SJ Connects

This Tumbl is dedicated to the idea of communication (in life, politics, sports, music, Chicago...) and the tools we use to connect.

[sjconnects]

A TAGLINE IS NOT A MESSAGE

Often I am working with a client on messaging to be used in various strategic communications settings: media outreach, analyst meetings, internal communications among others. In the last month alone, however, I have listened as individuals from a pair of major corporations fell back on the company slogan -- or tagline -- as a message.

And while taglines -- defined as a short, often catchy phrase that fully captures an organization’s mission or spirit -- work great in advertising, they fall short of scope and gravitas in every other form of strategic communications. 

While a tagline can reflect messaging, a tagline is not a message.

In a media interview, a spokesperson is not doing much to express the breadth of a new product or partnership or providing deep insight to its mission or its services by spouting: “Fly the friendly skies” or “Empowering technology” or “Have it your way” or “The power of dreams.” In fact, I’ll bet you can only ID two of the four companies represented there.

No. A message needs to be concise and declarative, like a tagline, but it needs to also clearly state a business objective. It needs to not only satisfy the audiences’ “want,’ but make a good argument for the “why.” Unlike a 30-second ad, other strategic communications environments require a little more context. 

Your business likely can’t be characterized in one short phrase. There are multiple objectives, activities and values that need to be expressed. Some examples:

- “We are committed to innovation and R&D, together with a focus on sustainability, as main pillars of Clariant’s strategy.”

- “The U.S. Army will always be excellent stewards of taxpayer dollars.”

- “At McDonald’s, we are making significant changes that are important to our customers, our people and the environment.”

Now, key words from a tagline may make their way into a message. In fact, it is a great way to ensure recall of critical descriptive language. But a message provides greater depth for all critical audiences.

So now, just do it!

[sjconnects]

UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS IS A PROFOUND GLOBAL SOUVENIR

As I write this, I am mid-flight to Chicago from London. I am on the second leg of a return from Johannesburg, South Africa. I was in “Joburg” for a week leading media and crisis training with a Chicago-based client, and the trip exfoliated my perspective that travel makes us more diversity-flexible people.

The trip was another stamp in my passport that will have been truly pummeled over a two-year stretch by next February. I’ve been lucky enough to travel a lot of this world. I fully understand the privilege of it…that few people have the opportunity to travel across America, much less the planet. And I appreciate the trust my client has in my work to take me there.

In fact, it was the latest in a series of training sessions that has taken us to Sao Paulo, Toronto and Bogota, and is scheduled to include Mumbai and London. On the personal side, I’ve been able to get to Italy, London, and a magical (and possibly once-in-a-lifetime trip) to Cuba. None of this includes connection stops in Spain, Norway or Iceland.

The South Africa trip stands out not only because of the physical environment, the distance traveled to reach it, or the cuisine explored. But it stands out because it continued to teach me how through travel, we are able to better understand other cultures, redefine diversity, and capitalize on an actual broad spectrum of thinking.

Their present and their history is much more diverse than most Americans know. Slavery was introduced by the Dutch in 1652. Johannesburg really only dates back to the diamond rush of the early 1800s and then its formal organization in 1886 after the gold rush of 1884. Those rushes brought many Indians to the country as indentured laborers. Durban gives South Africa the second largest Indian population outside of India (England is right behind). There are 11 state-recognized languages in South Africa.

This diversity shows both in their social and professional interactions. As a diversity and inclusion lead for a previous employer, it actually gets to what most Americans would consider an uncomfortable space. This isn’t just differences in hand gestures or eye contact. An example is the fact that racial demographics are described as white, black, Asian and “coloureds” (the Queen’s English spelling, of course). That is uncomfortable if not angering for us.

The open discussion of racial differences (the kind used between friends of different races in bars) is uncomfortable. In some cases, a line that is crossed in America isn’t a line at all in South Africa.

Now, I’m not suggesting Americans follow that lead. Our history is different. How we are continuously trying to heal from that history is different. But I do believe greater exposure to how different cultures interact is critical for everyone in business to know what those lines may look like in a different culture and what may be a false flag. This relates to business abroad or business in the States as America’s strong legacy of immigration has helped give us an extremely diverse workforce.

