tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84835917198720306282024-03-14T03:02:26.262-04:00Communicate with Power®Barry McLoughlin's take on the media, politics and issues.Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.comBlogger157125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-45430769384637245162015-12-07T22:52:00.000-05:002015-12-07T22:52:02.114-05:00What's Behind the 'Real Change' Phenomenon?Well, here we are in Canada, with the new Trudeau Government's massive 'real change' program underway at home and around the globe, while the U.S. Presidential marathon - only a month shy of he Iowa caucuses - well underway. What ties these election campaigns together is one thing - the desire for 'real change'.<br />
Canada's new Parliament with the Liberals firmly in power, met for their first Question Period today, and it's a preview of what is to come. A change in policies and, one hopes, a change in tone. My preview of the expected changes in Question Period are quoted in this <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/parliament-government-ministers-critics-question-period-1.3351385">CBC News article</a>.<br />
Once every generation, comes a tidal wave of change in the political world - in Canada, that was 1968 when Pierre Trudeau brought massive change to Canada - in politics, public policy, and style. In 1984 it was Brian Mulroney. <br />
In 1960, it was John F. Kennedy who woke America up after the sleepy Eisenhower '50s with panache and vision. In 1980 it was Ronald Reagan. In 2008 it was Barack Obama. <br />
<b>The Tidal Wave Hits Canada</b><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yUZrH51b5VI/VmY-mBVL8-I/AAAAAAAAEfk/2iHtN3RkHGw/s1600/J.%2BTrudeau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yUZrH51b5VI/VmY-mBVL8-I/AAAAAAAAEfk/2iHtN3RkHGw/s200/J.%2BTrudeau.jpg" width="200" /></a>Flash forward to 2015 and that huge tidal wave is crashing into the world of politics in both Canada and the United States. Justin Trudeau, leader of the third party, put together a platform and a campaign strategy that swept into power, understanding that desire for 'real change' - not just in the 'what' but the 'how' of politics and policies.<br />
The Speech from the Throne, the agenda setter for the next year or two of Parliament, was titled, 'Making Real Change Happen'. That pretty well says it all. From middle class tax cuts, to taxing the rich, to climate change and many social issues, the 'change' agenda is underway.<br />
<b>The Tidal Wave Hits the U.S.</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DKdNnJxB_DY/VmY-W8B9IEI/AAAAAAAAEfY/Dzy9SsygqtY/s1600/donald-trump-trademarked-a-ronald-reagan-slogan-and-would-like-to-stop-other-republicans-from-using-it.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="100" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DKdNnJxB_DY/VmY-W8B9IEI/AAAAAAAAEfY/Dzy9SsygqtY/s200/donald-trump-trademarked-a-ronald-reagan-slogan-and-would-like-to-stop-other-republicans-from-using-it.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 'steal' from Ronald Reagan</td></tr>
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In the Presidential race, Donald Trump is able to throw caution (and common sense) to the wind and double down on the 'hard right' side of almost every issue. He has been leading the Republican race for months by throwing conventional wisdom on its ear and catering to the (primary--voting) Republican base. The latest example includes today's announcement that he wants to ban all Muslims from entering the country.<br />
It feeds on - and feeds - racist stereotypes that the San Bernardino and Paris terrorist attacks have intensified.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g3ut-dwDcKU/VmY_IfS_NfI/AAAAAAAAEfw/cd-g3v5iOFA/s1600/bernie-sanders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g3ut-dwDcKU/VmY_IfS_NfI/AAAAAAAAEfw/cd-g3v5iOFA/s200/bernie-sanders.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the real Larry David</td></tr>
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And on the farthest side of the political spectrum from Trump is Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) (a.k.a. Larry David) who has channeled the public's antipathy to 'politics as usual' into becoming a contender for the Democratic nomination.<br />
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Four years ago, who would have thought that either man would be a serious contender for the nominations of their parties? <br />
<b>What's Behind the 'Real Change' Phenomenon?</b><br />
<b>1. A feeling that 'politics as usual' has led the world to the mess</b> that we're in. This would include global issues such as climate change and Syria. Both are huge generators of demand for real change for the left and the right.<br />
<b>2. The randomness of the home grown ISIL terrorist attacks </b>has brought the specter of fear home to roost. In Canada, it's a much lower-grade 'concern' as the public aren't arming themselves in anticipation of Armegeddon. However, their concern about security was loud enough that the Trudeau government was forced to do a minor 'pivot' on their promise to bring over 25,000 Syrian refugees by December 31st, 2015. Instead, they moved the deadline to the end of February 2016 to ensure that the security checks would be thoroughly conducted. By listening and shifting accordingly, the public will forgive such a move.<br />
<b>3. Safe, 'moderate' politicians seem so yesterday.</b> In the Canadian election, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, leading in the polls, positioned himself as a 'safe' balanced budget kind of social democrat in order to buffer himself from the wild 'tax and spend' accusations that would rein down on him and his party. Justin Trudeau, sensing that was the wrong way to go, adeptly moved to the 'left' of him on the economy - promising deficits of $10 billion annually - as well as on social issues (legalizing marijuana). Trudeau became the most viable and strongest 'alternative' to the status quo (Stephen Harper's Conservatives). In the U.S. Presidential race, Hillary Clinton made the mistake of calling herself a 'moderate' not that long ago. She quickly re-booted herself as a 'progressive' because that is the voting base of the Democrats. It also ensured that there would be no more slippage to Sanders. It seems to have worked. [Also Canadians noticed how often Tom Mulcair now invokes the word progressive' - alas, since the election.]<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SeYzP6nvhnE/VmZNgRTjHtI/AAAAAAAAEgA/89102scKJfk/s1600/social_media_strategy111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SeYzP6nvhnE/VmZNgRTjHtI/AAAAAAAAEgA/89102scKJfk/s200/social_media_strategy111.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>4. Social media</b> has created numerous communities of interest who connect with each other, realize they have a voice, and have the channels to be heard. This has escalated in the past four years to the point where every age group is spending endless hours every day of online socializing, consuming and sharing information. It has, of course, a dark downside - as, for example, a recruiting ground for terrorists. But it also has the power to create huge waves of change - from the Arab Spring, to Ukraine, to those who felt that no one was listening and that they had no voice.<br />
