Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Real or Fake?

Growing up, I used to hear adults talk about the "real world." Even these days, some of my fellow oldsters will express concern as to whether current youth are ready for the "real world." (My own sense has been they are as ready for it as we were when we were their age.) A recent study by folks at Stanford University, however, suggests that perhaps those generations on the verge of adulthood may, in fact, not be as ready as any of us think. The study was conducted to see how well folks are able to distinguish between information that is real versus not-real or false. It turns out they had a great deal of trouble distinguishing between the two.

For starters, let us all agree that this is not a good thing. The study revolved around information that is put forward via various social media mechanisms. As we know, much of the information disseminated to the general public these days is via social media. Facebook and twitter continue to be among the more popular forms. The downside here is that as any one is free and able to post most anything they want on social media, there are very few controls  to ensure what they are saying is true and/or accurate. Just because one says they own a pet unicorn, of course, does not make it actually so. Folks can even package what they are saying in such a way as to make their claims appear to be credible.

Another concern is how representative of society are the results of this study? While the study had younger people as the audience, how representative are those who participated of the rest of us? My hunch is their inability to distinguish between real and fake information is a problem for our larger population as well. We certainly saw this in the just-finished U.S. presidential campaign. This feeds into the current status of "facts." As I have observed in earlier blog entries, "facts" do not seem to be held in as high regard as they used to. (Global warning any one?) We seem to becoming a world where those who shout the loudest win as opposed to those having facts on their side.  

Friday, November 25, 2016

Avoidance

This year's Thanksgiving has come and gone. I hope everyone had a good one. Now, according to form, many folks are out shopping, getting a head start on Christmas gift-buying. With all that, it is a time for coming together. Not quite, however, based on recent published surveys. Surveys showed that more half American families made a decision not to discuss this year's presidential election at the dinner table. Feelings about it remain raw, so apparently the belief is the mere mention of Trump or Clinton would be enough to turn a pleasant holiday gathering into one of the scenes from "Game of Thrones."

How unfortunate. How sad for families trapped this way and, on a broader scale, for all of us. Think about it. Families are content to interact under a cloud of self imposed censorship because they do not agree about a particular topic. Further, apparently they are not certain how they will react if someone across the table expresses an opinion with which they disagree. Rather than see such conversation as an opportunity to seek greater understanding or even find common ground, they chose to avoid the topic altogether. It is ok to talk about Aunt Susie's new boy friend or cousin Fred's cancer-scare, but politics and the future of the country are forbidden topics.

I understand some topics are much easier to discuss. I understand there are some topics which trigger more emotions than others. People disagree and sometimes it ain't pretty. But I also understand that ignoring or avoiding elephants in the room is a lot more unhealthy. If we as a people are going to get to a better place, then talking about touchy topics is one of the hurdles we need to jump. It is a matter of deciding to communicate with openness and mutual respect. At times that is not easy to do. I understand that, too. But in no way are self-imposed divides a good thing. Christmas dinner is not that far away. Perhaps we can do better then.


Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Yikes

One of the realities of life is that things do not always go as planned. No, I am not talking about Hillary Clinton, though she is a perfect example. As I write this, her lead in the 2016 Presidential election in the popular vote is approaching two million votes. But thanks to the electoral college, it is Donald Trump who will be taking the oath of office in mid-January. An equally-dramatic though far less consequential example involves Charles Rowan, a South African magician famous in the 1930s. "Charles the Magician" had an idea for a trick where he would have to escape from a straight jacket in front of a car moving toward him at approximately 25 miles per hour. Given the starting point of the car, Charles had about 15 seconds to perform his great escape. Alas, Charles was not able to perform his magic in-time. End of trick. End of Charles. Yikes. And then there was the young Polish magician whose trick was to slam his hand down without injury on several upturned nails positioned inside three paper bags. The first two baps went perfectly; so perfectly, he invited the host of the show to slam her hand down on the third bag. What could go wrong?  Sadly, this young lady now knows what it is like to have nails literally driven through her hand. Yikes indeed.

Tragic incidences such as these can be avoided by better planning and more common sense.  (I am still not talking about Hillary Clinton though I could be.) Instead, I am speaking to all professional communicators everywhere. When it comes to trying to connect and remain so with others, lots can go wrong. The unexpected can happen. (In large measure, that is part of the magic about people.) At times, professional communicators can and do get cocky because, at times, they are so certain of their ability to persuade and convinced their intended audience can easily be influenced or swayed. Not so. Yes, I am finally talking about Hillary Clinton. Not one of her spokespeople had any clue her campaign was going to be unsuccessful. Confidence is good but arrogance is not. It is perfect example, according to Matt Taibbi, the great reporter from Rolling Stone magazine, of what happens when experts are so busy talking with each other they spend far too little time listening to the folks whom they are trying to reach.     

