Welcome to my blog
Welcome.
For quite some time now, I’ve been encouraging clients to improve communications, both internally and externally, by writing a blog. Trouble is I never made the time to make blogging part of my communications. Recently, I was busted by one of my CEO clients who suggested my advice might carry greater weight if I actually took it myself.
So, to end that hypocrisy, here we go. I’ll use this space to share insights and lessons gathered from my consulting work. I’ll also provide my take on communications issues that challenge senior executives as they relate to the news of the day.
There’s a good lesson in today’s top political story … the continuing firestorm over Barack Obama’s comment about the attitudes of small town voters … “it’s not surprising, then, they get bitter,” said Obama at a fund raising event in San Francisco, “they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or antitrade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”Obama’s apologized repeatedly, admits he should have been wiser in his choice of words because, “they were subject to misinterpretation … and I regret that deeply.”
It will be interesting to see just how much distance Hillary Clinton and John McCain can get out of Obama’s remark. But of greater interest to me is where Obama made the comments.
It was April 6th, at a “private” fund-raising event for deep pocketed Democrats in San Francisco. No Reporters aloud. The only people present were Obama campaign staffers and donors. Obama was engaged in what he thought, was a private, “off-the record” conversation. But as any executive who has ever worked with me knows … THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS OFF THE RECORD!
Somebody at the event, likely using a mobile phone, recorded the Senator’s remarks. The recording made its way to the www.HuffingtonPost.com and the rest, as they say, is history.It’s hard to believe that someone as savvy as Barak Obama was caught off guard.The lesson here is one I stress to every executive I work with. There are only two places you can possibly conduct “private” conversations … your office, or your bedroom. If you’re anywhere else, consider yourself “fair game.” Mobile devices capable of recording audio and/or video have turned nearly every passerby into a potential paparazzi. Like Presidential candidates, executives must understand that constant public scrutiny is now part of the job description.
So remember, the new reality is that outside your office or your bedroom, people are always listening and might be recording … so be careful not to say anything you’d be uncomfortable hearing … or reading on the front page!
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