Truth Always Wins

There’s a brilliant scene in the 2015 movie “Concussion” when Dr. Bennet Omalu (played by Will Smith) realized he’s kicked a sleeping bear.

Dr. Omalu’s research shows the brutal damage of repeated hits from football, America’s classic pastime. He warned people not to play the game, a blasphemy for nearly every red-blooded American male and the extremely lucrative college and pro football industry. The movie was absolutely brilliant, and I’ve always believed Smith should have been nominated for an Oscar for his performance.

I’ve also always believed the first person who tells a hard truth pays a steep price. “Concussion” is an exploration of those uncomfortable truths and how society treats the people who speak with candor and honesty.

Truth isn’t welcomed when people don’t want to hear it.

Truth doesn’t always matter when it goes against the grain.

Truth – and the first people who speak it – will be shredded, vilified and discredited.

The first people who said smoking was bad for us were laughed out of the room, usually by smokers who had a cigarette smoldering in an ashtray on their desk.

Everyone smoked – in the office, at the bar, at home, in the car. Lighting a woman’s cigarette was flirtation, an important step in that age-old dance between lovers.

It took decades for the truth of smoking to emerge, years of training elementary school kids about its dangers, increased taxes to discourage purchases, and stricter limits where smoking was allowed.

And yet, truth always wins.

The parables we grew up with reinforce this concept. The Greek goddess Cassandra who would foretell the future but was never heeded or believed. Hans Christian Andersen’s folktale “The Emperor’s New Clothes” tells about a little boy who is laughed at and ridiculed for pointing out those new clothes really aren’t there.

Truth requires all of us to be the person who points out that the Emperor is not wearing any clothes.

The first person who speaks those uncomfortable truths must be prepared to pay the price. Unfair or not – it’s what will happen.

Truth requires honesty.

Truth requires a long game.

But it’s worth it.

Because truth always wins.

Life Lessons for 2023

It’s been several years since I did an annual Life Lessons post. They all seemed to be so bitter, so negative. When I was done typing, I’d invariably end up deleting them. So, as I approach 10 years as a single woman, did actual Christmas gift shopping and mailed out Christmas cards, here goes:

Colleen’s Life Lesson 2023

#1: Modern Medicine is nothing more than highly educated guesses. My Mom has had several heart scares this year, and I’ve struggled with my medications that allow me to live with Musical Ear Syndrome. The best medicine is a doctor’s education and experiences with patients who have similar conditions. When the patient doesn’t respond like everyone else or the condition is so rare even the specialists have never treated a case, treatment is mere guesswork. That’s not to underestimate doctors, surgeons, PAs or any other medical professional. But it is merely all highly educated guesses. I’ve been fortunate to work in partnership with my therapist, my psychiatrist, my surgeon and my PCP – all of whom have helped me come up with therapies and combinations of medications to survive MES and the stress it creates. But it has been all guesswork, trial attempts to find what works. Same for my Mom.

#2: I’m not interested in dating or having a partner in my life. After 10 years of living single, I’ve become very protective of my home, my time and my energy. For the first time, I actually had a few dates this past year. Met some nice guys and a random few not-so-nice guys. Part of my reluctance is that I always put my husband’s and my son’s needs before my own when I was married. Everything was focused around their jobs, careers, hobbies and education. Whatever I wanted was acceptable only so long as it didn’t interfere with their plans. I refuse to live like that ever again – and sometimes that’s what it takes for a relationship to work. So, sorry guys, I really believe I will be #single4life and I’m actually kind of enjoying it for a change.

#3: If you’re not likeable, you’re career is going nowhere. This has always been the hardest concept for me to accept. I’ve always believed that hard work, dedication and evolving skills were always more important in a person’s career advancement. I prided myself on always meeting deadlines, doing my best work and being eager to take on new challenges that forced me to learn new skills. But the sad reality is that none of that matters one tiny bit if you act like a jerk at work. The boss has to like you to get ahead. It’s really that simple. Maya Angelou was on to something when she said people will forget what you said or what you did, but they always remember the way you made them feel.

So there you have it – three life lessons that this past year has taught me. What has 2023 taught you? Please comment below!

Liars and Other Charlatans

As the spokesperson a large state agency, reporters often asked me for confidential information. Many times, state law prevented me from providing the information.

My PRSA Code of Ethics also prevented me from lying. I couldn’t say, “I don’t know” or “I don’t have that information” when I honestly did. Instead, I pointed the reporter to the exact Michigan law that prevented me from sharing the information, often using a phrase like, “I would love to share this information with you, but legally, I cannot. I must comply with the law.”

