Communications Line Number 47 of 31 May 2007

Communications Line Number 47 of 31 May 2007 from John Bishop

National ahead: no surprise

The surprise about the latest political opinion polls is not that National is ahead; it's the extent of the lead. None of the five polls in May have National with less than a 12 per cent lead. The average lead is 17 per cent, and the two biggest - Colmar Brunton at 25 per cent and Morgan at 17 per cent - were taken after the budget.

Key is also leading Clark as preferred Prime Minister - unusual but not unknown for a leader of the opposition. That has encouraged more people to see and talk about John Key as the next Prime Minister, and including left wing commentator Chris Trotter after watching Key's budget speech.

Amid all the other upsetting news about the Field case, corruption in prisons and young people dying at parties and in boy racer incidents, public opinion about the budget is hardening into an attitude. I distinguish between opinion and attitude. An opinion can be shaped, modified and changed by argument, persuasion and performance, as Labour managed to do in the last election with the Don't risk it ads playing on fears that tax cuts meant cuts to health, education and welfare. An attitude is something different: it's a cast of mind, which is much tougher to shift. It's opinion solidified; a mind made up. And the attitude is: it's our money, Michael, you took it, now give it back.

Shades of Yosser Hughes (Alan Bleasdale, Boys from the Blackstuff). You've got a job- giz it. It's my money. Giz it. This attitude is held notwithstanding claims that tax cuts would be inflationary, unaffordable, should be phased in, diverted to savings, would be better spent on other projects, or whatever.

The surpluses are massive; even the cash suplus is huge. But the attitude is never mind the OBERAC; give it back. It's the same sentiment that says Labour was wrong over the pledge card, and the cry went up; pay it back. Now the attitude is; it's my money, give it back. And right now Labour is bearing the political cost of not doing so.

Key communicates

One of the qualities that was said to make Bill Clinton such an effective communicator was the feeling people had that when he talked to you, you were the most important person in the world to him. John Key has something of the same quality. I watched him carefully as he was giving a speech last week to an audience of Rotarians and their partners. Sure, not a very threatening crowd, the National Party rebadged really, but his techniques were interesting.

No notes. The tone was always conversational. He was talking separately to each individual in a crowed room. No flashy gestures or extravagant efforts at eye contact. It was the normal tone and manner of one friend or neighbour talking to another. He started with a series of stories, small slightly self deprecating incidents to establish rapport. Then a pause. Let's be serious for a while. Pause. I want to talk a bit about the economy, and then education, because that's so important to our chances of being successful in the world, and than I want to say something about the environment. So there's structure; he's signposting where he's going.

He talks in threes. Three main headings and then three points about the economy. Each point is illustrated with a story, often against himself. Sample: his budget speech was up on YouTube; daughter finds it, and says ‘I can't get away from you. I posted a comment. You suck.' Underlying message; I am tech-savvy (or at least my office is). I have problems with my kids too, but we get along. It works with this 40-60 age parent heavy audience.

The material is commentary, not direct political attack, and it's never personal. After the commentary comes the policy. Pause. Straight face. Volume drops just a bit (people have to listen harder to hear). He speaks a bit slower, just a bit. The tone is serious, but still warm; formal but friendly. The information is given straight; no embellishments, no flourishes and no stories. Then it's over; pause, stand up straight again, smile again, and the mood changes. He ends with a kicker, drawing on his merchant banking background to amuse a pro-business audience. "New Zealand is an underperforming asset. If you were a client, I'd put in a buy recommendation, but I'd also recommend a change of management."

Time for questions; a couple of tricky ones among them: so agree with the questioner instantly; reframe the question slightly and then answer. Don't up the tension or avoid the issue, but don't make ringing declarations or engage in rhetorical excesses either. Key is not David Lange, he is his own man and presents as confident but not arrogant; self assured and knowledgeable but not a cocky know all; a person who listens but has a clear view about direction, while being flexible on detail and timing.