<b>5. A charismatic leader</b> who can focus and ride that wave of change with vision, energy and a tone of optimism for the future. Barack Obama in 2008 came out of nowhere to take the Presidency by storm, combining many of the elements identified above. Unlike Sanders and Trump, who are highly unlikely to win the Presidency, Obama was able to secure the nomination and broaden his appeal to grab the undecideds and swing voters, which put him over the top.<br />
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Charisma isn't enough - nor is any one of these components. It takes strategy and near-perfect execution. The Trudeau campaign put all of that together, and now they have the ability to follow through on their promises. Oh, and the fastest way to lose that mantle of leadership? Fail to follow through on your promises!<br />
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So, welcome to the world of 'real change'. It's not going away anytime soon. <br />
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Until next time!<br />
Barry <br />
P.S. If you're interested in our Encountering the Media®, Getting Your Ideas Across® or Overcoming Panic and Fear: Risk and Crisis Communications in-house programs, just visit <a href="http://www.mcloughlinmedia.com/">McLoughlin Media</a><span id="goog_1986872519"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1986872520"></span> <br />
For how to lead organizations and teams through change, with our leadership and coaching programs, visit <a href="http://www.transformleaders.ca/">TransformLeaders.ca</a> Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-35641290519346249702015-10-20T13:44:00.000-04:002015-10-20T13:44:32.343-04:00Trudeau sweeps the country - how he did it?Here we are the morning after the end of the longest Canadian federal election campaign in modern history. The election of a majority Liberal government in a profound change in the style and attitude to government, the media, and the policies and priorities of government. How did Justin Trudeau and his team do it?<br />
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Three years ago, I wrote my blog post, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%C2%A0http://barrymcloughlin.blogspot.ca/2012/11/prime-minister-trudeau-possibly.html">Prime Minister Trudeau? Possibly</a>. In the piece I gave five reasons why he could very likely win the election - in spite of the fact that he was still just a candidate for the Liberal leadership. I review them today, not to say, 'I told you so', but to use them as a basis for understanding why he has gone from zero to the steps of 24 Sussex Dr. (the house where he lived as a child).</div>
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Much of it has come true. The single greatest reason, is 'time for a change' became not only dominant, but thanks to a very strategic and well-executed campaign, Trudeau was able to successfully position himself and his party as the clearest choice for change. After a decade in power, the tidal wave of 'change' takes out most political parties.<br />
Stephen Harper was intent on positioning himself as 'stability vs. risk'. No matter how he tried to execute that theme to his favour, it didn't work. The 'niqab' issue was raw meat for the Conservative base and for Quebecers but it ended up shifting votes away from Tom Mulcair and the NDP in Quebec - over to the Bloc, and even the Conservatives.<br />
Trudeau's opposition to Harper on the niqab issue didn't really hurt him, as he had little to lose in Quebec and everything to gain by the NDP slide.<br />
Overwhelmingly, Justin Trudeau resonated with the voters - 70% of whom wanted change. He echoed their frustration with the status quo; he filled in his policy blanks with an unexpected shift to the left of Mulcair on the economy (although Mulcair hotly disputes that). The bold, but easily accessible commitment to $10 billion annual deficits, combined with his 'tax the rich' policy not only didn't hurt him, but was the key to his successful re-positioning from a middle-of-the-road 'all things to all people' position of the past to a strong alternative to Stephen Harper's increasingly 'double down' strategy to secure and animate the 'right' side of the political spectrum.<br />
Trudeau continually exceeded expectations in most of the debates, and thanks to the steady Conservative airwar of 'He's just not ready' ads, he not only exceeded expectations, but scored several hits on Tom Mulcair in some of the debates. In my post-debate analyses on CPAC, CTV and other media interviews, I found myself saying consistently that Trudeau exceeded expectations, and would benefit the most from them.<br />
The lingering strategic question, is 'why didn't the Conservatives try to reach an additional 5% of the voters'? That is a voter segment that is a 'disruptive' target. Meaning, that whatever appeals to the first 32% (the base) is anathema to them. These would be known as the '10 second Tories', or the Red Tories -more socially 'progressive' but fiscally conservative - who would have made the difference between failure and success. So-called 'dog whistle' politics, as embodied by roiling the 'niqab' waters, could never have reached that critical voter segment.<br />
The inking of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) came late in the race and has not been disclosed in sufficient detail to make it into a critical 'pocket book' issue for those voters. Ironically, all that the NDP and the Conservatives could do in the final days was to hammer the TPP from opposite sides in order to cement their own ballot questions. Trudeau deftly dealt with it, saying 'I'm pro free trade but we have to see the deal first'.<br />