My mentor once expressed his philosophy on lying quite succinctly:

You lie; you die – at least professionally.

He’s right. Liars have no place in the business world. And yet, right now, “truth” seems to be open for interpretation. (That’s another blog post for the future.)

White Lies Are NOT Kind

We are conditioned to tell white lies, those little half-truths that allow us to get along and go along with the crowd. And they’re just as damaging in the long run.

If someone asks you how they look, you can be kind AND truthful. If someone is sporting a truly awful look, be kind. “You know, I’m not a fan of that style of dress/shirt/jacket, but the color certainly brings out your eyes.”

Or another option: “Do you like it? Because that’s really all that matters! You should always wear things that make you feel confident.”

White lies are like a gateway drug. They signal to everyone that it’s okay to tell half-truths which lead to bigger, more dangerous lies.

Liars Create a Toxic Workplace

One of the questions I often was asked in job interviews was what did I need from my supervisor to be successful. My answer was always the same: “I need honesty and trust from my boss.”

Certainly there are times when my boss cannot share information. If the boss ever says, “I’m sorry, but I can’t share those details right now” then the conversation ends. It’s truthful; it show integrity and demonstrates respect for confidentiality.

I respect honesty and forthright communication, even when information cannot be shared for legitimate reasons.

But, if your boss lies to you, trust is destroyed. Any hope of an honest, respectful professional relationship is gone. If senior leadership routinely provides false information, the workplace is toxic.

You simply can’t trust that anyone will do right by you – no matter what you do in that environment.

When Event Fundraising Fails

The COVID-19 Pandemic may have finally finished off event-style fundraising models. Certainly, with the Delta strain surging, we’re all hearing that dreaded death rattle as fundraisers attempt to go back to their familiar standby.

I’ve never been an “event person,” and I most definitely have a bias against events as the primary mode of fundraising. How many golf tournaments, bowl-a-thons, gala parties, or silent (loud?) auctions do we need before recognizing events don’t work.

Sure, people have a lot of fun at parties. Golfers love the chance to play a round on a prestigious course. The artist who “donated” the painting for your silent auction gets a nice charitable gift tax write off when the piece doesn’t sell at the gallery. And your nonprofit just spent a boatload of money and staff hours for a one-time budget boost – assuming your event broke even.

Then, a global pandemic hits and you’re looking at a $50K hole in your fundraising plan. It’s happened far too often in the last couple of years.

Nonprofit gurus have been saying this for years, including Joan Garry. Her post “Why Do So Many Nonprofits Live or Die by Special Events?” outlines exactly why special events are a very poor way to build a successful fundraising plan. They’re expensive, unpredictable and a huge drain on staff time, Garry says.

Finally, they don’t encourage donors to invest in your mission. And that is the crux of why I’ve never been a fan of events as an effective fundraising plan.

I cut my fundraising teeth on the Benevon fundraising model, which is based on building lasting relationships with people who share an affinity for your mission and vision. Sure, the model calls for regular tours and a large-scale annual fundraising breakfast, but these can and should be adapted for virtual tours and small group asks, even one-on-one relationships. It’s not about the menu, the decorations or the swag bags!

It’s all about your mission, the work your nonprofit is doing to achieve its vision and how ordinary people can be an important part of it!

COVID-19 has forced every single nonprofit to re-think event fundraising. Despite the loss of events, nonprofits with a robust variety of fundraising channels with strong, established donor relationships are doing just fine shifting their fundraising plans to these changing times.

Direct mail companies are finding donations growing in average gift size and in new donors. Online giving, including Facebook and Instagram, report growth as campaigns and events go virtual.

If one good thing can come from COVID-19, I hope it encourages nonprofits to scrap large scale events and adopt a more diverse fundraising plan – even when the pandemic is over.

Welcome to the NEW! Disunited States of America

We live in an amazing country!

Where else can an ocean oil rig spew unrefined crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico for weeks, kill 11 people, injure 17 and create an ongoing ecological crisis that will impact sea and shore ecosystems for decades?

Where else can a city’s flawed engineering lead to massive flooding and loss of life following a Category 5 hurricane and a failed emergency response add to the death totals?

Where else can a global pandemic devolve into a political fight with people who are willing to don shirts and shoes to enter a business, but not a cloth mask, calling such public health measures a violation of their rights?

Where else can a freak winter storm cause widespread power failures while an elected officials tells his constituents to solve their own problems because “only the strong will survive.”