Then it's over, a smile a wave, a couple of steps off the low level stage and into the crowd, moving quietly through, some handshakes and into the car for a flight to Auckland. Politics aside (if that is possible in talking about a political leader), this guy is good.

Bain Feted

David Bain was feted by the media, and particularly fawned over by both TV networks as if he were an innocent man who had graciously forgiven his persecutors for locking him up for so long. Shades of Nelson Mandela. But Bain is not Mandela. He is (or was) a convicted killer. The Privy Council decision did not exonerate him, and neither it, nor the subsequent decision to free him on bail, is an acquittal.

Bain needs to be retried and he may be found not guilty. The decision on a retrial is hard. Thirteen years on witnesses may be unreliable, and the public climate is with Bain. But the Crown has a duty to prosecute again, because the verdict would at least bring closure for the community and for Bain.

The Crown could withdraw the charges, in effect saying that guilty or not, there is no worthwhile purpose in prosecuting a person who has already served thirteen years. That would be a pragmatic course, although not (in my view) morally a very good way to go.

Cynically I see more feting and fawning coming up. How about a David Bain meets Ahmed Zaoui encounter? Available on a cocktail circuit near you. Be the first on your block to have a convicted killer meet an oppressed freedom fighter. Proceeds to Amnesty International and the Free Kevin Lundy Defence Fund. Doubters not welcome.

David could do corporate speaking tours and staff motivation sessions. How jail made me a better person. You too can beat the odds with good friends and a goofy smile. (And doesn't David Bain look like Dick Hubbard?) Perhaps a chat show with newly released prisoners taking regular guest spots? I jest, but looking at the volume of uncritical attention the man has received on his release, you'd think he had done something notable and worthwhile.

Broken Windows

Broken Windows is the title of the latest hottest "everyone must read and talk about it" book for American business leaders. It's about the bad signals, inconsistencies and poor service which author Michael Levine contends, drive away customers. This summary is his: "a broken window can be a sloppy counter, a poorly located sale item, a randomly organised menu, or an employee with a bad attitude. It can be physical, like a faded, flaking paint job, or symbolic, like a policy that requires consumers to pay for customer service. When the waiter at a Chinese restaurant is named Billy Bob, that's a broken window. When a call for help in assembling a bicycle results in a twenty-minute hold on the phone (playing the same music over and over), that's a broken window. When a consumer asks why she can't return her blouse at the counter and is told, "Because that's the rule," that's a broken window. They're everywhere. Except at the really sharp businesses."

Colombia's answer to Dancing with the Stars.

It's worth a look. View at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSgSyfy_jdo

Budget, property, tax, prosperity and the Lions Tour

With the budget now presented, where are the policies to improve labour productivity, cut the balance of payments deficit, reduce the skills shortage, halt the outflow of talented New Zealanders to Australia, increase economic growth and restore prosperity? It's a fair question. See http://www.johnbishop.co.nz/writer/articles/art290507.shtml

What words does Dr Cullen use in the budget? Development is popular, prosperity is not. See http://www.johnbishop.co.nz/writer/articles/art250507.shtml

Buying property as an investment to get a tax loss is to get more scrutiny from a new brigade of inspectors, but the underlying issue is not addressed. See http://www.johnbishop.co.nz/writer/articles/art260507.shtml

An earlier piece on the middle class rationale for losing money from buying property is at http://johnbishop.co.nz/writer/articles/art150507.shtml

Converting the visitors for the 2005 Lions tour into "walking, talking advocates for New Zealand", was the aim, but two years on, where's the evidence that it worked? See http://www.johnbishop.co.nz/writer/articles/art000507.shtml

Oh Happy Day

Ernst & Young has adopted a gospel standard as a corporate song. See the staff perform at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaIq9o1H1yo

IABC revived in Wellington

Once upon a long time ago, a group of people (including me) set up a New Zealand chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. That was 1988, when PRINZ was a dog, and SMEI was full of sales people. It flourished and then died slowly after about 2000 and was buried in 2003. Now a group of enthusiasts in Wellington have revived the chapter and it's starting to flourish: nearly 50 members in just a few months. To join or to find out more contact the chapter president lucy.sanderson-gammon@dia.govt.nz

Last chance to subscribe

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The daily green

Green issues are now so mainstream that Hearst newspapers has launched a website http://www.thedailygreen.com/ where there is news and commentary, links to various green bloggers, a daily poll question (of course, even yahooxtra has that), profiles of environmental personalities and even recipes (scallops with pernod and pasta on the day I found it).