When Mumbai comes up next quarter, I’m very sure I’ll get another lesson in diversity – something well beyond finding different foods to eat. India also has 11 official languages. It is the birthplace of four major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.  Is also has a major Shia population, is the birthplace of Ahmadiyya Islam and holds shrines to the most famous saints of Sufism.

But, India also has a very different approach to office interaction. Right off, hierarchy is quite important in the corporate culture. Don’t expect much conversation between senior and junior colleagues. India is known to have what has been called a “masculine work tapestry” as only 29 percent of the workforce is female (World Economic Forum, 2017), and those involved face a lot of workplace bias (IndiaTimes.com, 2018).

So, what are those lines of appropriateness? What is a real transgression versus a false flag? I’m not one to define that for anyone. But the more I travel – for work or for pleasure – the more information I have to determine how this diverse world can better work together inside and outside of the business environment. That is a great souvenir to collect.

[sjconnects]

The StartUp Growth Interview: Steven Johnson, Founder & Principal Steve Johnson Connects

By Ricky Singh, MBAFounder and Editor of The Startup Growth Oct 11, 2018

I want to introduce you to our guest today who will be taking our Pop Quiz Monday.

1. Can you please tell everyone your name?

Steven Johnson, but my mom calls me Steve…or gnocchi (nyoh-key…Italian for potato head) when I used to get in trouble.

2. Tell us about your business and what you do?

My business is a strategic communications company with the primary objective of building stronger communicators; people who connect. I will take up event communications projects or clients needing integrated traditional and social media relations support. But my passion is developing strategies, plans and individual skills for greater storytelling in media, with staff, to partners, during presentations or in hallways. In the end, I evangelize that what one says is important (IT IS!), but how and why you say it is scientifically more important for connecting. No one is telling our stories for us.

3. Why did you want to become an entrepreneur?

I wanted greater control over my personal calendar and prospective partners in storytelling. I had worked in the media at The Score Sportsradio in Chicago, at corporate goliaths like Amoco and McDonald’s, and at world-class PR agencies. But I wanted greater flexibility to focus on the art and science of developing communicators. There are so many people who have succeeded in business IN SPITE OF being lousy communicators. My 20 years of experience provided an outstanding foundation and a web of connections that allowed me to take that first, nerve-wrenching step.

4. What are the challenging aspects of running a business?

Like many businesses, mine is built more on referrals than any other mechanism. My business is bought, not sold. That means I need to be in the consideration set so when someone finally realizes, “We need to be better at communicating, telling our story, connecting to other humans!,” my business is one that comes to mind. Where the next client is coming from is what keeps me up at night; working in the middle of the night. I need to leverage my network correctly and ensure I am connecting and telling my story effectively. I need to be top of mind when current or former clients hear of someone needing what I sell.

5. What do you love most about your job?

I love seeing people become effective, strategic communicators who actually connect. Hearing from clients or participants saying, “I used the messaging! I leveraged the messaging model! The interview was great!” is exciting. My parents were teachers, so I have some of that in my blood. Seeing people absorb the strategies and deliver the stories is a huge reward. And it is my measuring stick. A good PR person is never really seen or heard…the experts with which they work are.

6. How do you have fun at work (team building, pranks, etc..)?

One thing I love doing for myself is infusing most everything I do with movie lines or trivia. I can reference “The Incredibles” one minute, “The Spanish Prisoner” the next, and “Ocean’s 11” (the Clooney version) the next.

7. What would one piece of advice that you give to a new business owner?

An entrepreneur needs to absolutely believe in their service or product. To introduce it to the world or establish it in the marketplace, doubt can be smelled by prospective customers. Know what you are selling. Know how it will help your customer base. Have stories or anecdotes or examples or illustrations ready to share. Because if you can’t show how your product works in context to what your customers care about, they won’t believe you when you say it is necessary.

The Startup Growth

The Startup Growth is a blog focused on telling the stories of entrepreneurs and business leaders. We speak to leaders in different industries to learn about their challenges and success stories. What the readers get out of it are lessons that they can apply to their journey.