Where else can we count on our elected Congressional leaders to pass yet one more continuation budget to keep the federal government operating while the deficit continues to grow exponentially and formulas for infrastructure funding are still based on 1950s era models?

Where else can the Senate fail to convict the leader of an armed insurrection that was seconds away from capturing the nation’s #2 and #3 leaders in the chain of command, but still denounce the attack and call for swift and severe punishments for the rank and file attackers?

Where else can the man who lost an election work actively to support residents in his state after a freak cold snap, but the man who won that election jets off to another country for warm temperatures and sunshine with his family leaving people to die in frigid cold?

Where else can we point fingers and blame all our government leaders and elected officials for all of these horrible, horrible events? Because that’s what we Americans do.

If we don’t like what our elected officials are doing, we have only ourselves to blame. We elect these clowns and jokers!

You. Me. Every single person who cast a ballot in the last election.

It’s easy to say, “Hey, I didn’t vote for him (or her), so don’t blame me!” But what did you do to help get the right candidate elected?

Did you make a donation to your preferred candidate?

Did you  share factual, sourced information about your candidate?

Did you help register other voters? Did you offer to drive family or friends to the polls? Did you volunteer on election day? 

The reality is that the United States of America is a great country, filled with amazing, caring people.  It’s the person who sets up a free pantry on the corner and serves hot blueberry pancakes and soup every weekend for anyone who wants it.

It’s the restaurant owner who pays off the overdue lunch balances at a local school district.

It’s the person who has a wood stove and takes in the neighbors during a major ice storm.

It’s the person in the car ahead of you at the coffee shop drive thru who buys your coffee.

It’s the senior citizen who waits until the first of the month for social security payment and tucks a $5 bill into an envelope for a holiday fundraiser.

It’s easy to focus on the big catastrophes and count up the death toll, but we cannot forget those small, random acts of human kindness all around us. They’re everywhere, our neighbors, our friends, sometimes it’s even you and me.

The next time you cast an elected officials as a villain, demonize someone who holds a different world view than you or toss around the term “fake news” because a legitimate news source reports something that doesn’t align with the latest conspiracy theory on social media, stop and ask yourself this single question:

“What can I do right now, right here with what little I have to make my country a better place for everyone?”

Because if we all do one small, little thing, every single one of us – that would, indeed, be a very big thing.

When No One Believes Reality

Way back in my college news reporting days, I oberved an ugly neon green substance leaking into the Red Cedar River from an aging pipe as I was crossing pedestrian bridge behind the MSU Library. On that cold winter day, I was coming from a class and heading to my afternoon and evening hours at The State News where I worked as an intrepid campus reporter. That neon green substance was going to be my story.

Dozens of phone calls later and several hours of interviews, I learned the pipe was run-off from the nearby Spartan Stadium parking lot and the green liquid was merely the benign chemical used to melt snow and ice in parking lots. It was not toxic, not poisonous and it wasn’t contaminating the Red Cedar. It took several sources to convince me there wasn’t a massive environmental coverup happening on campus. What can I say? I was young, a green reporter [literally and figuratively].

I could have taken a leaf out of a certain Lansing area television journalist’s book and published a story of all the denials, but that’s not responsible journalism. My editor reined me in, and I moved on to another story.

I’m reminded of this every time I read something about how childhood vaccines cause autism. [They don’t.]

Or how our goverment is spraying mind control substances called chemtrails. [It doesn’t.]

Or how the current occupant of the White House insists he won the November election. [He didn’t.]

Or how there were massive voting fraud and schemes. [No evidence has ever been offered. The few errors and anomalies discovered were quickly corrected.]

In fact, about 25% of all Americans and nearly half of all Republicans actually believe Joe Biden’s election win was the direct result of voter fraud. [It wasn’t.]

Despite all the evidence, despite all the explanations from election officials and people trained to count votes, people still don’t want to see the truth – that Joe Biden won the election by winning more votes.

Skepticism is hard wired into my thinking. As a journalist, I lived by the phrases: “Trust, but verify.” and “If your mother says she loves you, get a second source.”

It’s one thing to be skeptical. It’s something else to completely disregard evidence and the truth sitting right in front of you.

Yes it’s true that Donald Trump’s campaign had more than 74 million votes, the highest number of votes an incumbent president has ever earned. Congratulations to him.

But Joe Biden had more than 81 million votes, and his campaign captured 306 electoral college votes. He won the election and will become the 46th President of the United States.

Those are simply facts. And no one gets to make up their own facts.

If we don’t agree on basic facts, we’re never going to be able to live in the same reality.