The last minute flare up of a 'scandal' involving a senior official providing advice to an energy company client, was the last gasp effort of both the Conservatives and the NDP but it came too late in the campaign, and it just didn't gain traction.<br />
<b>What can be learned out of the Trudeau victory?</b><br />
1. When the voters are feeling anxious, don't give them fear, give them hope.<br />
2. Engage the voters and the media. Stop hiding from debates (Conservative candidates seemed to send a signal to their voters that they didn't want to face them, or be accountable to them). And yes, the media can hurt you but when you start blaming them for your problems, it's more Nixon than Reagan.<br />
3. Understand what leadership today is all about. It's about listening, consulting, developing a consensus, generosity of spirit, empowering and trusting others. Trudeau projected a leadership aura that gave people an optimistic sense of the future. All successful leaders have done that - FDR, Churchill, Kennedy, Reagan, Mulroney, Chretien, Jack Layton, to name but a few.<br />
4. 'Fresh and new' with a bold agenda for change can trump experience, status quo policies with not much new being promised for the future.<br />
5. To go past ten years in office is possible, but it's a narrow window to get through, and can only be done with a clear narrative and a strategy brilliantly executed over a number of years.<br />
6. Campaigns matter! The third place Liberals at the beginning of the campaign were transformed through the 78 day campaign into a party and a leader that the public is willing to trust for the next four years.<br />
Regardless of anyone's political leanings, that is an accomplishment worthy of the history books.<br />
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Until next time.....thank you to all candidates from all the parties who got involved and had the courage to run - all of whom want a better country. A big recognition to the voters who turned out in record numbers (the most since 1993) to cast their ballots. It's great for democracy and a sign of hope for the future.<br />
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Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-71789308537655891832015-06-28T11:20:00.001-04:002015-06-28T11:20:17.150-04:00Communicate with Power®: John F. Kennedy's Transformational Leadership<a href="http://barrymcloughlin.blogspot.com/2015/06/john-f-kennedys-transformational.html?spref=bl">Communicate with Power®: John F. Kennedy's Transformational Leadership</a>: Welcome back! My thoughts on what makes for a transformational leader, "Where have all the leaders gone?" Looking forward to launching our new transformational leadership series of seminar/workshops July 13th to 16th: http://www.transformleaders.ca/courses<br />
"For those of you wondering where my blog has been in recent months, in my off-hours (which are always at a premium) I have be...Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-34204230193778440922015-06-16T16:37:00.000-04:002015-06-16T16:37:54.357-04:00John F. Kennedy's Transformational LeadershipWelcome back!<br />
For those of you wondering where my blog has been in recent months, in my off-hours (which are always at a premium) I have been incredibly busy. Besides doing our media and communications seminars in Jamaica, Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, Toronto, Winnipeg, and many other places, Laura and I have been busy starting a brand new venture on leadership development. We are partnering with Al Albania, John Westbrook and their team at Acart Communications (www.acart.ca) to form a new company, <a href="http://www.transformleaders.ca/">www.TransformLeaders.ca</a><br />
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With this partnership, we provide a series of leadership seminars, combined with online tools and follow-up coaching. <b>We will be continuing our McLoughlin Media company, of course!</b> This new company builds on our two companies' combined decades of experience in communications training, leadership counsel, strategic branding, advertising and social media marketing.<br />
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Of course, we will be continuing our McLoughlin Media company along with the media training seminars and communications counselling services that we offer. (<a href="http://www.mcloughlinmedia.com/">www.mcloughlinmedia.com</a>)<br />
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<b>So why start a new company?</b><br />
The world is rapidly changing and increasingly challenging. Every industry sector is affected by the global marketplace. Consumers are not only incredibly demanding, but, more importantly, can purchase their products and services wherever and whenever they want. Regulatory regimes, international trade agreements, taxpayers' demands and clients' expectations are transforming governments everywhere. What it takes to be a leader today is markedly different from years gone by - when one's position was enough to command respect. Change is transformational - and is everywhere, is disrupting entire industries as well as the way in which people work. What people want in their leaders has undergone a revolution.<br />
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Laura and I - along with our team - realized that more and more of our work involved developing and delivering what are the essential building blocks of today's leadership requirements.<br />
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At a time of intense focus on the need by organizations to develop leaders, we, in turn, laid the groundwork for this new venture during the past several years, taking courses at the Harvard Business School in 'Teaching the Case Study Method'; as Adjunct Professors at Carleton University, and working with political, corporate, union, government and Association leaders throughout North America and elsewhere.<br />
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In our <a href="http://www.transformleaders.ca/courses">Transformational Leadership Program</a> we have developed the curriculum based on our own experience, the best practices of clients and thought leaders around the world.<br />