[sjconnects]

ELEVEN WORDS

In case you're wondering, a year and a half of focused attention on hundreds of key messages shows the best average 11 words.

Fight me.

#comms #pr #presentations #stratcomms

[sjconnects]

UPDATE: Elmore Leonard Wouldn’t Ask Those Questions…That Way

Over and over I work with individuals who spend part of their updates or presentations or Q&A sessions asking questions that aren’t really the audience’s. They are throw-away questions the audience doesn’t mind skipping. These include, among others:

- So how did we get there?

- What does this mean?

- Where did we find the answer?

You’ve definitely heard these yourself. Heck, you may have employed this “tactic” yourself. 

Well, stop.

The great writer Elmore Leonard had “Ten Rules of Writing,” and one of them resonates clearly here:

“10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.”

This works for speaking, too…if you’re not using them strategically.

Much like “so…”, “that being said”, “ummmm”, and “uhhhh”, asking questions in the format above serve merely to mark time for the speaker. They take up auditory space without moving your business forward. They don’t involve your audience at all, so you can skip it.

Instead of: “So how did we get there?” Try: “We got there by…” Instead of: “What does this mean?” Try: “This means…”

Instead of: “Where did we find the answer?” Try: “We found the answer in…”

From the classic movie “Spinal Tap” I learned “there is a fine line between clever and stupid.” If you strategically want to use the question, try:

- “You may wonder how we got there?” - “You may be interested in what this means for you?” - “A question you may be asking, that we also asked, is where to find the answer.”

In these examples you do more than simply pose a question. These queries also address what’s called “common ground.” Common ground addresses what your audience may care about and gives them possession by using the second person of “you.” It solicits a mental response of, “Maybe I was thinking that.”

When you engage an audience – any kind and any size – they are investing their time. Make the most of it. Be responsible with it. Be strategic with your words or cut them out.

[sjconnects]

WORDS AND TONE PROVIDE WINDOW TO INTENT

Word choice matters. How they are delivered matters. With regard to the current immigration spat in Washington, look at the actions and words of the current administration in contrast to the Obama administration.

Denise Gilman, director of the Immigration Clinic at the University of Texas Law School, recently discussed with NBC the Central American immigrant deportation occurring at a high rate under Obama. He noted that, although “there were occasionally instances where you would find a separated family — maybe like one every six months to a year — …that was usually because there had been some actual individualized concern that there was a trafficking situation or that the parent wasn’t actually the parent.“

Per Jeh Johnson, who served as homeland security secretary under Obama, they he did not separate children and parents despite the enormous surges of unaccompanied minors and families that came across the border in 2014 fleeing Central American violence. He estimates the number to be about a million deported, returned or repatriated over his three years.

Many organizations and individuals were highly critical of the Obama administration’s process. The detention centers were concerning and the lack (in some cases) of legal representation was challenged. Things were not neat – both a result of decisions and the current state of immigration law.

But how the administration’s addressed the issue and talked about the issue tells a lot more about intent. And the difference with the current administration is more than striking. Pay attention to the words being used.

Gilman said "there was pretty immediately reunification…There were not 2,000 kids in two months — it’s not the same universe.” Johnson noted, “One of the things I could not do is separate a child from his or her mother, or literally pull a mother from his or her arms. I just couldn’t do it.”

Obama’s top domestic policy adviser, Cecilia Muñoz, determined separation to be “heartless. We spent five minutes thinking it through and concluded that it was a bad idea. The morality of it was clear — that’s not who we are.“

Obama himself expressed "great compassion for these children” and focused acknowledgement that migrants were “putting themselves at risk…(on) a very dangerous journey.” He and his administration used the term “humanitarian crisis.” His voice is usually filled with frustration.

Now language does the current administration use? “Zero tolerance.” “We cannot allow all of these people to invade our Country.” People are trying to “break into our country.” He states his policy as “you can’t come in.” And, if you listen to audio, your can hear the contempt.

As much as the mechanism is limiting and the system in dire need of repair, words matter. Words are a window to intent. Tone is a signal to attitude.