The last time our nation was this divided over basic facts, there was a civil war….

Working For Free

A long, long time ago in the wilds of northeast Michigan, I was a finalist for a communications director position at a community college where I was working as an adjunct instructor after completing my master’s degree.

The final step in the selection process brought three finalists together. We were to complete two of three exercises and then present them to an audience of deans and faculty – with the other candidates present. It was a nerve-wracking process, but it helped me see where I had to improve my skills and why the college hired the candidate they did.

Job hunting is a full-time contact sport that requires customized resumes, personalized cover letters, portfolios, phone screens, interviews and tests. It’s not uncommon to invest more than 15 to 20 hours on a single job if you are a finalist. A critical part of this process is the skills test. I’ve had to write an alumni profile within 30 minutes. I’ve edited press releases and written talking points. I’ve developed full-blown communication plans with goals, strategies and tactics – complete with a tentative budget.

I’m prepared to invest my time because I recognize the employer’s goal is to select a skilled candidate. But I have my limits. I won’t give an employer free labor. Forbes’ Liz Ryan spells it out quite succinctly:

“I sat in a meeting with a not-for-profit executive who blithely told the group of us in the meeting that she interviews candidates for non-existent jobs a couple of times per year ‘to get ideas.’”

There have been two instances when I pushed back when asked to complete a skills exercise. The first was when an Idaho technology company asked me to write a complete communications plan and list all my media contacts. I had never even had a phone interview with this organization. There are a lot easier ways to build a media list.

More recently, I encountered another questionable exercise. Following a 15-minute phone screen, I was assigned a “writing test.” I won’t share the scenario, but my preliminary research revealed a number of large Michigan organizations have already prepared position papers, releases and analyses. Here is the actual email assignment:

You have 72 hours from the time you receive this document to complete this multi-part assignment, which involves writing a communications “toolkit.” This test is designed to gauge both your writing abilities AND your ability to think creatively, so please don’t hold back. The written toolkit includes:
• A document of core messages
• A press release
• A media advisory
• An op-ed (500 words)
• An internal set of talking points for the 3 speakers
• An internal question-and-answer document anticipating tough questions
• 4-5 letters to the editor supporting the issue
• 2 sample Facebook posts
• 3 sample tweets

I reached out to a number of my fellow PR pros in Florida, Idaho and Michigan, asking for their thoughts. Their feedback underscored my reaction so I decided to follow Liz Ryan’s advice. I crafted an email response offering to do one or two of the items from the list to demonstrate my writing skills and creativity. For the rest, I offered to prepare a quote at my typical hourly rate as a consultant. The response from the hiring manager revealed a great deal about the culture of this firm.

Of course I am no longer being considered for the job – if there really was one. Instead I used my time to complete a project for a client, who happily paid me for my time.

Image from Flickr Creative Commons: S10N’s Photostream

‘London Has Fallen’ Serves Up More of the Same

Last week I went to see “London Has Fallen.” Gerard Butler plays Mike Banning, President Benjamin Asher’s primary secret service agent. Asher, played by Aaron Eckhart, is targeted in a massive terror attack in London. I won’t give away the main spoilers, but it’s a typical action-packed macho movie with lots of plot twists and some funny lines.

One part of the story really bothered me. Banning’s partner Lynne Jacobs, played by Angela Bassett, is portrayed as a tough as nails, competent and caring agent. She’s tender enough to agree to be godmother to her partner’s infant and smart enough to plan the president’s security detail in London.

I should have known she wouldn’t be given any respect when I saw her emerge in London wearing four-inch stilettos with her serious pants suit. During the initial action scenes, she screams and waits for instruction from her partner. She is clearly not up for the challenging circumstances and ultimately is killed in the opening action scene. [sorry for the spoiler!]

Here’s an opportunity to give a strong black woman a meaty role that shows her intelligence, her skills and her tenacity. Instead she’s a shaky, screaming victim. As soon as she dies, the movie becomes the white boys brotherhood.

I’m a white woman who enjoys a great deal of privilege in my life. I cannot pretend to understand what black women experience and feel. And, it’s entirely possible had the role been cast as a white woman, the outcome would have been the same. Still, I could not ignore that horrible sinking feeling watching Bassett’s character become what happens to too many black women in movies. She’s not only marginalized by being killed off early, she’s portrayed as not being up to the job.

During the 2015 Emmy Awards, Viola Davis, in accepting her award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, quoted Harriet Tubman and then said this: “You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.”