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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."</div>
<span class="author3" style="float: left; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px; margin-left: 5em; padding-top: 1em;">~ Ralph Waldo Emerson </span><span class="author3" style="float: left; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px; margin-left: 5em; padding-top: 1em;"><br /></span><br />
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<b>Where have all the leaders gone?</b><br />
Fifty two years ago last week, President John F. Kennedy delivered two speeches on back-to-back days which changed the course of history. On June 10th, 1963 his American University commencement address sent a very different message to the Soviet Union leadership that it was time to explore avenues to peace - which ultimately led to the Test Ban Treaties over nuclear arms. The next evening, June 11th, Kennedy's speech to the nation about the vow by Alabama Governor George Wallace's to block the entry of two African-American students to enrol in the University of Alabama.<br />
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Just a few weeks ago, I attended a book club gathering, in which the guest speaker, Andrew Cohen, author of <a href="http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/225163/two-days-in-june-by-andrew-cohen/">Two Days in June</a>, spoke about John F. Kennedy's leadership on those two important speeches of his presidency. Kennedy went on national television with only a few hours notice and <a href="http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=jfk+speech+to+nation+June+11%2c+1963&FORM=HDRSC3#view=detail&mid=782AB5A03F7268BE9149782AB5A03F7268BE9149">spoke to the American people </a> about why such racism was completely unacceptable in American society.<br />
His speech set the table for the eventual passage of the Civil Rights Act by Lyndon Johnson. As Cohen so brilliantly captures on an hour-by-hour reenactment over those 48 hours, Kennedy not only inspired a nation, he changed the world.<br />
Of course, we don't have to be Presidents in order to become a leader that has the ability to transform a company, government agency or even our work units. We can all play a leadership role in our organizations, our communities and in our daily lives. Developing the skills sets, strengthening one's knowledge and understanding of others are critical to achieving our leadership capacity.<br />
<b>The world today is looking for transformational leadership. </b><br />
Everywhere we turn today, people are experiencing transformational change - at work, in society, and in their communities. With change comes anxiety. With anxiety comes division. With division comes conflict. With conflict comes the need for leadership. Leadership that will not just tell them what to do, but engage them in the quest for solutions.<br />
<b>Leadership Qualities of John F. Kennedy</b><br />
What were the leadership qualities that JFK exhibited on those two days?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JFK Civil Rights Speech 06/11/1963</td></tr>
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<b>1. He took risks.</b><br />
Interestingly enough, John F. Kennedy received lots of diplomatic - as well as political - advice not to proceed on the paths he had chosen. Yet he took a risk - less than 18 months before the 1964 election.<br />
<b>2. He took the long view.</b><br />
The challenge for political leaders is similar in one sense to CEOs of publicly traded companies. With the need to meet the market's quarterly expectations, taking the long view is rarely rewarded if those quarterly earnings aren't what analysts expected. Yet leadership is taking the long view. Short term wins at the expense of long-term thinking is a prescription for disaster.<br />
<b>3. He focused on people.</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JFK American U. Speech 06/10/1963</td></tr>
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In his American University speech, he reached out to both the American and Soviet people. He sought to humanize them, and that was rarely done at the height of the cold war.<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>"</b>And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's futures. And we are all mortal."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>4. He communicated a clear vision. </b></span></div>
Leaders can't blame the voters. CEOs can't blame analysts, shareholders or consumers. So, it isn't about blame. It's about the ability to see the big picture (vision), to be guided by values, listening, having a sense of priorities, and communicating effectively.<br />
As described in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/11/opinion/kennedys-civil-rights-triumph.html?_r=0">this New York Times op-ed by Prof. Peniel E. Joseph</a>:<br />
"...for the first time, [he] called [racism] a “<a href="http://bit.ly/11bdabM">moral issue</a>.” It seems obvious today that civil rights should be spoken of in universal terms, but at the time many white Americans still saw it as a regional, largely political question. And yet here was the leader of the country, asking “every American, regardless of where he lives,” to “stop and examine his conscience.”<br />
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In both those speeches - at American University on June 10th, 1963 and in his televised speech to the nation (the last few minutes of which were ad-libbed) on June 11th, Kennedy spoke to the higher aspirations, and deeply held moral views of the American people.<br />
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Although he was assassinated less than six months later (and we learned he was far from a perfect man); nevertheless, Kennedy's legacy of leadership lives on today.<br />
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<b>Barry J. McLoughlin, Senior Partner and Co-founder</b><br />
<b>TransformLeaders.ca <i>Build Your Brand from the Inside Out</i></b><br />
Check out our upcoming seminars here:<br />
<a href="http://www.transformleaders.ca/courses/open-enrollment/">http://www.transformleaders.ca/courses/open-enrollment/</a><br />
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<b><i>http://www.transformleaders.ca</i></b><br />
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<br />Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-76015809249904968642015-04-08T02:26:00.003-04:002015-04-08T09:58:57.450-04:006 Realities of the Duffy Trial<b>Senator Duffy Goes to Trial</b><br />
