I’ve been working with media for the past fifteen years, both as a reporter and a publicist. Having experience on both sides of the fence has given me a valuable perspective of what each one needs in order to do their jobs.
Perhaps the most simple and yet useful insight I’ve gained is the power of the personal story. I've learned through my work in communications that despite attempts to reach audiences by promoting organizational goals, processes or achievements, audiences tend to resonate with a story that touches them in some way. So I’ve decided to share a story that’s been on my mind for a few days. I was on one of my frequent power walks through the neighbourhood about a month ago, when I came across a woman playing ball with her dog. Like most dogs, he was eagerly on the chase after each throw. Although he was fast, there was something about his gait that made me look closer. The black-border collie mix was galloping around the grass on three legs. I was intrigued so I moved closer. Apparently this fascination was mutual because when our eyes met, he stopped, put his head down and slowly walked in my direction. Then he paused several feet away, eyeing me cautiously. Removing my earphones, I approached the woman with the obvious inquiry. The story was painful to hear. Abused as a pup, his rescuers realized that one leg was so badly infected for unknown reasons and it had to be amputated. He was only a year old when he was adopted by the woman who confessed to me how he’d enriched her life. Bear, was his name. But he’s wary of strangers, she said, as she noticed his gaze from a distance. I reached out my hand in a gesture of friendship, but the movement made him turn and run in the opposite direction. Given his story, it made sense. A couple of weeks later I bumped into the two again. Bear was eagerly frolicking on the grass, catching the ball in his mouth. The woman recognized me and we exchanged greetings. Bear stopped in his tracks and looked over. Was there a hint of recognition in the dark eyes? Slowly, his graceful three legged stride followed his gaze and I reached out my hand. This time he allowed a couple of feet between us before he turned and walked away. Ok, perhaps not yet I thought. Perhaps never, given his experience with humans. I walked home, a little disappointed, wondering if it was his experience, or was it me. Animals after all, have instincts we could not hope to posses. This past weekend however, I went biking with a friend. At our meeting spot, two people and a wet dog approached. The animal’s gait was recognizable. Bear. He’d been swimming in the creek, his adopted mother explained. “Bear,” I called. “Hey buddy, how are you?” Without hesitation, he confidently strolled in my direction. When he was close, I reached out my hand to allow a sniff. He move closer, allowing me to scratch his neck and gently stroke his head. And when I stopped, a soft nudge asked me to do it just a little bit more. “He probably recognized your voice,” the woman said. As you can imagine, it was a euphoric event. He trusted me. I admit I wasn’t sure I would ever feel the softness of his fur in my fingers. But it really was a good reminder that time, patience and understanding can get us further than we expect. It doesn’t hurt to put ourselves in the other’s position either. Really, that’s the key to effective communication.
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The other day I was writing out a cheque when I made a mistake and had to rip it into pieces and write out another. I resented it. I was annoyed that I had to write numbers in words and realized that I was scribbling illegibly because I found the chore too tedious. Even more, I resented having to seal a bad tasting envelope, and walk two minutes to the post office and stand in line for a stamp. I grumbled and wondered why some places don’t have payments via PayPal. I mean, it’s 2014!
