Taking Control of the Room

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Posted by Bert Decker | December 5, 2010 | 1 Comment | Tweet this

Joel Mowbray is a nationally known syndicated columnist who spoke at a suburban home in Marin County last night, and gave a superb example of how to take control of a room. The event was to be a small gathering primarily to hear Joel, but also to enjoy the group and drinks and appetizers. Ended up more came than expected, so it was packed with over 125 people squeezed into a living room – overflowing into two other rooms and halls. Couldn’t move much, much less eat or have a glass of wine.

I thought that with this crowd, all standing uncomfortably,  Joel would just give a few remarks and tell people to enjoy the party. But he did so much more, and kept everyone’s rapt attention for over 45 minutes!

Here’s how he handled it. (And in the same form we give feedback in our Communicate To Influence program, let me mention 3 Keepers and 3 Improvements.)

Keepers:

  • He came out strong. He didn’t apologize for the circumstance, but just began speaking, with a strong voice, humor and confidence.
  • Great behavior. He has a great smile, open manner, gave insider asides, his voice carried with no mic, had energy, gestures and movement. He showed care and candor…
  • Content. He was interesting. He was authentic as he had lived the experiences he talked about. Lots of stories made his very focused points. Joel did all the behaviors, but it ultimately was his content that carried the day. Impressive, authoritative…

Improvements (only ones are in the Q&A Session):

  • Joel’s eye communication was to each questioner, and he held it. It’s always best to start your answer looking at the questioner for the first 10 seconds or so, and then continue the answer looking at other individuals in the entire audience. This frees your mind to broaden your answer, and avoids this next problem…
  • He got into dialogues with some long winded questioners. By continuously looking at them they could easily feel they were in a conversation, and break in and give their opinions, or begin dialogues or arguments. And they did – this was a verbal group. We (the audience) came to hear the speaker. We’re interested in Mowbray’s opinions, not some strangers.
  • He went too long. The Q&A turned out to be over 25 minutes, and he should have stopped it sooner by saying, “We have time for one more question.”

But the improvements were minor compared to the impact he had, and how skillfully he spoke. He handled the room, and the audience was the better for it.

BP CEO: Communications Failure

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Posted by Bert Decker | June 2, 2010 | 6 Comments | Tweet this

UPDATE: June 17. CEO Tony Hayward is live giving Congressional testimony that will probably go down as equal to the Mark McGwire disaster. He has said, “I wasn’t involved in any of the decision making,” and “I don’t know” countless times. Congress, led by a hostile Henry Waxman, seemed incredulous. This whole Gulf oil disaster is a terrible tragedy on a deeply personal level for millions of people – in the U.S., and also in England where BP is a key part of their economy. This Congressional testimony happening right now is a PR and communications disaster that continues. Both in content and in style. I guess it’s not surprising from what might be expected from the following that was posted earlier:

___________________________

I want my life back,” wails BP Oil CEO Tony Hayward. Well, he really doesn’t wail, but he might as well have. Leaders lead, they don’t plead.

The BP Oil disaster on the Gulf Coast needs more than a good communicator, it is a terrible tragedy no matter who is at the helm. But BP does need a good communicator to make the best of an awful plight. Unfortunately, they have CEO Hayward, who has been his own worst enemy.

CEO’s have to be ready to lead with authenticity – where one’s perceived behavior as well as focus really counts. This CEO fails on both accounts.

Authenticity – what you say and how you say it

Hayward has been off from the beginning.  A month ago he appeared aloof – look at his manner in this clip (and above) at an early press conference.

I was appalled at his apparent smug and arrogant behavior. I don’t know him, but if that’s his natural style, I’m surprised he’s CEO. Then again, this is a company that made $10 billion profit last quarter! So where were his advisors? Where were his coaches? Why wasn’t he trained in advance so he knew how to act when the pressure was on. This was not the way.

“I Want My Life Back.”

So here we have a multi-millionaire CEO ‘wanting his life back’ in the face of the families of 11 people killed on ‘his’ oil rig, and tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands who will lose their economic life because of his oil. OK, not ‘his’ oil, but he has to speak as if it’s his oil. And he has not. What he did have to do was apologize for his remarks. The problem was, and is, we believe he meant it – that he cares only as it affects BP and himself.