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Yesterday marked the opening day of the trial of Canada's best known suspended Senator, Mike Duffy. This 41 day trial, is gearing up to be a the highest-rated criminal trial in recent history. The media saturation coverage of their former broadcasting colleague guarantees that the trial will be a huge distraction for the electorate as the Harper government is trying to close the deal with voters in the run-up to the October election. As someone who has provided communications counsel on some political 'high profile' criminal trials (Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien) and Commissions of Inquiry (the Oliphant Commission of Inquiry into Mulroney/Schreiber), I have some thoughts on the realities of this trial.<br />
<b>6 Realities of the Duffy Trial</b><br />
Although it's a bit of a mug's game to predict outcomes in any criminal trial - and I certainly won't - it is interesting to deduce what we can about the impacts and outcomes of this trial:<br />
<b>1. It's not a 'slam dunk' for the Crown.</b> After the first day, it does seem pretty unlikely that Mr. Duffy can emerge from this trial without some of those charges sticking. After all, it took 13 minutes just to read the list of charges! However, it will prove difficult for the prosecution to reach the bar of 'beyond a reasonable doubt' on a number of those 31 criminal charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust. Assume that half of them will be thrown over the side as that bar will prove elusive to reach. If this were a civil suit, 'the balance of probabilities' bar would be much more achievable.<br />
<b>2. 'A wrinkle a day' can do more damage than one bad day. T</b>here may be no 'smoking gun' about the Prime Minister's knowledge of his former Chief of Staff Nigel Wright's cutting a cheque for $90,000. The damage will be in the form of 'a wrinkle a day' of bad news for the Harper government over the course of Mr. Duffy's carefully orchestrated defence strategy. His lawyer, Don Bayne is clearly brilliant at what he does and is positively surgical in his strategy and tactics. Expect to see numerous incisive cuts, jabs and twisting of the knife as he gives Mr. Duffy a powerful defence.<br />
<b>3. Stephen Harper may be the real beneficiary of the media tendency to 'overkill'. </b> It happened with the Rob Ford soap opera last year which triggered a backlash among voters who didn't want to hear any more about him, and they seemed to close their minds about any further criticism of Mr. Ford. It's hard to sustain 41 days of compelling interest in this story - except for the issue fanatics, commentators and journalists - who will be deeply fascinated by every twist and turn. Stephen Harper's base has already made up their mind about what they think of Mike Duffy. So the real battle is the not-so-committed voter who may - or may not - find the Duffy trial all that fascinating or may take a 'pox on all their houses' attitude to politicians.<br />
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<b>4. Stephen Harper needs to manage public expectations.</b> The media - and large segments of the population - expect him to be bloodied and battered by this - and if it turns out to be far less than expected, he may survive intact just by staying cool and continuing with his own agenda. That was evident yesterday when the Harper Government attempted to 'change the channel' for voters by making some pre-budget announcements. Although such news-making efforts are rarely successful at cancelling out the 'bad' news; nevertheless, watch for the Harper government to counter the trial's narrative with one of their own - heavily focused on the economy.<br />
<b>5. Leave the prosecution for the Crown. </b>The Opposition Leader, Tom Mulcair, has a chance to return to his prosecutorial style of attack in Question Period throughout the Duffy trial. This will give him a chance to recover some of the ground he has lost to Justin Trudeau. He knows that Mr. Trudeau's attacks are rarely as effective as his. He must know by now that the voter rarely falls in love with the prosecutor. However, both of them have to be cautious about getting in the way of the story emerging from the Ottawa courthouse a few blocks away. If Mulcair and Trudeau get too 'hot' or outraged over the daily trial news, they will merely look partisan and ineffective. Sometimes humour is the best way to inflict some damage.<br />
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<b>6. Why not have some fun with it?</b> The NDP didn't waste time in poking fun at Sen. Nancy Ruth and her inopportune comments about the Auditor General daring to question her about her expense claims for breakfast on the mornings that she would be on board a plane. She told a 'scrum' of reporters, in high dudgeon that she had breakfast because she had to suffer the outrage of "cold Camembert and broken crackers". (Although the clip of her on TV pronouncing Mike Duffy 'guilty' was that much more delicious than the Camembert.)<br />
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So, yes it's fascinating to follow - even on Twitter - which is how I did it yesterday. Mr. Duffy will take a pummelling, of course. Mr. Harper will be hurt, but he will have over four months to try to recover. There will be enough pain to go around, but the greatest pain recipient will be the Senate, which has absorbed so many hits to its reputation that now an openly hostile public wants to see it eliminated.<br />
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In the meantime.....we've got the Masters this weekend....and the Senators are still alive (the hockey version that is:) so life can't be all that bad!<br />
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Until next time.....<br />
Follow me on Twitter @mclomedia where I will be - what else? Tweeting on the trial and other matters.<br />
<br />Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-12230237300077522152015-01-05T21:01:00.004-05:002015-01-05T21:01:41.761-05:00Time to clear the decksHappy New Year!<br />
Now that we are all rested and recovered from a bruising year, it's time to turn our attention to 2015 and what may be in the cards politically. This is the time of year when consultants, journalists and social media aficionados routinely make predictions about what the future holds. I am going to resist the temptation to forecast, as it's a mug's game, at best.<br />
