be based on our biology (and not necessarily our values). In a nutshell, it says that conservatives spend more energy “monitoring things that make them feel uncomfortable” which, in turn, may make them more receptive to campaigns that stress their fears. Liberals, on the other hand, are more drawn to hopeful plans for the future.

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.

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Hands, Help and Home Health

I’m in the middle of a few days off to recharge before jumping into a couple of new challenging assignments and training projects. I’ve had more people ask me to address specific issues in this mailer, so I’ll do my best to honor those requests.

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/

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