Defense is not the best offense

Throughout these first 40 days of the disaster, Tony Hayward was the spokesperson – yet almost all of his statements smacked of defensiveness. First he says the effects will be very, very modest. More recently, in response to the fact that those cleaning the beaches were getting sick from evident oil fumes, he inferred that it could be “food poisoning!”

His appearances, and performances, were so bad that a national Cable News show ended their newscast with an editorial excoriating Hayward and saying, “Act like you care!”

It was just announced that Admiral Thad Allen will now make all the updates on the Gulf Oil disaster. (He’s good by the way.) Although politics are no doubt also involved, it is not surprising that both BP and the administration wanted Tony Hayward off the air. He did nobody any good, particularly himself.

Lessons for us all

We will all be called upon to speak under pressure in important circumstances. Be prepared. It is not just the CEO’s like Hayward that have to be ready, though the stakes might be higher in his case. It’s all of us. In this video and social media age, we are all on television. If we don’t know how we come across, and where our heart and our message is, we may be doomed to fail when it counts the most. And it doesn’t have to be.

No doubt that Tony Hayward would like his life back. And I bet he’d like to start this communications experience over again – after maybe a heart check and a little training too.

Meg Whitman as Communicator

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Posted by Bert Decker | May 2, 2010 | 3 Comments | Tweet this

Meg Whitman just debated Steve Poizner for the Republican Gubernatorial nomination. It was interesting, but not as interesting as looking at where Meg Whitman might go – if she can communicate.

First the debate:

Meg did well, but Steve probably did better if this was an equal contest. But it is not – Whitman has a 30-40 point lead on Poizner, and the debate did nothing to change that. On June 8 Meg will win in a landslide.

Bring on Jerry Brown:

Jerry Brown

Where this gets interesting is in the general election this summer/fall, between past Governor, Presidential contender, now Lt Gov. of California Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman. It’s one stiff-communicator against another in a race for a prize that’s dubious at best. The state of California is in the worst shape of it’s long history. Can Meg Whitman convince voters she can change that? (We’ll leave Jerry Brown’s communication content and style for a later post.)Communicate To Influence, Not Just To Inform:
Look at these cogent words from yesterday’s incisive Business Week article on Meg Whitman:

“The most gifted politicians manage to turn scripted “messaging” into stirring stump material, but there is nothing Churchillian in Whitman’s delivery. Says former colleague Rajiv Dutta, former eBay CFO and PayPal president, now a managing director at Elevation Partners: “Clearly she doesn’t have the practiced ease of appearing to be intimate in front of millions, which career politicians have spent their lives perfecting.”

About 80% of the voters are biased and will vote accordingly. For Meg to get those 20-30% undecided to vote for her she must influence, be trusted (and likable) and inspire vision. She’s not there yet. She still speaks in PowerPoint Speak – bullet points and logic statements, and cluttered. Fine for her as a former CEO directing employees, not so great for inspiring voters of a new vision for a collapsed economy. Leaders must inspire, not just inform.

Behaviorally Meg Whitman must loosen up, engage the media, and at least look like she is having fun. She is smart and capable – these are just behavioral habits that she could change with some coaching.

More importantly perhaps, she needs to create sticky messages.

God knows there is enough material in the collapsed state of California to have vivid examples, metaphors, SHARPS and memorable language to help make HER colorful, and much more memorable. She needs messages that are ‘made to stick,’ for example:

  • The union pension fund obligations are like a tsunami that are about to engulf our great State of California
  • Government spending is as out of control as the BP gusher that is polluting the Gulf of Mexico. It must be brought under control.
  • 40% of California’s public school budget is for admin and overhead. If I ran eBay like that I wouldn’t be here talking to you tonight – I would have been fired.

Stay tuned. This is going to be an interesting general election here in California, and could be a microcosm of what’s to come for the country.