However, I think it's worthwhile to examine some of the tectonic shifts, and offer cues and tips which can provide some guidance going forward. I have done a few media interviews on the subject recently and here is one of them on Global TV's <a href="http://globalnews.ca/national/program/the-west-block" target="_blank">The West Block</a>. In that interview, my emphasis was on the key question that most winning leaders have to address, namely "who speaks for me?". In elections, that means the middle class, who are the big 'get'.<br />
<b>Clearing the decks</b><br />
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party are clearing the decks for the scheduled October 2015 election. Today he took care of two headaches that were soaking up too much media coverage and damaging his brand.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shuffling Minister Fantino</td></tr>
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The first one - he shuffled Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino out of that post where he had alienated many veterans' groups - over to Associate Minister of National Defence. This removes him from further attacks and puts him back in a portfolio where he has already served and is definitely lower profile. Mr. Harper's pick, Ontario MP Erin O'Toole, who has an Air Force background, is known as a good, solid communicator with an emotional intelligence that is critically important to the task at hand.<br />
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<b>Harper v. Wynne Face-Off on 'Hockey Night in Canada'</b><br />
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The second 'clearing of the decks' is that the Prime Minister is (finally) meeting with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne - with whom he hasn't met in over a year. The fact that he's squeezing it in before he attends the World Junior Hockey Championship between Canada and Russia, he hopes might remind voters of the highlight of his year: his retort to Vladimir Putin, "I guess I'll shake your hand, but I only have one thing to say to you - you need to get out of Ukraine".<br />
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The key message underlying this move is to demonstrate that he can get along with others of a different stripe, and in Wynne's case, someone who had used him as a punching bag in that election campaign.<br />
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<b>It's the Economy, Stupid </b><br />
He needs to turn most of the debate back to the economy, and with oil falling below $50 US, it will be good news for consumers, but bad news for the federal government's revenues (as it is for Alberta). So, even though the longer he waits to call the election, the bigger that deficit promises to be. However, Mr. Harper knows his core brand is the economy and his preferred ballot question is "who do you trust to steer the economy in difficult and dangerous times?"<br />
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<b>The 3 D's facing Mr. Harper: 'Daily Dose of Duffy'</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'3 D's for Harper: Daily Dose of Duffy'</td></tr>
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He also needs to clear the decks as there will be a cross wind coming from the Mike Duffy trial scheduled to eat up 40 days of media coverage from April to June this year, just at the Tories need a clear pre-summer launch to the campaign. It will be a challenge for the Prime Minister to shape the media agenda in the face of the 3 D's for Mr. Harper: the 'Daily Dose of Duffy'.<br />
What Mr. Harper needs to remind himself of, is that governments tend to get re-elected if their core theme is 'we did what we said we would do'. If that's what the voters think, then he has a good chance of being re-elected, with -at least- a minority government.<br />
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<b>From the 'there are no silver linings in this playbook' Bill Cosby</b><br />
Then there's Bill Cosby who doesn't seem to understand that when you're under fire for a series of sexual assaults, you don't go out and do a stand-up tour. Does he really need the money? Or is he just addicted to the (rapidly declining) adulation?<br />
<b>Kudos to Porter Airlines</b><br />
In the throes of a truly sad year-end story, of a young girl who was bumped from a flight along with her father on their way to her chemotherapy treatment in Toronto, Porter Airlines moved immediately to make it right, by apologizing to her and offering free flights to her and compensation to her father.<br />
Now that's a <a href="https://ca.news.yahoo.com/porter-airlines-bumped-chemotherapy-patient-133930433.html" target="_blank">classic 'how to' in public relations</a>, and, not so coincidentally, in doing the right thing after the wrong thing has been done.<br />
Kudos to Porter for remembering that.<br />
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Now, if only some politicians could learn the same lesson!<br />
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Until next time!<br />
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<br />Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-35468974683784480172014-10-31T02:18:00.001-04:002014-10-31T02:18:26.499-04:00Communicate with Power®: 7 Days: Crisis, Risk, Politics and Scandal<a href="http://barrymcloughlin.blogspot.com/2014/10/7-days-crisis-risk-politics-and-scandal.html?spref=bl">Communicate with Power®: 7 Days: Crisis, Risk, Politics and Scandal</a>: Welcome back... The saying that "a week is a lifetime in politics" has never been more apt than these past 7 days. In that time, ...Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-1822617598778849722014-10-31T01:57:00.001-04:002014-10-31T02:14:41.696-04:007 Days: Crisis, Risk, Politics and ScandalWelcome back...<br />
The saying that "a week is a lifetime in politics" has never been more apt than these past 7 days. In that time, we have seen the 'risk' of Ebola arrive in New York. Prime Minister Harper is on a public rebound following his determined and compassionate response to the 'crisis' in Ottawa. The nation and people around the world mourned the murder of a heroic young man, while in the world of 'politics' John Tory emerged victorious from the Toronto Mayor's race. 'Scandal' in the world of broadcasting has set the Twitterverse® on fire with Jian Gomeshi, host of CBC Radio and NPR's 'Q' fired by the CBC after stories emerge alleging physical abuse and sexual improprieties. The week was an exceptional mix of <b>Crisis, Politics, Risk and Scandal</b>. What to make of it all?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Reliant-upon-Twitter® coverage</td></tr>