Some trends of note

In the US more than 25 percent of Americans between 18 and 29 have abandoned their land lines and have only cellphones at home according to a federal study. The trend is said to have "profound implications on how these "cord-cutters" access emergency services like 911 and are represented in public polls."

Americans are also feeling that prime time television "is less important to them." Almost 75% report that programming is either less compelling or no more compelling than in past years, according to a study from advertising agency Publicis.

Sign Mystery Solved

In the last issue I highlighted this sign taped to the door of the Radio New Zealand building on The Terrace in Wellington as an example of a communication intended only for a tightly defined audience. Jim Mora picked out the item and had me read it on air on his show last week. A listener responded with a translation.

IEC TC 108 HBSDT Meeting
Plenary session is being held at James Cook Hotel.

"This is a technical standards committee. International Electrotechnical Commission Technical Committee No 108: Safety of Electronic Equipment within the field of Audio/Video, Information Technology and Communication Technology. I think the HSBDT is Hazard Based Standard Development Team," our tech savvy emailer explained.

But there's more

The management style described in the communication audit creates a framework that needs consideration before aiming towards a target market.

This is from a student essay. I am seriously considering running a competition for the most meaningless piece of waffle submitted in a tertiary level assignment. This one wouldn't win, but it might make the semi-finals. It looks like it might mean something, but I think (on reflection) that is just meaningless management speak regurgitated undigested. Other examples are welcomed.

In the language mangler

A description of a programme called Epitaph on Sky Movies says it is about the "SS Wairarapa and an Auckland sea captain who's (sic) obsessive love.... And then goes on to repeat the error saying it also "the story of a captain who's (sic) reckless actions ...

And on Dixon Street a sign for new apartments promises that they are "your's to own".

And in the Air New Zealand in-flight magazine under the Classic Hits channel listing is a track called "This Wheel's on Fire" which AbFab fans will recognise as the title track. It is credited to Lulie (sic) Driscoll , Brian Augar (sic) and the Trinity.

Incidentally you can view the original from Top of the Pops in 1968 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyO0Oe5Tx_Y

Project Failures - Crucial Conversations

There are five critical reasons why projects fail, according to a new study by VitalSmarts and the Concours Group, called Silence Falls. (http://www.silencefails.com/) The authors note that in the US two thirds of the major companies have replaced their CEOs in the last five years - often due to the CEOs' failures to deliver on critical projects. The failures weren't so much about strategy and decision-making as about execution. So what's going wrong? The five crucial conversations identified in the study are the most common and costly barriers to the success of a project. They are conversations that don't take place or don't take place properly.

- Fact free planning - projects with deadlines and resources that have no relationship with reality

- AWOL sponsors - sponsors who don't provide the leadership, political clout, time or energy to see a project through

- Skirting - people working around the priority setting process

- Project Chicken - team leader and project members who don't admit there are problems with the project, preferring someone else to speak up first

- Team failures - team members perpetuating dysfunction when they are unable or unwilling to support the project but are on the team anyway. Sound familiar?

The First Casualty

The first casualty of war is truth, as war correspondents have long known, but in the Iraq conflict, there were many more sources than just the accredited media. Soldiers with laptops were a powerful source of information and they blogged and posted freely - until recently anyway. Now the Pentagon has issued orders prohibiting US service personnel from posting to blogs and sending material to public websites without the permission of superiors. "Truth is the only thing I know that can always be defended," a bewailing blogger wrote. See Dr John Traham on http://blog.ragan.com/governmentgumbo/

ENDS

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