Life: The stickiest biology lesson you’ll ever get

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Posted by Kelly Decker | March 22, 2010 | 1 Comment | Tweet this

Just finished watching the first two installments of Life, the Discovery Channel’s unbelievable account bringing life to… life. See a preview here. For nearly two hours, my husband and I sat in awe, muttering, “No way!” “Oh my gosh!” and “Holy cow!” back and forth.

I’m heading ff to Lawrence, KS next week to lead two back-to-back Decker Made to Stick Programs for a new client, so I’m loving the stickiness of these episodes.

Here’s a quick breakdown of why Life is so darn good and sticky – using the Made to Stick SUCCESs template as a test:

Simple:

Each episode has a clear Point Of View that focuses on what’s unique and interesting about the topic (the big idea). For example: “Reptiles make it because of their remarkable adaptations.”

Also, the brilliant use of analogies helps those of us with just Bio 101 under our belt to understand the incredible ways these animals have adapted to their environment.  Case in point: the Namaqua Chameleon has adapted to walking sand dunes by spreading its toes – aka, “Chameleon snowshoes.”

Unexpected:

From defense mechanisms to hunting strategies and mating rituals, your eyebrows will shoot up in surprise. Who knew that a big ol’ daddy bullfrog would dig a channel so that his tadpoles can reach a larger water source? Or that a Basilisk (aka “The Jesus Lizard”) can run on water for 100 feet to avoid its predator? And, did you know that the acceleration of a chameleon’s tongue is five times faster than an F16 fighter jet? Just check out what this frog does for a little dose of unexpectedness.

Concrete:

Amazing, stunning, jaw-dropping visual examples. Never-before-filmed visual examples. And you sit there, watching, thinking, “How the heck did they get that shot?” This is an experience. Totally different to read it in a text book that to see it, hear it, and really feel it. It is stunning, and I can now admit that going HD was worth it.

Credible:

Uh… hello? You can’t script this stuff. We’re talking all-up-in-your-face real animal drama. It took more than four years to produce Life. At the end of each episode there are little vignettes of the journalists who traveled to the most remote places on earth to capture the priceless footage– they’re legit too. Add the authoritative voice of Oprah beautifully narrating, and you’ve nailed credibility.

Emotional:

You actually feel for these animals and the challenges they face. Don’t like snakes? Doesn’t matter. You’ll end up rooting for them as they try to protect their eggs. Grossed out by lizards? Not any more. You’ll get to know and appreciate the stamina and strategy of a Kimodo Dragon hunting its prey.

Story:

Short of giving the animals names, each vignette is a story of survival, protection, ingenuity, and love.

Life is the complete, sticky communications experience.

And all this while the season opener of Dancing with the Stars played on with zero attention from yours truly. Looks like we finally have something worth watching. Catch the many repeats airing all week, and get caught up before next Sunday!

New Communicator Bursts on the Scene

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Posted by Bert Decker | January 20, 2010 | 5 Comments | Tweet this

Put your politics aside for a moment – a new communications star was born tonight. Unless you live under a rock, you now know of Scott Brown, who won the Massachusetts Senate race Tuesday.

I hesitated blogging on Scott Brown’s acceptance speech because I just got back from Las Vegas and it’s late and it’s too political – but after seeing him on Tivo I couldn’t resist. What Barack Obama did in 2004 in his speech at the Democratic convention, Scott Brown just did in 2010 in his victory speech – burst upon the national scene.

Here’s why:

  • It’s a national stage – this was a very important election politically. The world was watching – the race and the speech, but even more so the clips of the speech that will be televised and blogged over the next few weeks. And because of his surprising and excellent communicating he is immediately a force to be reckoned with.
  • He packages and uses symbols well (SHARPS in our language). The obvious political phrase “We can do better” became a repeated litany. But probably the best is his iconic and populist green truck that has 201,000 miles on it, and which he made a point of driving and referencing throughout the campaign. Well publicized, he referenced it several times, causing the chant “Drives A Truck, Drives a Truck…”
  • He is humorous – making several jokes – playing basketball with Barack Obama, a sign on supporter’s lawn, and even joked about his daughters’ being ‘available’ (maybe not politically correct however.)
  • Focused on his issues. He appropriately thanked Massachusetts for electing him, and emphasized the independents, but he immediately went to national issues. He was articulate in speaking to his view on the Health Care bill, and what he was going to do about that, as well as his views on spending, taxes and the war.
  • He can turn a phrase. He actually turned many phrases, but perhaps one of the best lines he had was talking about terrorists and saying, “our tax dollars should pay for weapons to stop them and not lawyers to defend them.”
  • His use of the teleprompter was excellent. President Obama could take lessons from him.
  • And the importance of a smile – it served Ronald Reagan very well, and it serves Brown. He is energetic, attractive, personable (spontaneously related to many on stage) and confident – important communication attributes.