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<b>CRISIS</b><br />
The terrible events in and around Parliament Hil last week triggered by the shocking murder of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo while standing on guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier left Canadians and people around the world angered and saddened by what they saw unfolding on their television screens. In media terms, the network anchors, print and radio reporters did an excellent job under very difficult circumstances to report it in as responsible a way as they could. However, the media had to rely heavily upon Twitter® accounts for their news, resulting in inaccuracies and speculation (about a 'second gunman', another shooting at the Rideau Centre or the Chateau Laurier). That - combined with only the sketchiest of hard news from the authorities, kept the fear factor high for much of the day.<br />
Although a great deal of appreciation is owed to our police and security personnel who managed the terrible situation, lessons can be learned about how to keep the public and the media informed while protecting the public.<br />
<b><u>5 'Crisis' Lessons that we learned from the terrible events in Ottawa:</u> </b><br />
<b>1. Identify in advance, and execute instantly, an Incident Command system</b>, in which all of the key police, security, medical and other members are acting in a coordinated, coherent way.<br />
<b>2. Set up and utilize regular social media and traditional media channels </b>and update throughout the event.<br />
<b>3. Don't leave long gaps between announcements,</b> as the media will fill it with social media commentary and raw 'reports' that can serve to confuse, rather than inform. There was a clear vacuum of official information throughout much of the day, as downtown Ottawa was shut down in search for the 'second gunman' who never materialized.<br />
<b>4. Don't hold a news conference with no news to announce</b>. At 2 pm, the media were called to RCMP headquarters for a 'joint news conference' that mostly involved deflections, instead of advancing what we already knew. Better off not to have one until you can bring certainty to the situation.<br />
<b>5. Seek to reduce anxiety. </b>Although they did a good job of inviting members of the public to share photos or video that would help in the operation, the police could have expanded on their use of social media to reduce anxiety and provide clear directions to the public on an ongoing basis.<br />
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However, those lessons should that take nothing away from the courageous and determined efforts of the RCMP, Ottawa Police Force and the heroics of the House of Commons and Senate security staff - particularly the actions of House of Commons Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers in taking down the gunman before he could inflict any further harm. The media too should receive kudos for their difficult work under fire as fear and anxiety reigned throughout downtown Ottawa.<br />
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In the aftermath, the Harper Government tabled long-delayed legislation to strengthen security provisions against terrorism. According to <a href="http://www.ipolitics.ca/2014/10/28/the-ekos-poll-fear-fades-values-endure/" target="_blank">Ekos Research polling</a> the public's initial acceptance of such state actions, subsides in the long run. But before the next election? That depends, of course, on when it is. However, Mr. Harper is wasting no time to find out.<br />
<b>POLITICS</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">PM unveils child tax credit plan</td></tr>
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Within days, the Prime Minister's well-orchestrated pre-campaign announcement of income-splitting between couples combined with increased tax credits for children will mean over $1100 for the average family in their pockets. It looks like the run-up to the election is near. Combined with the Mike Duffy criminal trial scheduled for April 2015, speculation is rampant that the Prime Minister intends to pull the plug on his government in the late winter - wrapped around a balanced budget. Those tax benefits are clearly targeting not just the Conservatives base, but their 'voter universe' - including middle income taxpayers in the growing suburbs around all metropolitan centres such as the GTA.<br />
Let's put it this way. The Prime Minister is clearly keeping his electoral options open. He wants to be in a position to go when he wants - rather than waiting for his own fixed election date of next October. One thing we know after nine years in power.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Toronto Mayor-Elect John Tory</td></tr>
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The Toronto Mayor's race ended a little more closely than predicted, with the defeat of Doug Ford, standing in for his ailing brother Rob (who was elected Councillor for Etobicoke) and the election of John Tory. Politics in Toronto might get dull again. But, in politics, especially in Canada, being 'dull' ain't too bad eh? Having worked closely with John Tory in the past, I am confident that he will do an excellent job of moving Toronto forward, while staying off the Jimmy Kimmel Show!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Canada 150th Ad</td></tr>
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<b>The Power of Incumbency On the Airwaves</b><br />
Of course what would politics be without advertising? Which brings me to the issue of <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV+Shows/The+National/Politics/ID/2563937121/" target="_blank">Government ads - are they a propaganda tool?</a> Here on the CBC News' 'The National with Wendy Mesley', I give my analysis of the thin line separating government public service ads from political propaganda. Although these ads do not cross the line in my view, but they do demonstrate the power of incumbency.<br />
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<b>RISK </b><br />
