I’m ok remembering three (3) things when I go to the grocery store, but if the list blooms into four or more items, I better write it down. And no, it’s not age (and yes, I do have clothes old enough to vote) and I’m not alone. The rule of three, which has been around… read more →
Public participation, when done effectively and authentically, actively engages people in the conversation or issue that you’re trying to resolve. The Core Values established by the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) does a good job of defining what that really means and differentiates public involvement from traditional public relations. Engaging people requires a different… read more →
I was fortunate enough to make a living with mine in my first career and I find it comes in pretty handy in the work that I do now … so I tend to take it with me wherever I go. A lot of people don’t like theirs or are self-conscious about it, but learning… read more →
Most conversations about controversial issues are waged as if whoever gets the most words in is declared the winner. And, really, how many conversations aren’t controversial these days. This story resonates because it supports a lot of things that we’ve said in past newsletters. Check it out. Read More …
Lord knows the world needs experts in science, technology, engineering and math. And those STEM experts need to be able to communicate to non-STEM experts ’cause there’s a lot more of the latter than there is of the former. Our future depends on it. Read More…
There are lots of textbook causes for conflict, but one of the root reasons that I run into has to do with some kind of power imbalance. People will almost always rebel (or try to) if they feel they’re being oppressed by people with more power. The art and science of politics is about finding… read more →
It’s common human arrogance to assume that anything we say, write or deliver in some way will be interpreted by the receiver exactly as we intend it – and we’re probably wrong. The nuances – tone, temperament, setting, vagaries – of communication have everything to do with what people actually hear, opposed to what you… read more →
Over the years, I’ve responded to lots of requests for a facilitator with very specific expertise in some kind of technical field or another, like transportation, public lands, public health, education, mining, environmental contamination or whatever the topic might be. Clients are most comfortable feeling that you know what they know, but I’ve always found… read more →
Nobody changes the minds of others; people change their own minds. Nobody talks you into anything – you decide. Consensus and compromise are how big things actually get done and that comes about when people are able to collaborate and change their minds to some degree. This requires people with varying mindsets to come to… read more →
Government officials started calling the public customers several years ago which, I guess, was an homage to the pressure that “government needs to run like a business”, which is BS because government isn’t, and isn’t supposed to be, a business – but don’t get me started. We can continue this argument at a later date,… read more →