Suddenly I realized that I’ve changed. Yes, I’ve transformed into an e-consumer. How did I change so quickly? I’m of the age where I remember writing letters to relatives and friends in other countries. I didn’t talk to anyone on the telephone except at Christmas and then it was a thrill to say a few words to a live person who lived so far away. I didn’t own a computer until I was in my early 20s and the large, heavy monitor sat on the hard drive on my desk in my room rarely being used. There was no internet so what was the point of sitting behind a computer all evening? I walked to the bank to deposit or withdraw money....and when the bank was far away, I took the bus only to stand in line to wait for a teller. And I liked reading the Toronto Sun because it was tabloid format and easier to read than pulling out sections of The Star. Today, I read all the papers online. Not only does it reduce paper usage, it’s so convenient to take my Playbook to a coffee shop and catch up on the news. And why would anyone stand in line for movie tickets when you can simply purchase them at home before you go to the theatre? I know my transition was inevitable. We are living in a world where e-transactions increases convenience and more people are doing their shopping online. The recent layoffs by big box retailer Best Buy was due to more consumers shopping online, reducing the need for in-store employees. But although I’ve abandoned paper for technology in many cases, I always believed I’d hold onto one cherished tradition until the very existence of paper books disappeared. No self-respecting English major and writer by profession would read an e-Book. Or so I thought. Stranded in Costa Rica one day last December with nothing to do but relax on the beach, I realized I didn’t have a book with me. My bookshelf overflowing with novels not yet opened and eagerly waiting to be read when the time was right, was back at home in Toronto. I picked up the Playbook and saw the Kobe books icon. Could I? Dare I? I did. A quick credit card transaction later and I had purchased the entire Hunger Games trilogy. So I took my thin electronic gadget to the beach and proceeded to read under a palm tree in front of a wavy, blue ocean. What can I say – the conversion was easy. Now I look at my stocked bookshelf at all of the unread, unopened novels and wonder, can I ever hold a paper book and read it with the same joy ever again? Aren’t some traditions worth preserving? Still, as I mourn the eventual loss of my childhood traditions, I am browsing shoes online and I wonder. Can I? As we move into another year, I’m reflecting on memories of 2013. It was an eventful year for myself, as most years are and as I sit and write on this cold, snowy day I’m inspired to write about a four legged, dark, strawberry blonde who passed away early in December.
She belonged to a good friend of mine and I was fortunate enough to share her affections every now and again. My memories are filled with her giddy barks as she ran aimlessly along trails through woods, and the way she eagerly greeted me each time, tail wagging and eyes shining, waiting for a simple pat on the head, or stroke on the tummy (and she always rolled over when she saw me, in anticipation). When she passed, my friend was filled with regret – which is common when you have to make a choice to put your dog down. She deserved better, he said. I suppose we will never know what an animal feels when it is sick or during its last few minutes of life. But the best I could do was remind him about the bond he had with her. The time he took to prepare home-made dog food to ensure she had a healthy diet. The times he would take her to the pet store and bathe her, brush her teeth and the countless camping trips they took together, alone. And the late nights when he came home, exhausted, but attending to her first, taking her for walks on cold, winter nights. He laughed at the memory of her defensive barks and fierce growls as she made it her business to protect their campsite from bears and the odd family of Canada geese that dared to swim ashore from the rivers. A gentle spirit she was, but fiercely protective of those she loved. She was a good soul and we know the strength of a good soul, because they continue to teach and inspire long after their physical body has expired. She did what most humans are incapable of doing – she loved unconditionally. The ability to evolve into a being that can love, forgive and give selflessly is one that is truly on the right path to nirvana – Buddhism’s theory about the path to enlightenment. As I consoled my friend, I started wondering who the more evolved beings really are. The memories of this golden retriever is almost tied with a great quote that I heard in 2013, which goes something like this - we need to interact with others in order to grow and learn, even though so many of those interactions may be negative and hurtful. It’s the ones that hurt the most that really teach us the most. So what did I learn from this wonderful dog who passed away? I realized that maybe the ones we regard as the weaker ones, are truly the strongest ones. The ability to love without conditions, support without judgement, heal through simple presence and communicate profoundly through silence, are skills that humans have still yet to master. We put a lot of stock in physical strength, judgements over others, the need to rule the ones we perceive as weak through dogmatic rules and the never ending need for power - the strong desire to be better than our neighbour to feed our own ego. However, complex brains lead to complicated lives and perhaps it’s unrealistic for us to live as simply as animals do. But one thing’s for sure. I know that when a dog like this one passes away, she achieves nirvana. Of that, I’m sure. Happy New Year. Toronto has been the talk of world lately. Have you noticed?
