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Clearly Speaking…

Have you ever been on vacation and realized you forgot something crucial – like underwear?

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I were getting ready to take a trip to Chicago to visit family. As a semi-newlywed, I decided I would try to be a “good wife” and help my husband finish packing for the trip while he was busy at work. As I was packing his clothes and various necessities, I sent him a quick text to see if he had already packed underwear. “Put some in my bag” was his response.  I interpreted this as he had already put some in his bag, when in fact, his text was meant to communicate that he would like me to put some in his bag.

I’m confident in saying this is not the first case of a misinterpreted message – text or otherwise. While I could make the case that this misunderstanding was a function of improper grammar usage and the inability to convey voice inflection via text, I thought I’d use it as an opportunity to point out the critical need to always, always make yourself understood by your target audience.

While the face of communication continues to evolve, we find ourselves relying mostly (if not exclusively) on technology to exchange information and communicate key messages with our stakeholders. Now, more than ever, it is critical to take the time to carefully craft effective, straightforward messages – ones that don’t allow the possibility of misinterpretation or confusion.

In the world of public relations and public information, you sometimes only get one shot to make a positive impression – so you’d better make it good. Don’t let your message get lost just because you aren’t able to communicate it in person. Your audience can’t see inside your head or hear your voice inflection when you’re reading your message aloud in your office. It takes a good writer to develop those messages and design clear, intriguing and effective communication that is received, understood and acted upon. 

So don’t let yourself get stranded on vacation without underwear.  Make sure your messages are clearly communicated and follow up to make sure they’re understood.

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Posted by Megan Rees on 07/22 at 10:32 AM
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Pretty Please

The other day, I was giving my three children a bath. My oldest daughter wanted my son to move over and started yelling at him. Of course, he wouldn’t budge. I suggested that she might want to ask in a different way, explaining that I certainly wouldn’t move for someone who was yelling at me. She then asked him to please move over, which he promptly did.

As often is the case with observing the interactions of children, this got me thinking about how truly important clear, calm communication is, even when it is as simple as getting your brother to move over in the bathtub. Too often today, we forget to engage people in clear, calm communication. It seems we have forgotten how to speak to one another at all, let alone kindly.  Personally I’m tired of talking about, and hearing about, social media. Frankly, I still don’t get why people text instead of picking up the phone and calling someone.  Yeah, yeah, I know it’s quicker and can keep you connected when you’re already occupied with a half-dozen other things, but is the point really to multi-task 24/7?

I’m concerned that, as a society, we are rapidly becoming depersonalized and are losing our “people skills.” Many times you can accomplish far more when you talk in person with someone than if you send an e-mail that sits in an inbox collecting cyber-dust.

Everybody knows that good communication skills are a requirement for success, right? This includes not only conveying your message, but listening and exchanging simple “niceties.”  In today’s world of Twitter and Facebook, we are more connected than ever. The question is, what are we connecting about? I’m afraid that technology is stripping us of basic interpersonal communication skills.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I do believe there is a time and a place for all the new social media outlets, but never underestimate the importance of personal relationships, the command of a human voice, and the supreme power of “please” and “thank-you.”

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Posted by Laurie Meza on 07/16 at 07:41 AM
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MJ’s Social Media Legacy

When Michael Jackson died suddenly a couple weeks ago, not only did his music and memorabilia fly off the shelves, but the news spread like wild fire through Tweets.

In a recent article on the new “news” source, fans of MJ heard about his sad fate through Twitter, mere minutes after it happened, and were among the first to arrive at the hospital where he was admitted. Is this just a gossip trail between extreme fans or something much, much bigger?

I think if Twitter is put to good use, it can be a powerful communication tool for any organization. One way Tweeting can be beneficial is in the form of crisis communication. 

With CIG’s concentration in transportation, local government and education, there are numerous potential crises that can (and often do) arise for our clients. While we hope nothing ever happens, it is essential to be ready for any circumstance.

For example, let’s say a construction crew accidentally drills through a water line in a neighborhood. With all the chaos going on at a time of crisis, it would be beneficial to put the information in a Tweet and instantly distribute it to all the organization’s followers, sparking instant e-communication that can grow and thrive on it’s own, keeping people informed and safe with a personal alert. While this can’t be the only communication tool used, it should be a key plan component to save critical time.  The toughest part is limiting the information to 140 characters, which is nothing a little word-smithing can’t resolve!

So what’s the catch?  You have to establish your organization’s Twitter account early to gather followers and become a credible source before any crisis happens. This information would have been beneficial for a recent incident involving a plane crash.

U.S. Airways did not have its account in line before Flight 1549 crashed into the Hudson River, but Twitter had a prevalent role in spreading the news. Before U.S. Airways could even send out a news release, there were stories all over national television, complete with photos, sent from a bystander with a camera and a Twitter account. An hour and a half after the crash, U.S. Airways had set up their @usairways account.

So once again, MJ leaves a legacy for us to carry on. But this time, it’s in the form of a Twitter account and a crisis communication plan. You don’t even need the sequined glove’ unless you want it.

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Posted by Liz Viscardi on 07/08 at 01:26 PM
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I would love to see more of my local organizations and government using Twitter. The way we live today we want our information quick and to the point and Twitter is one way of doing this.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  09/12  at  05:27 PM

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Move It or Lose It (or, RIP, Michael Jackson @marksmith)

The communications industry is undergoing the biggest change since the invention of the Fax machine. Social media is all anyone can talk about as Twitter, Facebook and blogs rapidly change the way we do business. Some professionals, like myself, are invigorated by it, even if we’re still trying to figure out why on earth @marksmith would want to follow our daily trips to Starbucks on Twitter.

Many others, like my friend (we’ll call her Mary), have dug in their heels to prevent the quicksand of new media tools from sucking them in. Mary is an old college roommate of mine who has worked her entire career as a television news anchor. She is nothing like my dad, whose disdain for anything technological is understandable, considering his Christmas iPod gift has cost him thousands of hours in IT support. Mary, however, is hip, trendy and can clearly see the direction her industry is heading. Still, she’s not having it.

Despite our best efforts, she refuses to join the cool kids and “Facebook Friend” anyone, stubbornly refusing to give us updates on her life over anything except dinner and a glass of wine. She believes that social media is dangerous in the industry because it’s too hard to control the message and the messenger and, therefore, she refuses to participate.

I understand her resistance to some degree. I am the type of person who still uses a Day Planner and will never move my To Do lists onto my iPhone. Never.

But, I think resisting a massive change in your industry is a mistake. Social media is growing at a pace faster than any of us can keep up with. Many people found out about Michael Jackson’s death on Twitter, before the news Web sites had the latest information. Whether you’re a fan or not, social media isn’t going anywhere (but up), and as communications professionals, we need to be on the forefront of the change to help guide our clients and audiences through the jungle.

I say bring it. Game on! Let’s embrace the change and (carefully) try something new.

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Posted by Kristi Estes on 07/02 at 11:58 AM
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