You can’t really solve the problem if the problem you’re trying to solve isn’t really the problem. (Huh?!) Understanding the needs, behaviors and beliefs of the people who will interact with the final product, service or policy that you’re trying to deliver – the problem you’re trying to solve – ...
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A state government agency head that we’re acquainted with recently announced that all of their public meetings will now be held only on Zoom; no longer in person. A pretty dumb policy in our estimation. Online engagement has grown the reach of government exponentially – no doubt it’s changed the ...
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Recognizing that much of the past year has been tough for many of us, it’s time to turn to one of the funniest human beings on the planet (at least I think so) for as much comic relief as we can handle. Welcome to Dave Barry’s Christmas Gift Guide.
Wendy, ...
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As people become more polarized and it gets increasingly difficult to have or facilitate ugly conversations, we as the potential peacemakers have to tune in better to how we manage ourselves and respond to these encounters. This is a simple little technique that I learned some time ago and have ...
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Public speaking is the single biggest fear for most people – people tend to list public speaking as more frightening than death. When most people get in front of a group, nerves tend to shift your brain into overdrive and your speed increases without you being consciously aware of it. ...
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Trust is the lubricant that allows families, friends, groups, societies, governments and economies to function. We know that the level of trust in institutions of all kinds has been falling for years, but now we see more evidence that trust is failing everywhere. It won’t be easy to reverse this ...
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Engaging and involving people starts with being able to communicate with them. If you can’t effectively accomplish that, don’t bother. The challenge starts with finding out who they are, understanding what they know and learning how best to reach them. The responsibility of communicating with them rests with you, not ...
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Professional propaganda and weaponized disinformation might be the biggest fundamental problem facing civil society and democracy. As the following story points out, politically slanted bulls#!t isn’t new, it’s been with us since well before Roger Stone was filling his diapers. But conventional media, alternative media and social media have given ...
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The pandemic has taught us a lot about climate change. More specifically, the public reaction to the pandemic has taught us a lot about how people are likely to continue to react to a changing climate, what they’ll believe, whom to blame and what, if anything, they’ll be willing to ...
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For the longest time, the work that we do has been referred to as “soft” and I have to admit that’s always bugged me. Describing it this way sounds demeaning, and sometimes I know it’s intended to do so. The underlying attitude is that these soft skills aren’t really important ...
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