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June 9, 2006
Some Good Advice for CEOs
I have just finished Joe Klein's new book, Politics Lost, or How American Democracy Was Trivialized By People Who Think You're Stupid. There are important lessons in this treatise on the last 60 years of American politics, particularly the excessive influence of political "handlers" whose obsession with polling data and cautious wordsmithing has removed the essential humanity of candidates and reduced the effectiveness of their communications.
Here are a few of Klein's best zingers:
"I am a pro-peccadillo journalist. I want a president who has intimate personal knowledge of human frailty, who has been humbled by what Woodrow Wilson once called his own imperious passions, who has the wisdom that comes from failing, falling down and getting up again."
"Character is one of the most overused and under-analyzed words in American politics...character is the intersection of beliefs and humanity. A convincing demonstration of humanity requires more than photo opportunities at the state fair; it always involves some form of spontaneity."
"Figuring out the future is the job of leaders. . .Real leadership throughout history has involved the defiance of conventional wisdom, the breaking of rules."
Quoting former Secretary of Education William Bennett, "Some of the people who follow me onto the stage are going to say things that you will find very pleasing...and if a candidate tells you only things that you want to hear, if he asks nothing of you, then give him nothing in return, certainly not your vote, because he is not telling you the truth."
Quoting pollster Richard Wirthlin on President Ronald Reagan, "Persuade through reason. Motivate through emotion." Further, "Integrate stories into your communications. Stories work because they don't raise the red flag of hard sell."
Why does any of this matter for chief executives, struggling to overcome general cynicism about the perception of excessive pay packages, the legacy of Enron/Worldcom/Parmalat, and the short term financial pressure exerted by hedge funds?
The secret to effective communications in a world lacking trust in established institutions is a direct channel to stakeholders and an unvarnished tone. CEOs should recognize that connecting with the usual audiences, whether Wall Street investors or legislators/regulators, is not sufficient. Employees and customers want a voice in the direction of the company; listen to their views and speak with them continuously so they can spread the story in a peer to peer manner. Use words that inform and inspire, giving them the full picture. Take them into your confidence, making them part of a circle of trust. Tell them what you are doing each week to make their company a better performer. Get involved in major issues that affect society but have the potential to grow your business (GE's Ecomagination which posits that green is green).
My colleague Michael Deaver often posits that in a world of "continuous partial attention", it is impressions that matter. We should help CEOs to recognize that they should play the game boldly, communicating the hard truths with confidence and conviction. As always, I would appreciate your comments.
Technorati Tags:
PR, Public Relations, CEOs
Posted by Edelman at June 9, 2006 10:07 AM
Comments
Richard,
Every once and a while you say something that’s truly inspirational. This would be one of those times.
Very nice.
Kind regards,
- Amanda Chapel
Posted by: Amanda Chapel at June 10, 2006 9:59 AM
The idea to integrate stories within communication reminds me of the hard time Saturday Night Live gave Al Gore for his "stories" of citizens during the 2000 presidential debates. The lesson appears to be that for as carefully chosen as the stories should be, they must also harmonize with the "unvarnished tone" you mention. When I was at the bookstore this weekend, A People's History of the United States won out over Politics Lost, but it's now on my reading list -- thanks for the sneak preview.
Posted by: Eric Hansen at June 12, 2006 2:47 PM
AC thanks for the compliment
I suggest you read the book
It is having a real effect on me
We need to push clients to be themselves, not some confection of a PR man's view of what will sell
Posted by: Richard Edelman at June 13, 2006 2:01 PM
EH,
The real stuff works--why did Reagan succeed and Gore did not...partly because the stories fit his persona
Posted by: Richard Edelman at June 13, 2006 2:02 PM
It's Deaver's concept of "continuous partial attention" that makes the art of fleeting impressions so effective and so dangerous.
Klein's comments from Bush strategist Mark McKinnon discuss how actual strength and trustworthiness in a leader are less important than appearing to have those qualities.
As Klein puts it: "The utter simplicity of it was astonishing; it wasn?t about the economy, stupid.
It was about the appearance of caring about the economy, stupid."
The challenge is avoiding the temptation of exploiting partial attention to deceive and instead engaging audiences to deliver a deeper message that fosters trust.
Unfortunately, as Klein reinforces throughout the book, high-minded substance is no match for plain talk and the occasional turnip day.
Posted by: Dave Vermillion at June 14, 2006 1:12 PM
Richard,
What struck me most what the part about not voting for a politician who asks nothing of you. So true. I was told by a defector from communist Hungary that the Communists came in and promised everything ... and delivered only tyranny.
Churchill by contrast, promised his England only blood, sweat and tears. In their gut, they knew he was right so they trusted him ... and bowed up their backs in stiff opposition that broke the Nazis will to conquer them. Contrast that to Chamberlain who came back from meeting with that monster Hitler to declare "peace in out time."
Not to politicize, but do we as Americans really appreciate a leader who takes us down the hard but correct path. I'm sure many would disagree with me, but I think Bush comes in for this rap. Remember, the world once called Ronald Reagan a "cowboy" and warmonger and there were protest marches worldwide. Now we look back and see that Reagan stared down Communism (at least according to Kissinger and Gorbachev--two men who should know.) PR folks need to learn how to convince our leaders that being liked and being right rarely coincide until later--when hindsight proves the wise course out.
Thanks for the chance to rant. Keep up the great blogs.
Posted by: Billl Pemberton at June 20, 2006 5:53 PM
I once asked Level Up Games COO Ben Colayco, a refereshingly honest guy, why he doesn't blog. He says his casual style would get him into trouble. Could straight-shooting leaders be held back by the inertia of spin-crazed organizations?
Posted by: Mike Abundo at June 30, 2006 6:45 AM
Mike,
let's be real here. Only 30 of the Fortune 500 companies are really into blogging. I am just on the way back from Silicon Valley. Only a few of the major tech companies have a blogging policy that goes beyond the standard "don't tell company secrets." The wave will not be held back...keep the faith.
Posted by: Richard Edelman at July 12, 2006 10:42 AM