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.

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

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

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

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

Godec

Another Case for Repetition and Simplicity

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

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

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

Packing the Shampoo

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

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

Getting Everybody in Your Organization Involved

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

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

Stop Staring at Your Problems

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

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

What’s next for Corporate Social Responsibility

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

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

Information Overload

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

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

Great Training  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How People Are Persuaded

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Employee Engagement

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

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

If you’re going through hell, keep going

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

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

Great Training  

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sitting at a Diamondbacks baseball game a couple of nights ago I remembered something that I needed to ask my pal Doug in D.C. so naturally, I texted him…and he immediately texted me back with the answer.  Realizing how pathetic it was to be texting work messages from a ballgame at 7 o’clock on a Friday night and him answering at 10 his time, it struck me that nobody near me was actually watching the game or talking to people they were with.   Just constant, frantic cell and text chatter all around me.   People in their own ‘social’ worlds, mostly ignoring the world they were in.  We don’t yet know the consequences of email, Facebook, Twitter, etc., but here are some things to think about. 

http://www.spring.org.uk/2010/09/emails-dark-side-10-psychology-studies.php

http://www.spring.org.uk/2010/08/six-causes-of-online-disinhibition.php

Bird by Bird

I’ve been hearing from people asking what-the-heck happened to this newsletter — nice to hear – I’ve been swamped the past few weeks and running behind with this.    It’s been a good but incredibly busy summer and, like you I suspect, I find myself some mornings just trying to figure out where to start.  But I now have a new mantra – I just take it bird by bird. 

http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2010/09/a-practical-plan-for-when-you-1.html

First Impressions

You’ve heard, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.”  It doesn’t just apply with new people but, I think, with every new situation that you’re in, like a speech or even kicking off your weekly staff meeting.   And speaking of speeches, here’s some tips for yours.  And if you’ve never seen or read Steve Jobs 2005 Stanford commencement address, now’s your chance, click on it.  

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/08/effective_communciation_begins.html

http://www.forbes.com/2010/08/16/public-speaking-speeches-communication-leadership-careers-advice.html

Dilbert is an Active Listener?

You probably know that Scott Adams is the creator of the Dilbert comic strip and you’re probably convinced that Adams works in your organization because your boss is just as pointy-headed.  But you may not know that Adams has a blog and a pretty good take on active listening.

  http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/active_listening/ 

Not a pleasant subject

I prefer to keep these mailers generally light but with recent events, and clients asking for help with their planning, I’m offering the following from Wall Street Journal as a story you should read and pass on to your management if you can’t do something with the enclosed tips.  Somebody in your organization needs to.   

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704164904575421560153438240.html?mod=dist_sm artbrief

Working with and through Public Anger and Outrage

I’m teaching the 2-day IAP2 Emotion and Outrage course, crafted with Dr. Peter Sandman, in Chicago at the Sears Tower (now named as the Willis Tower, although Chicagoans refuse to call it that) on October 27 and 28.  It’s a great time to be in Chicago and I really hope you’ll join us.  You can download PDF flyer  for the class or send me an email and I’ll send you the information.  jdg@GodecRandall.com