But above all, his victory speech created a communication experience, and not just for the enthusiastic, and very large, crowd of supporters. For the viewer the image of confidence, strength and purpose was powerful. Although there’s a lot of water yet to go under Scott Brown’s bridge, right now, like him or not politically, he is a force to be reckoned with.

Top Ten Best (and Worst) Communicators of 2009

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Posted by Bert Decker | December 22, 2009 | 67 Comments | Tweet this

The Top Ten Best Communicators of 2009

1. Sully Sullenberger

Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger is not just the hero who brilliantly landed his airplane on the Hudson River, he is a bona fide great communicator. He is humble yet has a message. He inspires yet speaks sparingly. I remember eagerly awaiting his first speech since the landing – and I was stunned. He spoke for only 17 seconds. Eloquently, and I blogged on it, hoping we would have more of that rarified speaking impact in the future. We did. And he does – deserve #1 for communicating as skillfully as he flies an airplane. And that’s saying something.

2. Tim Tebow

Probably the top college football player of the decade, Tim Tebow is as articulate off the field as he is proficient on it. He won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore, and when his team lost early the following season he ‘promised’ his team the national championship. Tim Tebow is confident and clear in media interviews, a refreshing change from so many top athletes. Above all, he is a leader, and the unquestioned leader of his team (see this halftime clip from the 2008 BCS Championship.) He is eloquent in talking about his faith, and for now is truly an athlete who walks his talk. (Let’s hope he can maintain his candor with integrity, in contrast to some others… See #3 on the Worst list.)

3. Matt Lauer

When I first met Matt Lauer on the TODAY Show in 1996, he was just about to break into full time hosting. What struck me most is he was so affable yet could be strong in an interview. Matt is as nice, humble, and enthusiastic a communicator to me off stage as he has been in his last decade as a star. Always unflappable, he can be very confrontational in an interview when necessary, even with a President, yet is usually open and humorous. Behaviorally he has great eye communication, wit and energy. His longevity alone, at the top of broadcast pyramid, wins him a long deserved place in the Top Ten.

4. Carly Fiorina

What a transformation. From fallen executive (past CEO of Hewlett Packard,) to a wooden sounding spokesperson for Presidential Candidate John McCain, to cancer survivor, to Senatorial candidate on a mission, Carly Fiorina always has communicated with great energy (with the McCain Convention an exception – teleprompters quenched her volubility). Now she has a purpose and a new pursuit to use her executive skill. Her message is powerful and sympathetic with her “If I licked cancer I can lick anything” attitude. It is refreshing to see her model the transition from glamorous blond executive to cancer survivor with no hair – she makes up for the loss with added passion. It will be interesting to see how she does on the campaign trail – I hunch she’ll more than survive.

5. Steve Jobs

He has been on the Top Ten list before, and I try not to have repeats, but there is no denying his justifiable position here, again. His mind and his mouth have led him to be named CEO of the decade by Fortune Magazine. As CEO and speaker and celebrity, he stands above the pack. Although he did not give his famous keynote address this year at Macworld, (here’s a clip of his iPhone announcement) – he did conquer a liver transplant. And even though under the weather, you can be sure he was also behind the scenes guiding Apple to another record setting year in the midst of economic turmoil. He’s overcome turmoils before.

6. Sir Ken Robinson
Perhaps you haven’t heard of him – time to take a look here or his website. One of the featured speakers at TED, Sir Ken is brilliant at story telling and humor. He also has quite a message for educators. He creatively advocates at every opportunity the need to bring creativity back into academia, particularly for the children. And he is an eloquent and funny voice for the young of all ages.