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Unnatural

Let me tell you how difficult effective public relations is. It is unnatural. It goes against the human grain. The act of trying to establish sustained cooperation between various publics is not all that different than trying to comb your hair in a windstorm. It does not work. This is not to say people do not get along or are not capable of cooperating for extended periods of time. They certainly do. After all, a little over half of all marriages in the U.S. remain intact. But this is not to say there is not tension in those relationships or that folks do not butt heads despite the fact they actually like each other.

People are motivated by self interest. In order to get them to cooperate or, at the very least, make the effort, what is in it for them must be spelled out. Whether it is eating certain foods, taking on certains tasks or joining forces with others, such behavior happens as a result of people seeing there is benefit in it for them. Thus, public relations is not so much the act of creating partnerships or some type of harmonious adjustments between various groups, it represents a sustained effort to motivate individuals to recognize how cooperating with others is in their best interest. Publics, then, are conglomerates of individuals striving to address their own needs or interests.

People, in essence, want to do their own thing. Even though all of us may fundamentally be social creatures, we are social in ways we define, in ways in which we are most comfortable. Being with others is what we do to meet our own need for acceptance. Behaving the same as others is also motivated by meeting our own interests. This means public relations is more about communicating with individuals than it is publics. The more individuals a public relations practitioner can touch, the more successful it is. It is all about helping individuals see why joining with others is of benefit to them.


Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Keeping Information Simple

Basically, there are three primary purposes of public relations: persuade or promote, create partnerships and inform. These days I confess to being a bit worried about "inform." To inform or enlighten another, inform refers to sharing or passing along information. For instance, how many Oscars was Marlon Brando awarded? Information can be collected to answer such an inquiry. (Answer: two.) Or how many times did Ted Williams hit over .400 for a season? Again, there is information to address that. (Answer: once). But then there is information that is not so straightforward.

Let us take the national debt. At present, it hovers around $20 trillion. (Yikes). That total has been on the increase for many years now. At the same time, in recent times the degree to which this national debt cuts into our gross national product has been dropping. So, one wonders, is the federal government finally getting a handle on its debt or is it simply getting worse and worse? Information needed to address such a question is not so straightforward. The answer often revolves around who is giving it. What is that person's perspective on economic policy? What political party do they belong to? Those variables can and do often shape how a person seeks to inform another.

Do I wish all information was straightforward? No, though it would make things easier. But I do wish those attempting to inform would do a better job of letting others know that often times answers are not so direct or easy. The media could do this? Also, any so called expert or partisan spokesperson could, too. Unfortunately, far too often those in the position to inform seem more concerned with persuading than they are informing. This results in the ongoing spread of misinformation and division. In today's climate, what seems so simple - informing - is actually pretty complex. Sadly, it does not have to be so long as folks focus on providing full information rather than only that portion of it that best suits them.

Friday, November 11, 2016

Perception Power

Here I am. A few days after what I and apparently many others throughout the world view as a most disastrous presidential election. (At the same time, there are countless others who are still celebrating the outcome.) My emotions a few days ago were raw. They still are. The difference is I am putting on a better public face. Perception is a big deal in these current times. People see me smiling, then they view me as being ok. If Hillary Clinton is perceived to be corrupt, then it must be true. Right? If Donald Trump is perceived to be strong and a great businessman, then that's the way it is. If the current band of Republican leaders are believed to be economically prudent, advocates of individual freedom, and concerned for the welfare of folks from all stations of life, then that, too, is how it is.

Perception goes a long way. The trouble is when those who strive to project certain images begin placing greater emphasis on maintaining that image rather than communicating the actual truth behind it. The downfall of the most recent Bush administration is when it became clear the truth did not match the perception. My sense is this is what is going to be happen with the Trump administration, only it won't take as long. Bush was able to hide behind a war on terror. Where is the Trump team going to run for cover? Still, we should not underestimate the power of perception. It won the day in this past election despite all evidence that soundly contradicted it.

Slick communicators know this. They know people, generally, gravitate toward that which gives them comfort. They know people far too often believe what they want to believe no matter how factually wrong they may be. This reality, very much on display this past election, is as maddening as it is heart breaking. It also leads to misguided choices and, ultimately, a great deal of harm. As a result, things for the United States and the world are going to get a lot worse before they get better. Shame on the folks that will be behind this. And shame on so many "regular folk" who were too intellectually lazy to see behind all the false imaging. There is and will be plenty of blame to pass around.