“The 2015 Hollywood Diversity Report: Flipping the Script” by the Ralph J. Bunch Center for African American Studies at UCLA documents the dismal showing of people of color in the entertainment industry. The disconnect is especially apparent because audience composition reflects this nation’s diversity and box office success also is just as likely to come to films with diverse casts.

Bassett played her “London” role well. She’s an outstanding actress, albeit severely limited by typecasting and marginalized in one of the most cruel ways possible. Casting her in this highly visible character for the movie was a smart decision. The producers, however, didn’t follow through on their promise to develop her character. Despite Davis’ moving speech, despite all the attention called to the need for meaningful roles for women of color, we’re still being subjected to more of the same.

 

Special thanks to my former State News colleague and friend Rhonda Sewell, who pointed me to the study and read a draft of this piece.

The Toll of Micromanagement

No one will admit to doing it, yet it’s a death sentence for any organization.

It saps engagement, chews up culture and rejects ownership. It echoes whenever you hear this explanation: “I just do what I’m told.” Or when four or five people have to approve something and you end up doing five or six different versions to keep them all happy.

Micromanagement is a form of workplace bullying. It says – very loudly – I don’t trust you to do your job and I don’t want your skills or your knowledge.

The result is a whole cadre of smart, skilled professionals are taught to disengage, trained to never make decisions, and schooled to avoid committing time and resources until they “check in” with their boss, who also needs to check in with another boss.

Meanwhile invoices aren’t paid, projects are delayed, and golden opportunities are lost. Your organization isn’t nimble anymore.

A lot of people justify this behavior by saying things like, “Yes, you’re responsible, but I’m accountable.” They use this logic to keep their hands on projects and retain authority.

WRONG!

If you delegate the task, you must delegate the authority. If you can’t delegate the authority, do it yourself!

Your job is to hold your staff accountable, not make decisions for them. Your staff needs to come to you and say: “This is the best work my team can produce. We’ve looked at all the alternatives and this is the best option.”

They need the authority to make the customer happy, to keep contractors paid in a timely manner, and to be efficient and effective with company resources.

A strong leader doesn’t need to be involved in picking the color or image on a trade show handout. That decision belongs to an empowered graphic designer who’s held accountable if it’s wrong.

Now imagine what could be possible if you empowered your staff make the decisions they’re qualified to make. An empowered staff frees up leadership to focus on what’s coming in the future, anticipating opportunities, building strategic partnerships, heading off threats and clearing obstacles before they block progress. Executives and the CEO focus on the big picture.

As a leader, you hired a qualified and capable staff. So why not let them do their jobs?

 

Image from Flickr Creative Commons: Mark Rain

Wishes and Hope Won’t Make It Happen

Imagine you’re about to head out for your annual vacation. Two full weeks away from the office, and you’re leaving your phone at home! Total bliss.

No idea where you’re going. No destination in mind. No plans, no maps, no commitments. Just get in the car and explore where the road takes you.

But wait a minute. Is your car ready for such a long trip?

Do you have enough cash for gas, hotels and food?

Have you checked to see if there are hotels where you’re going?

Did you pack the right clothes for the climate and the weather?

What if you want to meet some friends along the way? Have you checked in with their plans?

Suddenly those two weeks of bliss might not go quite the way you planned.

Imagine what would happen if you lived your life this way every single day. Showed up for work when you felt like it, picked the project that interested you the most on any given day. Deadlines? Project milestones? Meetings? Who needs ‘em? Just go with what feels good that day.

It’s not as unusual as you think?

Does your company have a vision and a mission? Do you know what your department’s plan is to support that mission? What are the goals and milestones for this month or this quarter to help meet that vision? Do you know?

If you don’t have a strategic plan, you’re just wandering in the weeds. You might work your fanny off every single day, dousing fires and handling emergencies, but how does it get you, your team and your company closer to your goal?

You’re confusing motion with progress.

A good strategic plan isn’t much different than planning your vacation. You pick your destination(s), plan your route, budget for expenses and take lots of selfies to share your progress. Sure, you build in some flexibility and adapt as plans change, but there’s still a destination in mind, an overall goal.

What is amazing to me is just how many people go to work every single day and work hard at their jobs and never know or fully understand how – or if – their actions are helping advance the company’s goals. It’s a lot more common than you think.

If your boss and your company’s leadership haven’t told you or involved you in helping set those goals, shame on them. But, have you asked? Did you blow off the strategic planning session at the beginning of the fiscal year? If you did, then shame on you.

Wishing something would happen isn’t a plan, and hope isn’t a successful strategy.

Image from Flickr Creative Commons: BetterBizIdeas Photo Stream.