7. Chip & Dan Heath

The Heath brothers are masters of communicating sticky messages. Their 2007 breakaway best seller “Made to Stick” defines the ultimate test for stickiness. Since then, they’ve been consulting for big business and non-profit alike, landed a monthly column in Fast Company magazine and they’ve been speaking… a lot. This August they were the “opening act” for Bono (they spoke just before his videocast appearance) to a crowd of 60,000 at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. They are expert teachers and master practitioners, and they’re in the top ten this year because we’ve had the very special opportunity to witness them in action as we co-developed the new Decker Made to Stick Messaging Program. You’ll be hearing lots more from them and about their new sticky ideas on change…their new book Switch releases in February.

8. Taylor Swift

Yes, a singer, but also a talker. Taylor Swift turned the insult by Kanye West at the MTV VMA’s into an opportunity to launch herself into the mainstream. In her SNL monologue response to the incident she came across as confident, bold but modest, humorous, and likable. Remarkably, she is only 19 but has the maturity of a seasoned performer. Taylor elevated herself out of the tween pop country realm and into the spotlight by articulating her point of view with humility and strength, instead of shrinking away in embarrassment. In interview programs she shows she can do more than sing. On top of all that, she was named Entertainer of the year. Looks like she’ll be communicating in a big way for many years.

9. Chris Brogan

Chris is unusual for several reasons. He is at the cutting edge of blogs and social media, is a great writer, and this year wrote the best seller “Trust Agents.” It is because of his speaking on these things that he has become not only proficient at speaking – and somewhat of an authority. Just as he has ‘burst’ to prominence in the social media fields, so he bursts onto the Top Ten Communicators list. (He calls it “the overnight success that took years.”)  In addition, and of great interest to me, is his amazing ability to multi-task. I have seen him talk, tweet, change PowerPoints, chair a panel and type all at the same time. Parallel thinking to the max, it’s a great asset for communicators and all could learn from Chris.

10. Sarah Palin

No doubt a controversial pick (as will be #10 on the Worst list), Sarah Palin is where she is today primarily because of her communicating ability. And she’s only #10 on the list because she is flawed in crisp focus (Q&A) and casualness. Yet like the Phoenix, she continuously comes back from the ashes – because she can talk, and talk well. Remember her two landmark speeches in the political year of 2008, where she turned around the enormous negativity of the questions “Who’s Sarah Palin” and “Why is she here” with two resounding and successful speeches. This year she surprisingly resigned as Governor, appeared to be a quitter, and the media relegated her to a has-been status. Then she turns around in 6 months with “Going Rogue”, one of the biggest non-fiction best sellers in history, and gets record crowds and massive media exposure – because she is energetic, fresh and personable. She is the poster child for likability.  Communicating got Obama where he is, and it continues to keep Palin on the move.

The Top Ten Worst Communicators of 2009

1. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

The President of Iran since 2005, Ahmadinejad has been a center of controversy since his election. His many strident communications are continuously those of arrogance and dissension. The Iranian uprising in June of 2009 was caused by Ajhmadinejad’s repression of free speech and rigged elections (even though Twitter helped shine some light.) He has called the holocaust a myth, and blusters for Israel to be “wiped off the map.” Contentious at best, ignoring the world at worst (eg. sanctions over Nuclear energy production), Ahmadinejad is the worst communicator of the year.

UPDATE: Ahmadinejad continues his communications of opacity and obfuscation in response to the end of year uprising.

2. Mark Sanford

What was he thinking? When Gov. Sanford was caught with his Argentinian mistress, he had a long, rambling press conference where he blocked, obfuscated, cried, wheedled and otherwise communicated like an incompetent teenager. No wonder they tried to impeach him – he was no kind of leader with that kind of communicating, much less behavior. There have been others who have recovered after the fall from the perch – Bill Clinton, Martha Stewart, Kobe Bryant come to mind – but all of them did it with confession and contrite communication. And a clarity that Sanford seems to lack.