Wednesday, November 9, 2016

A Great Loss

I am grieving. The country I loved died tonight with the election of Donald Trump as the next president of the United States. While I always found it upsetting that he had gotten as far as he had in the election process, I figured come election day the country would do the right thing and end his political aspirations. After all, the man is blatantly corrupt, a liar, immoral, a hate mongor, and with no experience in terms of running government or knowledge of domestic or foreign affairs.  His style of campaigning revolved around insults, tapping into the worst instincts of people, and covering up his own ignorance through bombast. No way people would elect him over a person who was and is the opposite of all that. Right?

It turns out the people did just that. The America that showed itself in this election is one I do not recognize, one I do not know. Yet here is it for all the world to see. Up till now, I have seen us as a nation that values decency, caring for others, honesty and tolerance. That America was overrun by one that is darker. Unrecognizable. A new USA has stepped forward. I want the old one back, yet fear it is gone forever or certainly for the rest of my life time. My perception of the country has been knocked for a loop. Actually, it has been pushed down some monster garbage disposal. This new America is light years less than the one I loved.

What happens now?  I wish I knew. I suspect truth will no longer be what it used to be. My sense is communication will consist of lots of talking at with very little talking with. And I will continue to hurt and feel removed from the country I loved. It is gone. Replaced by folks who most definitely see life a whole lot differently than I do. Replaced by folks whose values are not mine. When did I become so out of touch with this new reality? My immediate plan will be to cope one day at a time. Maybe some time in the future my America will return. If so, I sure don't see that happening any time soon.

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Cultivating Our Inner Edison

It was 138 years ago this month when the great inventor Thomas Edison filed for a patent for the electrical lamp, arguably one of the most notable innovations created by this genius. Without question, this genius had a major impact on the advancement of civilization. To this day, all of us continue to benefit from his sweat, perseverance, and dreams. In the twilight of his, Edison was asked to reflect in his life and career. After some thought, Edison said, "I failed my way to success." What an amazing statement! What he making a joke or being flip? I think not. In fact, I think his response was, as some say, "spot on."

Edison was a tinkerer, trying out ideas that others before him had either rejected or not thought of at all. He was unafraid to step into the unknown or as poet Robert Frost once wrote: "travel the road not taken." He did this with the full understanding that that path may lead to disappointment or, in his words, "failure." But Edison also knew the unchartered path might lead to a new horizon and a tomorrow better than any yesterdays that had come before. As we all well know, Edison forged ahead  and "failed" his way toward reshaping the world in ways that had only existed in the imaginations of some.

I like to think successful communicators have a bit of Edison in them. If not, they should. The challenge of helping folks connect with others is an ongoing and, at times, daunting challenge. Often it requires these professionals to be at their creative best. And then their are moments when they need to be what I would term "beyond creative." By that I mean "inventive." Try new paths. Attempt strategies in which the results may not be known. Yes, doing so can be a bit stressful. But it can also lead to fantastic results. Much like Edison. Granted, even though most of us may not be a genius like him, it does not mean we still can't be inventors.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Sad Times

As I write this the ugliest U.S. presidential election in my lifetime has less than one week to go. It has been as heartbreaking as it has been maddening. I say that not because of the specific candidates or their stances on various issues. Instead, I speak of the nonstop name calling and lying that have been tossed around as freely as confetti at a wedding. The only good thing coming out of this mess has been job security for fact checkers. Those poor souls have found Hillary Clinton fudges the truth about 25 per cent of the time while Donald Trump tips the scales at nearly 80 per cent. Yes, Trump's record is far worse, but neither figure is good.

Imagine that. With one candidate, about one out of every four statements they make is either false or partially false. With the other, nearly four out of every five of his statements is the opposite of true. Voters may not be as informed as they should, but they certainly seem to have a good sense these candidates for the most powerful position in our country and in the free world are not exactly straight shooters. No wonders voters are so angry. No wonder so many have little enthusiasm for the one they support as well as the political system out of which Clinton and Trump came. Yet here we are. In less than a week one of these people will be president.

Heartbreaking and maddening indeed. What does this reality say about all of us? Do we hold the truth in such low regard? Have we allowed the truth bar to be lowered so low that we do not mind whether the leaders of our major political parties do not follow the basic laws of honesty? Sadly, I already know the answer to those questions. They do not speak of any of us. No-good comes from ongoing dishonesty. It brings out the worst in all caught in its web. Poor communication begets poor communication. It is my wish that voters use this terrible election as a significant teachable moment. Otherwise things will only get worse.