One of the tougher challenges for most of us doing public work is convincing the people who run the organizations we work for that communicating with and engaging people really is the priority that we know it is. Most organization leaders that I’ve consulted or worked with start out believing that no harm comes from just staying quiet, that you can’t be criticized for things you never say. And of course that’s simply not true because people take meaning from your silence and draw conclusions from other people who are still analyzing, criticizing, talking and writing about you. It starts with the culture of the agency, and here are some ideas about approaching the boss. Read more