3. Tiger Woods

You could also say “What was he thinking?” But compared to Mark Sanford, here there was NO communication of any kind. (Well, he had a few blog ‘press releases’ but nothing from him personally, so we have no clips.) First of all, to be seen and heard is essential – a press release doesn’t do it. And good communicating and speaking must be authentic. Apparently with Tiger Woods there was deception for years. Which means that all of Tiger Woods speaking and appearances, such as they were, were false, and on a world stage no less. Now, when caught in the lie, the deception continues in a vacuum – no communication, no openness, no trust, no forgiveness and the worst results. Tiger Woods, to date, has handled this about as badly as you could handle a major media snafu. Personally, I hope he begins speaking, and speaking honestly. Without that he will not regain personal prominence, even though he can continue to excel at golf.

4. Rod Blagojevich

A repeat from last years Worst List, because he never learned how. Ex Governor Rod Blagojevich continued to rant and rave, with no logic and no grace. What’s worse, where he used to have good communication skills (after all it’s what got him elected) he has deceived HIMSELF with thinking that he could continue to be believed, as evidenced in his January plea to the Illinois Senate. And thus he becomes a laughing stock and an object of derision. In his case, not communicating for awhile would be a good thing.

5. Caroline Kennedy

No deception here, just unfortunately terrible communication skills. Caroline Kennedy is a woman of tradition, and is to be admired for her many accomplishments. All the media had her as a sure thing for appointment to a New York Senate seat by Gov. Patterson when Hillary Clinton went to Secretary of State. But then Caroline Kennedy opened her mouth. And filled the air with uncertainty and doubt, amidst a bunch of ums and uhs and other non-words. She avoided the press, and couldn’t put a Point Of View together if her nomination depended on it. And it did, and thus she dropped out quickly. Too bad – if you can’t communicate, you can’t get elected.

6. Bobby Jindal

What an opportunity squandered. Governor Bobby Jindal was the Republican rebuttal to President Obama’s State of the Union – a relative unknown with a chance to make a name for himself. Well, he did, but not in the way he wanted. He was stiff with the through the lens teleprompter, and his sing-song vocal delivery did him in. And here’s a classic clip of Rachel Maddow, who herself is not one of the best, calling Jindal one of the worst. Here she was right to be speechless.

7. Edward Liddy

How magnanimous of former Allstate CEO Edward Liddy to come in on a charging steed and take over the reins of the battered AIG – and for only $1 in salary. His positive aura quickly deteriorated when he was found out to own millions in Goldman Sachs stock, for which AIG paid out handsome dividends. His deceptive communications continued as AIG continued to hand out excessive executive bonuses – the ensuing scandal and Liddy’s poor congressional testimony further served him up as the 2009 poster child for bank and investment firm CEO’s who  lacked direct and forthright communications to the public.

8. Carrie Prejean

“Larry you’re being inappropriate,” were the surprising words coming from the smiling face of Carrie Prejean. This was the lowpoint (so far) of her communications downfall in her appearance on The Larry King Show, where she walked out, then stayed. It was beyond awkward and confirmed the only consistency in her communications…inconsistency. This former Miss America contestant at first seemed sincere in her comments after being fired from the Miss America pageant, taking a strong stance for purity, and then getting herself tangled in lies about scandalous pictures and a video. She appears defensive and naive by speaking with an inauthentic smile, avoids the elephant in the room, references herself in the third person, and constantly tilts her head and waves a judgmental finger. This is a role model for poor communications.

9. Timothy Geithner & Hank Paulson

Timothy Geithner started out badly as he continued the dour communications style of Hank Paulson. Both held the same jobs as Secretary of the Treasury in one of the most critical times of financial crisis, and both couldn’t have been much worse in communicating the way out. The air of aloofness was almost palpable with Hank Paulson, and Tim Geithner was not much better. And when Geithner got excused by President Obama for an income tax ‘error’ (more on Obama next), he then topped his lack of communicating credibility with his announcement of a plan – and there was no plan.