Choose both of yours wisely.

[sjconnects]

UPDATE: Elmore Leonard Wouldn’t Ask Those Questions...That Way

Over and over I work with individuals who spend part of their updates or presentations or Q&A sessions asking questions that aren’t really the audience’s. They are throw-away questions the audience doesn’t mind skipping. These include, among others:

- So how did we get there?

- What does this mean?

- Where did we find the answer?

You’ve definitely heard these yourself. Heck, you may have employed this “tactic” yourself. 

Well, stop.

The great writer Elmore Leonard had “Ten Rules of Writing,” and one of them resonates clearly here:

“10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.”

This works for speaking, too...if you’re not using them strategically.

Much like “so...”, “that being said”, “ummmm”, and “uhhhh”, asking questions in the format above serve merely to mark time for the speaker. They take up auditory space without moving your business forward. They don’t involve your audience at all, so you can skip it.

Instead of: “So how did we get there?” Try: “We got there by...” Instead of: “What does this mean?” Try: “This means...”

Instead of: “Where did we find the answer?” Try: “We found the answer in...”

From the classic movie “Spinal Tap” I learned “there is a fine line between clever and stupid.” If you strategically want to use the question, try:

- “You may wonder how we got there?” - “You may be interested in what this means for you?” - “A question you may be asking, that we also asked, is where to find the answer.”

In these examples you do more than simply pose a question. These queries also address what’s called “common ground.” Common ground addresses what your audience may care about and gives them possession by using the second person of “you.” It solicits a mental response of, “Maybe I was thinking that.”

When you engage an audience -- any kind and any size -- they are investing their time. Make the most of it. Be responsible with it. Be strategic with your words or cut them out.

[sjconnects]

WORDS AND TONE PROVIDE WINDOW TO INTENT

Word choice matters. How they are delivered matters. With regard to the current immigration spat in Washington, look at the actions and words of the current administration in contrast to the Obama administration.

Denise Gilman, director of the Immigration Clinic at the University of Texas Law School, recently discussed with NBC the Central American immigrant deportation occurring at a high rate under Obama. He noted that, although “there were occasionally instances where you would find a separated family — maybe like one every six months to a year — …that was usually because there had been some actual individualized concern that there was a trafficking situation or that the parent wasn’t actually the parent."

Per Jeh Johnson, who served as homeland security secretary under Obama, they he did not separate children and parents despite the enormous surges of unaccompanied minors and families that came across the border in 2014 fleeing Central American violence. He estimates the number to be about a million deported, returned or repatriated over his three years.

Many organizations and individuals were highly critical of the Obama administration’s process. The detention centers were concerning and the lack (in some cases) of legal representation was challenged. Things were not neat – both a result of decisions and the current state of immigration law.

But how the administration’s addressed the issue and talked about the issue tells a lot more about intent. And the difference with the current administration is more than striking. Pay attention to the words being used.

Gilman said "there was pretty immediately reunification…There were not 2,000 kids in two months — it’s not the same universe." Johnson noted, “One of the things I could not do is separate a child from his or her mother, or literally pull a mother from his or her arms. I just couldn’t do it.”

Obama’s top domestic policy adviser, Cecilia Muñoz, determined separation to be “heartless. We spent five minutes thinking it through and concluded that it was a bad idea. The morality of it was clear — that’s not who we are."

Obama himself expressed "great compassion for these children" and focused acknowledgement that migrants were “putting themselves at risk…(on) a very dangerous journey.” He and his administration used the term “humanitarian crisis.” His voice is usually filled with frustration.

Now language does the current administration use? “Zero tolerance.” “We cannot allow all of these people to invade our Country.” People are trying to “break into our country.” He states his policy as “you can’t come in.” And, if you listen to audio, your can hear the contempt.

As much as the mechanism is limiting and the system in dire need of repair, words matter. Words are a window to intent. Tone is a signal to attitude.

Choose both of yours wisely.

[sjconnects]

Brands Can Still Win Consumers’ Trust

Let’s just say right up front, that it is hard to trust a brand based on its communications. 