You’d think that people would be talking about TIFF, our world renowned film festival or the fact that we are one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Perhaps Caribana or the Pride Parade has made a reputable list of events to experience. But no. Toronto is not being recognized for the many restaurants, preserved green space or even the fact that the PATH system is the largest underground pedestrian walkway in the world. People are laughing though – at our leadership. Yep. Talk show hosts John Stewart and Jimmy Kimmel have focussed their commentary on Toronto’s Mayor for the past month. Everyone knows the story. Confessions of crack smoking, allegations of inappropriate conduct, crass public comments and drunken stupors pretty much sums it all up. Those of us who live in the city and even in the suburbs are shaking our heads and pretending to be embarrassed. But we’re all laughing. We’re all tuning into the news every night and some of us are staying up to watch the late shows so catch a glimpse of our Mayor or the city’s logo. Personally, I don’t watch SNL regularly but I tuned in to see the skit and was a little proud to see the City of Toronto’s logo displayed as prominently as it was. Let’s face it, there’s no such thing as bad publicity because the bottom line is: audiences have noticed!! Not only has Toronto’s Mayor been immortalized on Letterman’s Top Ten, but Chris Daughtry wrote a song about his antics. Yep, he’s famous. The truth is, he’s a really good publicist and I’m convinced that he knows the trick to get people to sit up and take notice. Being recognized based on bureaucratic, sensible messages is not easy. In fact, according to a psychologist Albert Mehrabian’s three elements of face-to-face communication, only 7 % of the spoken words actually resonate with audiences. The tone of the delivery accounts for 38%, but people identify most with the presenter’s body language which has an impact of 55%. I can’t confirm that the Mayor has actually read Mehrabian’s theory but he sure seems to practice it. His choice of words are always shocking and very memorable. They are accompanied with a loud, almost shrieking tone and assertive body language. No one remembers the words of a leader standing diplomatically behind a podium but they will surely take notice of emotional raw words hurled out dramatically in an overtly candid manner. It definitely has enticed residents of cities all across the world who wait and see what entertainment will unfold next. Re-election is irrelevant at this point. Even if he’s not voted back into Toronto’s top seat, he will walk around like a rock star. People will continue to stand in line at Argo games to pose for pictures and ask for autographs. That’s how publicity works. If your skin resembles armour and you can sleep at night, you too can be famous. Public scandal is gourmet food for populists. The only way to combat them is to starve them. Lower the ratings and change the channel. It’s Christmastime anyway. Time to focus on more festive events. A couple of weeks ago I paid a visit to a non-profit organization, run by a former colleague and friend. As the new Executive Director, she is responsible for overseeing housing, programs and services for Francophone seniors in Toronto. Funded by the City of Toronto and the Provincial government, it’s no small task as it’s the only establishment of its kind that delivers services exclusively in French.
I received a tour of the well-run building and during a chat in her office, the conversation led to communications. In her non-profit organization, resources were lean, she explained. Their main priorities focused on ensuring seniors and residents received services they needed. But as the organization grew, the need for communications began to increase. With no dedicated communications staff, she was taking time out of a packed schedule to update the website along with Board members who volunteered their time. When they needed new content, they would make time to write it. When they had to plan a fundraising event, she quickly developed a communications strategy on the weekend, asking me for some direction. But the next question was, how would they measure effectiveness of these tactics? How could they increase their profile? How could they align the communications to their strategic plan? She knew the need for communications was growing and yet her role was to oversee the operations of the organization and be a strategic leader. It was time to create a new role. This scenario is very common in most organizations. Communications is never among the priority roles during the first few years of establishment. But as the organization grows, the need for communications slowly becomes clear. And it’s not only about developing brochures and posting content on the website. As my friend recognizes, it’s the strategy behind these tactics to ensure if they are effective or not. After all, why spend the money and time to create a brochure if no one reads it or understands the value of the information? So my Executive Director friend asked if I would be willing to help her develop the role, given the small budget of a non-profit. She would eventually need to hire a bilingual communications coordinator, but first, she needed to understand how the role fit and what the responsibilities should be. Ironically, I mentioned that I had just launched a new service at Arka Communications to help organizations develop or refresh their communications departments. In the case of her non-profit, there was an ideal opportunity to create a strategic communications role that would add much value to her the organization. Before the hire was made, I could help her develop the role based on the unique needs of a non-profit. And in turn, I would work with the staff so they understood the role and value of communications. It was a good meeting on a Friday afternoon. A nice chat with a friend and a possible business opportunity. A new chapter for Arka. |