10. Barack Obama

Every President has to be on the list, one way or the other because communications is his primary job. Last year Obama was #1 on the Best list and President Bush was #1 on the Worst list. This year Obama doesn’t exactly trade places, but he’s the best of the worst since he has failed to fulfill the promise of his communications platform. He was a great communicator as a candidate, not so much as a leader. The New York Times wrote about “The President Whose Words Once Soared.” For the full report see our blog post here, but in summary here’s why:

  • He is aloof and professorial, actually most often speaking formally with his nose a bit aloft
  • He speaks in bursts and a repetitious cadence, almost in a sing-song manner
  • He leans with an enormous emphasis on scripts and the teleprompter
  • He has NEVER learned how to use the teleprompter well
  • Often he makes gaffes when he speaks spontaneously
  • And he is way over exposed, where speaking on the trivial diminishes the important

Because of those behavioral flaws, President Obama does not generate the trust that many anticipated.  Even now his spokesperson Robert Gibbs (who is a bit flawed himself) is viewed more favorably than Obama, which is startling. President Obama rode into office on great hope wherein the majority would excuse minor communication flaws. Yet when hope diminishes, the previously excused flaws become magnified, and will not serve the President well. Here is the detail on “Why Obama Fails as a Communicator.”

UPDATE: A video on Obama’s ‘gift’ of communications from WSJ’s Dan Henninger add to justifying this ranking, plus the response to the Christmas terrorist attempt that slipped through the TSA cracks…

Why Obama Fails As A Communicator

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Posted by Bert Decker | December 22, 2009 | 12 Comments | Tweet this

Obama Teleprompter 1Barack Obama came to the Presidency riding the crest of an oratorical tidal wave. Because of that, the media and pundits have said he could do no wrong (communications wise). Well, the emperor has no clothes.

It’s not that President Obama is a BAD communicator, particularly in contrast to the most recent President Bush. It’s just that Obama has failed to live up to his communications promise. He was a great speaker as a candidate but is not so great a communicator now that he is the leader. And he has not expanded his capabilities.

Here’s why:

  • Obama appears aloof and professorial in his many formal speaking situations. He actually holds his head up so his nose is often in the air, lips pursed – not very open and connecting.

  • He puts an enormous emphasis on scripts and the teleprompter. What a burden on his speechwriters, who are actually quite good and very well paid, but overworked. With the frantic and relentless pace and demand of Presidential communications, you very often have to rely on your mind, not your writers. You can’t lead from scripts.
  • And the President is way overexposed. Speaking so often on the less important diminishes the very important, and he could pick his shots much more wisely. Granted that he has put forth so many initiatives he may feel he must push them all, but the “bully pulpit” is best used powerfully, and sparingly.

His popularity ratings have plummeted in recent weeks. Even his controversial Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has a higher favorability rating than the President. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Barack Obama is young, fresh, personable, and has an attractive family. He certainly is bright and has strong opinions. But he is not the Great Communicator. Although that is just one of the reasons his popularity ratings have plummeted, it is a major one. People buy on emotion and justify with fact. At the emotional level, the President just does not connect as well as he could – and should, if he wants another term.

You can learn to be sticky

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Posted by Kelly Decker | October 9, 2009 | 3 Comments | Tweet this

“If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use the pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time, a tremendous whack.” 

-Sir Winston Churchill

DMTSM Logo

I used this quote to start our great day on Tuesday – the premiere of our new program, Decker Made To Stick Messaging.  What I love about these words of wisdom is that great, sticky messaging can be learned. You don’t have to be “subtle or clever”, be born with a wildly creative mind, or spew the perfect witty comment at all the right times. What a relief!

Earlier this year, we set out with Chip and Dan Heath to combine our Decker Grid with their Made To Stick SUCCESs template into a training program to teach anyone – regardless of creative DNA, experience, title or industry – to create sticky messages. It came to fruition on Tuesday, when Chip and I led a diverse group of 20 business leaders through a hands-on experience that yielded some amazing transformations – and it was really fun, too!

chip and kelly

More details and examples are coming, but for now, just a couple highlights:

The CEO for a furniture company came up with a fantastic Unexpected statement to describe his product, “You may think of modern furniture as being cold and sterile, but this is completely the opposite. It’s warm and comfortable, like your favorite pair of jeans.” Contrast this to typical business-speak which might have sounded something like, “the environmentally-friendly materials combine with durable construction and charismatic design to create inherently unique pieces.” Alleluia!