Rarely does brand advertising stay within the parameters of what the product or service actually does. The basic need to get consumers’ attention means there is going to be a healthy does of hyperbole, just the right stats, and questionable testimonials. It isn’t much better on my side of the communications fence -- public relations. My peers consistently look for just the right fan to engage with, press releases aren’t far off from ad copy, and quotes made up for executives are hardly genuine. 

This week, advertising giant McCann released a report that showed some 42 percent of Americans find brands and companies less truthful today than 20 years ago. Last month, Bulldog Reporter wrote about a study by SheSpeaks and Womenkind that found 61 percent of women surveyed say brands don’t live up to the promises they make. 

So don’t run out with a case of Pepsi anytime soon looking to payoff riot cops. It probably won’t work out for you the way it did for Kendall Jenner and her fleet of protesting models.

How to change that tide? First off, offer quality. No matter if it is a product, service or solution, nothing will do more to deliver the promise than good old-fashioned quality. But after that, think very hard about the story you are telling about the product. Think about the environment in which you are selling your product. Think about the consumer who you want to buy your product. 

I’m no advertiser. But when it comes to the public relations side, be honest. What is the tone you want to take? What are the emotions you want to evoke? Think hard about the key descriptor words you will lean on in your messages.

A good decade ago, I helped Nike launch some winter running gear in Chicago. The idea was to connect the shoes and coats and socks with the cold weather...and how it would help the athlete beat the elements. Ice blocks with shoes frozen inside were scattered around downtown. If you found a shoe, you could bring it into Niketown for a free gift. Everything we did focused on the runner staying protected during outdoor training. Having gone home with some of the swag, I can honestly say the product matched our hype. Especially the shoes with the zip-up laces cover.

I can’t say the same for ThermaCare heat wraps -- oxidizing iron disks in a stretch wrap primarily produced for bad backs. We used language like “hidden” and “eight hours” and “comfortable.” Having had free packages to take home, it was none of those things. It was a bulky Velcro belt that constantly came undone...and scratched the hell out of my sides.

As noted, a quality product is the sure-fire way to build consumer trust. But once that is done, be honest with your images and your words. Don’t act like your product can bring about world peace...because it likely can’t. But the right amount of time and thought can bring credibility to your promise.

[sjconnects]

Why “common ground” is more than shared experiences

All one needs to make a chasm inconsequential is a bridge.

In strategic communications we become successful when we go beyond engagement and truly connect with our audiences. That means we need to establish common ground. This is more than simply shared experiences. In fact, often the idea of a shared experience doesn’t materialize.

At the heart of it is demonstrating we’ve spent time thinking about them. We’ve put effort into understanding their concerns and their hopes, as well as the emotions that go along with them. We can say OUT LOUD, TO THEM phrases that will grab their attention:

- “I can only image how it feels...”

- “I know it isn’t popular to believe...”

- “Many of you have thought....”

- “I know we both believe...”

- “I’m confident many of you are thinking...”

- “Some of you have been concerned with...”

These are phrases that capture the attention. Whether you agree with your audiences’ position or not, whether you feel the same emotions or not, these are signals that you have put time into helping answer their eternal question of “What’s in it for me?”

With that bridge built, we can connect with our audience and the old adage can then play out: your audience won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. They are now in a better position to hear our message, engaging in dialogue, and be motivated to work with us.

So understand the chasm between you and your audience. And build the bridge out loud.

[sjconnects]

IN COMMUNICATIONS, CREDENTIALS AIN’T ABOUT BRAGGIN’...THEY’RE ABOUT AUDIENCE ATTENTION

OK. So Sunday’s game didn’t go as planned for the Atlanta Falcons or anyone outside of New England. What last night’s game did do, is cement in every Pats fan’s mind that Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time. (I will NOT get into the argument he’s the greatest player of all time. That will forever be Walter Payton.)

How do they know this? Well, they will point to the number of NFL titles (five). But they also can point to other stat slices. Maybe it’s number of Super Bowl Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Awards (four). Some may point to the most dominant quarterbacking performance in a Super Bowl (43 completions on 62 passes for 466 yards). How about the number of Big Games played (seven)? Others will point to the number of death threats from both Denver and New York fans (not sure that stat is kept). 

