WRAP UP Lessons Water Communication Exchange 2015
Water is becoming one of the biggest global issues in the near future. With a group of Dutch communication professionals working on a variety of water and innovation projects, we have the ambition to strengthen our international orientation.
This is why we’ve organized an exchange week to New York and Washington. Through different visits we have learned intensively about campaigning, community engagement, stakeholder management and the Dutch-American relationship with regard to water related issues.
In New York we have visited Erik Mouthaan, America (Correspondent for the Dutch broadcaster RTL News), John Paluszek (CEO Business in Society), Toni Muzi Falconi (Founder Global PR Alliance), the Municipal Art Society New York (MAS), Rebuild By Design program (RBD), community resiliency center UPROSE, the Rockefeller Foundation, 100 resilient cities program, and Craig Carroll (Corporate communication and Reputation expert).
In Washington we have visited 270 Strategies, the 11th Street Bridge Park project and the Dutch Embassy.
We proudly present to you our lessons of the Water Communication Exchange 2015:
1. The Dutch are super informed, Americans are super organized
We found an interesting cultural difference: In complex water related projects, the Dutch are better informed, less involved and critical. Americans are more involved, less informed and more engaged.
Erik Mouthaan (RTL News) ‘Americans will deal with it when it becomes a problem’
Kristin Purdy (270strategies) ‘We measure every encounter with our volunteers’
Laurance Fauconnet (MAS) ‘Even people from other neighborhoods and Google come to participate in our projects’
2. Cut it up!
Early stakeholder involvement requires new forms of project management.
Accelerate by cutting every step into smaller steps, implement continuous testing and learning cycles and most of all: learn by doing.
Amy Chester (RBD) ‘Never assume you know the answer’
Irfana Noorani (11th street bridge) ‘First step was asking the community for permission’
Max Young (100 resilient cities) ‘We used lessons of Rebuild by Design to sharpen 100 resilient cities program and are starting up in different phases and rounds’ .
Kristin Purdy (270strategies) ‘First raise interest and scrum your way into stronger involvement’
3. Resilience? What do you mean?
Dutch resilience is focused on projects and solutions, American resilience is focused on people and communities
Elizabeth Yeampierre (Uprose) ‘People in communities don’t need to be serviced, they are experts’
Matthijs Bouw (One architecture) ‘Proposing an approach instead of a plan works here. The vitality of communities in New York is very surprising, in the US people are far more engaged and willing to be involved’
Laurance Fauconnet (MAS) ‘We bring together stakeholders from all perspectives in our programs’
4. Mind your language!
The unbreakable Dutch reputation on water management is evident. But, be aware what gets lots in translation.
Craig Carroll (Reputation expert) ‘Delta associates to me as southern region’
Max Young (100 resilient cities) ‘Talking resilience is hard. This is why we are constantly learning about culture and language. Water serves as a great and powerful opening topic in conversations because everyone understands it’
Toni Falconi (Global PR Alliance) ‘Delta, You mean the airline?’
5. Be relevant and meet the people where they are
A no brainer, but still very often forgotten. To be effective and relevant you have to meet people where they are and treat local communities as experts .
John Poluszek (CEO Business in Society) ’ Get it right away and be sure to get it right’
Ryan Chavez (Uprose) ‘ Step up and step back’ Encourage those who never speak to speak and others to step back.
Toni Falconi (Global PR Alliance) ‘Shut up and Listen’
Ryan Moon (270strategies) ‘Make common messages for common people’ and ‘Recruit matching volunteers for different political candidates’
6. Building and maintaining trust is key
A universal similarity is that building is key, and unfortunately, maintaining a collective memory lacks ownership. Here lies a great opportunity for communication professionals to add value.
Neill Coleman (Rockefeller foundation) ‘Our influence has to be maintained constantly. To stay relevant, we need to keep telling stories about the change we initiate and how that benefit our stakeholders’
Amy Chester (Rebuild by Design) ‘Handing over a project feels like letting go of your children’
Max Young (100 resilient cities) ‘ We are constantly helping cities to see their real challenges and push them in inviting different people in workhops, even if this is uncomfortable’
Laurance Fauconnet (MAS) ‘Community based resilience is simple, it’s about people’
Irfana Noorani (11street Bridge Park) ‘Invest in people as much as in space and place’
7. Have pizza parties to reach your goals
Increase fun factor and get early stakeholder involvement.
Ryan Moon (270strategies) ‘Have pizza parties for early connecting, concentrate on bringing people together and later on match their beliefs to political programs’.
Elizabeth Yeampierre (Uprose) ‘We even offer childcare to encourage community members to join our events’
Irfana Noorani (11street bridge) ‘Most bridges are pathways. The 11street bridge park is place-based. We want people to meet and enjoy their time here’
8. Organize Water Communication Exchange programs
To get to know other experts in your field and achieving bigger impact through your combined knowledge, strengths and networks.
Eveline du Perron ‘WCEP 2015 was not only a great way to expand my network, but also a great way to get to know the city in all it’s aspects’
Jade Wissink ‘It was most inspiring for me to see everyone of the WCEP organization took their own strengths to fulfill their tasks and roles to come up with the most exciting program!’
Jacquelien Nienhuis ‘This week offered me a great way to connect with Dutch professionals and testing and reflecting on the reputation of the Netherlands through different visits’
Christina Boomsma ‘I never really take the time to reflect my work in a broader sense. This week got me new perspectives on branding our story’
Mariska van der Deen ‘In by learning doing and having lot’s of fun along the way I’m bringing home more insights in how water projects work both in the US and in the Netherlands with a bunch of brand new ideas’
Who is joining us next year?