Another participant used Credible human scale statistics to call her listeners to action and become an advocate in a non-profit organization. In her initial pitch, she used really big numbers, like 248,000 out of 750,000. At the end of the day, she converted those numbers into something so meaningful that she had half the audience in tears. She stated that only 1 in 3 kids are assigned an advocate in this organization, and went on, “that means that if you have three children, you have to decide which one will get assistance and support. You have to single one out and provide them with an advantage over the others.” That did it for me. She made big, lofty, somewhat incomprehensible numbers hit home…hard.

Others were able to unbury the lead of their pitch and focus their message. Still others told stories, found feeling, and removed jargon-filled abstractions to make their ideas concrete, visual and meaningful.

How did it all happen?grid in action

Structure: We developed a new messaging folder that incorporates our Grid with the SUCCESs checklist. As we worked through exercises for each section, each person continued to refine their pitch throughout the day using easy-to-apply tools and simple recipes to make it stickier, little by little. Here it is in action, with post-its and all.

Video: Yep, even though it’s a messaging program, video was a key component. We used cool little cameras attached to tabletop tripods to record a before and after pitch to witness the transformations. Here’s David, a Yahoo, recording his group (and there’s Chip right behind him, totally focused on feedback):

Feedback: Working in small groups, each person received Keepers and Improvements from peers to learn what was working and what wasn’t in their messages. Many found the Curse of Knowledge was unfortunately alive and well when others in their group just didn’t get it!

All in all, it was a huge, sticky SUCCESs (no pun intended). Stay tuned for testimonials, before/after videos and many more great examples. In the meantime, you can check out Jay Ehret’s (@themarketingguy) blog post for his top takeaways.

Can’t wait for the next one!  BTW…we’re already sold out for November. Check the website to register for December 2nd!

Farewell President Bush…

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Posted by Bert Decker | January 15, 2009 | 7 Comments | Tweet this

President George Bush gave his last speech as President.
It was good – here’s why:

George Bush is not a man of great communication, but he is a man of great character. Whether you agree with his faith or his decisions, you have to respect, and hopefully admire, his consistency and his integrity.

That is what was on display tonight. And it WAS President Bush at his best. Readers of this blog know that I have said that he lacked basic communication skills – and this is tragic for a person at that level of leadership. The Bully Pulpit is powerful, and should be used.

So in tonight’s speech he was at his communicating best. He’s not an orator, and he did not have to push or advocate or persuade. He could just be himself. Authentic. And that is what true communication is all about.

Giving Good Introductions

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Posted by Bert Decker | December 21, 2006 | 0 Comments | Tweet this

Introducing someone? Remember W-E-B!

WEB: for Warmth, Expertise and Brevity.

It’s all you need to remember when you are asked to introduce a speaker. Go heavy on the Warmth, moderate on the Expertise, tight on Brevity. Your job is to build enthusiasm and anticipations.

W – for Warmth:

If you feel good about the speaker, the audience will. What is interesting about him/her? What is incredible, amusing, surprising or inspiring about her accomplishments? If you’ve never met him, what did he say in a telephone call you might make? Your experience of the speaker, warmly expressed, is vital to building the energy of friendly anticipation in the audience.

E – for Expertise:

Enough to qualify the speaker to speak on his topic. Don’t rehash her whole resume or overstate her accomplishments – this is where most introductions fall flat. Weave her expertise into the topic of the speech, so the audience is primed to listen with interest.

B – for Brevity:

From 30 seconds to 2 minutes, tops. This means you’ll have to begin highly energized, rehearse for time, and err on the side of short vs. long.

More Tips:

  • Use the speaker’s name at least twice, fully pronouncing clearly.
  • Always interview him/her ahead of time so your connection is personalized.
  • If the speaker is “too important” to be personally interviewed, ask others who know him/her for interesting sidelights that make him come alive.
  • Smile, really smile broadly, when you ask the audience to welcome ….! You yourself then warmly welcome the speaker to the lectern or spotlight area – never desert the space before she gets there.