I think the key stat is that he led the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history in 16 minutes of action by choosing the right receivers, the right time to run, the right time to snap the ball...all without flinching.

The point is, there are many ways to look at Brady’s credentials as the greatest ever. And, as far as Falcon fans are concerned -- and the rest of the viewing audience -- last night’s final 16 minutes of regulation is the most relevant.

You need to think about your credentials in the same way, because the credentials that matter most are the ones most relevant to your current audience. 

At the start of a large presentation, or the beginning of a board meeting, or during a panel discussion, your audience needs to know why they are listening to you. What makes you the expert at that time on that subject? 

Demonstrating your credentials is not bragging...because it isn’t a recitation of your curriculum vitae. It might be that you have 20 years’ experience in the industry. It also might be that over the last month you have sat in a cold, flat office cube staring at two years’ of P&L sheets. In the end, there is a specific reason (or three) that makes you worth listening to at that particular time.

The great Michael Porter of Harvard Business School doesn’t need to flash any of his resume to get business and government leaders to listen to him. But even he will drop in phrases like “in all my years of research” to underscore his credibility with the audience. He knows to remind them why they are there engaging with him.

By delivering audience-specific credentials, you are grabbing attention. You are preparing them to really hear your key message. You are reinforcing yourself as the expert voice. 

So go ahead and tout your experience. The audience you keep will thank you for it.

[sjconnects]

Start-Up Skills: The Critical Competency of Delivering Message and Context

I’ve been privileged this past year to lead a series of workshops at 1871 Chicago, the massive incubator located here within the Merchandise Mart. Every time I walk into the main room, I feel the electricity of the many synapses firing away as the futurists hunch over laptops, huddle in small groups, or present their case in front of two dozen partners and colleagues.

My focus to date has been on presentation choreography and crisis communications. At each workshop I commence with the same points at the outset:

- Entrepreneurs know oral communications skills are important, but they are often not actively developed as much as idea generation and business acumen

- Being able to deliver the story you want your audience to remember is a learned ability and a lucrative skill

It is hard to avoid all of the daily situations where strong communications skills benefit the entrepreneur and the start-up. The Monday team meeting? Yep. The conference call with a vendor? Yep. A weekly update to an investor? Absolutely. A short presentation to a Masters class at a nearby university? Sure! A one-on-one hallway conversation with your business partner? Of course.

No matter the situation, knowing what you want to communicate is vital. If there is only one element your audience is going to take away from any given engagement, what would that be? “Our technology will help you better understand your customers.” “Our data brings you the richest picture of the credit card user.” Our experience in real estate conversion is unmatched.”

They key message supported by context – a relevant story – is critical. If those elements are not strategized with the same energy and dedication as used to develop the start-up’s business plan, then the effort to connect with your audience – the stage beyond simple engagement – will prove fruitless.

The element of story mining is crucial to being prepared with something memorable. Making your point with context requires using visual and emotional language. When we do that, we make a physiological change in our audience. We activate an enzyme in the brain that has been linked to long-term memory. This is why context – stories – are so powerful and why entrepreneurs need to be prepared with handfuls to share at any given time.

I have put to memory loads of positive and negative examples of communications efforts experienced and witnessed in my 20-plus-year career. At any given moment I can grab one to help make my case and make my message memorable. I like to think of it as having a small dorm fridge in my office. It’s loaded with white, Chinese food take-out boxes…each filled with some story. Maybe it was a war-room catastrophe during an event or an outstanding live media interview at a race track or an empathetically-delivered confirmation of pending lay-offs during a team meeting. Each of these is available to me, and after sharing them, I return those boxes to the fridge for another time.

Just like starting up a business, there is risk and reward to every communications opportunity. So to capitalize on the opportunity for reward, think deeply about the messages you want to communicate and the context that makes them relevant. Recognize daily opportunities to put the skill to use. That way, you will be prepared to close the investment, land the deal, hire the staffer that ensures your start-up’s success.

[sjconnects]

Fault of fake news lies with all of us

Here is my perspective on the fake news epidemic of 2016...of 2015...of 1972...of 1920. We have all played a role and all should take some blame in it turning into the incident at Orbit Pizzaria.

The media has failed the public in its role as the Fourth Estate by not posing enough questions and not poking enough holes in theories both substantiated and wildly unsubstantiated. The litmus test for what requires real scrutiny or an ethical presentation of facts has turned into a bet on what’s bleeding most -- and that is true for even the most revered outlets in the country. It also has increasingly relied on hyperbolic headlines that don’t tell any actual story.

In public relations, for decades we’ve been hijacking precious newspaper space and TV air time for frivolous “news” items. I’ve seen colleagues pitch a port-a-potty trailer at a state fair because it had a new kind of toilet paper. I know someone who pitched a story about the most active celebrity Instagrammer, and it ended up being used on a 6 p.m. newscast. I personally pitched a victory ride around Chicago’s loop to celebrate Lance Armstrong’s 2000 Tour de France “win.” Chicago! The race ain’t in Chicago, and he ain’t from Chicago. It was pointless non-news.

Tech developers have made it easier and easier for anyone to play journalist, even though few have the proper training. The First Amendment is in that position for a reason. But free speech and good journalism are two very different things. Hyper-focused media platforms created for hyper-fractured segments of society can co-exist with journalistic ethics that rise above the Weekly World News.

Americans in general are looking for stories that support their world view and rarely care for stories that don’t. I am guilty of this, as well. Although I will read conservative news once in a while or catch Fox News Channel, I do it to learn more about the right wing perspective and prepare my arguments against. It’s research. But many folks only get one side. And they are likely not interested in the other side at all. 

Many Americans don’t trust the media because they are either chasing down or ignoring the wrong stories. I can’t list here all of the many societal divides that can be used to illustrate that point. But this isn’t new. A recent Forbes story cited an annual Gallup poll measuring Americans' trust in mass media. 

“Just 32 percent of those surveyed said they had 'a great deal' or 'a fair amount' of trust in the media, down eight percentage points from 2015. Trust in mass media was at its highest, 72 percent, in 1976, two years after Richard Nixon resigned in the wake of the Watergate disclosures. It has fallen steadily since the early 2000s and dipped below a majority level after 2007.”

What we need to do is work collectively to make real news matter again. We need to let non-critical news live in its space, as well. But we need to be smarter so fake news continues to sit in the grocery check out line.

News agencies must question everything, as is their primary role. PR agencies need to be more aware about what and how we promote products and services. Social media platforms must devise a system that will clearly note what is and isn’t real news just as they require “parody account” on some profiles. 

And as citizens, we need to be aware of the true ethics many, many news outlets still hold dear. We need to find multiple, credible sources for every story of interest. And we need to read the other side’s perspective, if only to better understand the argument.

[sjconnects]

Communicating with the Outside World? You Need a Plan!

I recently earned an assignment from a small private equity firm in the Chicago area that has pharmaceutical interests. Now, both of these are industries that have come under fire for myriad reasons. 

Private equity has lost some shine in the eyes of money makers, and others view it simply as vulture capitalism. (Thanks, Romney!) Pharmaceuticals,...well...it’s pharma. Doesn’t everyone have a problem with pharma? Costs are too high. Side effects are too scary. Relationships with doctors are too chummy.

With the recent election now “behind us,” we will see an amplification in media coverage on pharma pricing and who may be behind the jumps. Both Hillary and Bernie chased the Democratic nomination on platforms that included curbing runaway prescription costs. Every singe GOP candidate had a wrecking ball at the ready to take out Obamacare. With Donald Trump crawling from the pile victorious, the focus has shifted to both deregulation of the pharma industry (makes it easier for the drug makers!) or opening up the marketplace to Canadian imports (the demise of the US pharma edifice). 

And with high-visibility cases like Mylan/EpiPen and Turin/Daraprim, media scrutiny is on the rise. Stakeholder scrutiny will follow.

So how is it that this firm had no communications plan in place? It had no key message. It had no organized story to tell. It had no protocol for answering the simplest of media inquiries. It provided no theme to investors. At the same time, it was pushing out quarterly updates to the public along with posting and distributing press releases. But it didn’t want to respond to media. 

Whether the question was coming from staff or media, this company wasn’t prepared to tell its own story.

You don’t need to have earned an MBA at Kellogg to know a business plan is basic architecture for the success of your venture. The plan provides a roadmap and timeline from inception to milestone to milestone. It also provides excellent credentials when engaging potential investors and partners. You wouldn’t be smart to move forward without one. 

A communications plan serves the same purpose. If provides you a roadmap for the many ways your business will communicate with internal and external audiences. It keeps you and your team focused, aligned and on track for your milestones. It ensures your communications goals match your business goals. 

And if your communications goals and business goals don’t align, you have no business communicating.

At the very least, you need to coordinate your organization’s story and delivery mechanisms. 

- What are the two or three key messages you’d want remembered?

- What anecdotal or illustrative stories do you have that support those messaged?

- What may be threats to you telling your stories?

- Who are your audiences and what do they care about?

- Who are the designated spokespeople? 

- What roles will the larger team play in communicating with business partners, investors, priority customers? 

- How are you using internal and external vehicles like email, newsletters, the web site and social media channels?

- What media or analyst relationships do you have or can you develop?

- Do you want to have an industry-leading voice?

None of this work is easy. It takes a good amount of time and will be constantly revised. But it brings the comfort of knowing what you are and you team is doing, what they are saying, and how they are moving the business forward. 

You will have confidence knowing that whether proactive or reactive, you can help shape the story being told.

[sjconnects]

There is some client work that hits more closely to home than others, and this client represented that. Almost a decade ago I found myself lying on a basketball court wondering how I got there. It turns out that men aged 30-50 are extremely prone to Achilles tendon ruptures. I was 39. 

I was privileged last month to conduct a two-day workshop with physical therapists and other senior leaders from ATI. The sessions focused on enhanced leadership communications, specifically declarative messaging, strategic storytelling and genuine empathy. A few years ago, i also had the opportunity to work with the presidential line of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. I conducted presentation coaching ahead of their annual conference.

Sports remains a critical component of my life, particularly my ability to play pickup basketball. It”s something I hope I can do until I am 80. And the only way I can still achieve that goal is because Dr. John Cherf and my PT Maria set me on my way. I ruptured the tendon on April 11. I had surgery on April 18 and by July 4, I was trotting around a pitch in Italy lightly kicking a soccer ball. 

I don’t need to have a strong connection with every client service or product. But there is something very special when I do. And I look forward to being able to serve ATI many more times in the coming months.

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My POV from May in the pages of Domestic Prep Magazine

Few preparations made in anticipation of a disaster pay bigger dividends than how the team communicates with the news media and the public during a disaster. Seamless and coordinated communication is as important as seamless and coordinated operations – both during the disaster and in the recovery stage. Communications and operations must work in tandem.

[sjconnects]

NFL CTE CRISIS DEEPENS AS IT MIRRORS BIG TOBACCO

The New York Times just caught the NFL hiding 100 diagnosed concussions from its lynchpin study focused on the 1996-2001 seasons. That equals 10 percent of the total. The study now moves from "inconclusive" (the NFL's word) to questionable...well, even MORE questionable. It also now puts the NFL in cahoots with Big Tobacco...if not directly in strategy, than indirectly by the company they keep. I would say NFL execs can no longer deny the stink of a relationship. Kind of like when you stand for too long next to that guy on his smoke break. In crisis response, communications and operations must work in parallel. And it must be transparent. Bad communications internally is being blamed for bad communications externally; the old "garbage in: garbage out" adage. Either way, confidence that is supposed to be shorn up gets further eroded. Not something the NFL wants to happen after 2013's $765MM settlement. Crises are rooted in human trauma. And to be seen as working against healing that worsens the ability for everyone to recover. The NFL may never get knocked off the peak of American sports (people also still smoke lots of cigarettes), but perception of its leadership as evil overlords may never fade.