First, whether it's Ebola or 'terrorist' actions, count on over-reactions from the public. The basic principle - which we teach in our <a href="http://www.mcloughlinmedia.com/riskandcrisisseminarsp45.php" target="_blank">Communicating Risk Seminar</a> - is that is that the public tends to underestimate real threats (flu) and tends to overestimate perceived threats that pose much less risk (Ebola).<br />
Why?<br />
One reason is that the traditional definition of risk was this formula: 'Amount of Hazard x Likelihood of Occurrence = Risk".<br />
According to Peter Sandman of Rutgers University, today the definition is: "Amount of Hazard + Public Outrage = Risk".<br />
The public was outraged once Ebola landed in Texas, and again in New York, due to medical personnel who, themselves, under-estimated their own exposure to Ebola. When the state governors over-reacted to the threat by issuing mandatory quarantine orders for all returning doctors and nurses from West Africa (without taking into account the huge disincentive for organizations such as 'Doctors without Borders'<br />
At the political level, it translates into over-reactions by Governors Christie (New Jersey), Cuomo (New York), Lepage (Maine). Although, just yesterday, after a mounting backlash against the mandatory quarantine, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/31/nyregion/new-york-state-offers-protections-for-medical-workers-joining-ebola-fight.html?_r=0" target="_blank">New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio</a> announced a plan to financially compensate medical personnel who volunteered to fight Ebola in West Africa. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nurse Hickox defies the quarantine</td></tr>
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However, Gov. LePage is losing in the court of public opinion over his enforcement of the quarantine agains nurse Kacie Hickox as she defies the Governor's actions. He appears determined to make her a hero. President Obama has moved to pick up on the growing public sentiment that it's wrong to treat medical professionals in this manner. However, we are days away from the mid-term elections, so it's all fodder for the political machines.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pi6wZes9fe0/VFMBZ-elYZI/AAAAAAAADy0/gn_wEpngAoY/s1600/q-with-jian-ghomeshi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pi6wZes9fe0/VFMBZ-elYZI/AAAAAAAADy0/gn_wEpngAoY/s1600/q-with-jian-ghomeshi.jpg" height="95" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jian Gomeshi in happier times</td></tr>
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<b>SCANDAL</b><br />
Finally, the Jian Gomeshi escalating 'scandal'. As I posted early on in the unfolding story, his decision to post a 1600 word Facebook statement in which he attempted to jump ahead of the brewing scandal, only ended up triggering the Toronto Star to publish the results of its investigations, including detailed allegations from women who had powerful stories to tell that contradicted Gomeshi's attempts to paint his behaviour as 'kinky' rather than violence against women. The public outrage was so great that it backfired on Gomeshi - to the point where even his own <a href="http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/other/jian-ghomeshi%E2%80%99s-pr-firm-drops-former-cbc-star/ar-BBc63qz" target="_blank">crisis communications and public relations firms</a> fired him! [That is usually done when the client doesn't tell you the essential truth and the firm ends up wearing the disaster.] The CBC is moving quickly to investigate his behaviour at the CBC by bringing in an outside investigator. As more and more women come forward with stories of his conduct, one can already see that the tide has shifted.<br />
<b> 'Never pick a fight with people who buys ink by the barrel'. (Mark Twain)</b><br />
Of course, the CBC is already demonstrating that it has enormous resources to air 'the other side' of the story in which every day, Jian is looking worse and worse. Mr. Gomeshi is going to wish that he had stayed with his original storyline, that he "wanted to take some time to deal with personal issues". As normally happens in these stories, there is a rush to judgement. We need to remember, however, that he has not been charged with any crime, and even if he is, he is presumed innocent. So, even though his handling of the case has been spectacularly ineffective, we need to wait until the process is completed before deciding ultimately the true nature and extent of what he has done.<br />
In the meantime, however, his once spectacular career has become 'toast'.<br />
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Until next time!Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-31754144568181564612014-10-23T00:49:00.002-04:002014-10-23T00:49:13.957-04:00Crisis Communications 101: Overcoming Panic and FearWelcome back. It's a sober day in Ottawa, with the sounds of gunfire still ringing in our ears following the terrible events of today in the Nation's Capital. As with all Canadians, as well as from friends we've been hearing from in the United States and around the world through social media, we are left with a sense of profound sadness and a realization that our world somehow won't be the same again.<br />
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<b>Crisis Communications 101: Overcoming Panic and Fear</b><br />
As with many emergencies and crises, communications is critically important to:<br />
1. help the management of the response itself by giving people clear information and directions<br />
2. rapidly de-escalate the crisis, and<br />
3. create confidence in the public that the situation is being handled credibly and coherently.<br />
So, having established those goals, let's look at how communications was handled by police, politicians and the government in the terrible events of October 22nd?<br />
1<b>. Speak only on facts.</b> This was - for the most part - accomplished under very difficult circumstances, while operating without perfect information. Given that the situation was still 'fluid' or 'active' as officials said, there were bound to be contradictory information and a certain level of confusion. This was particularly true in this crisis regarding the possibility of another gunman. The gravest error - under great pressure to reassure - would have been to give false assurances that there wasn't another gunman. The simple fact is that the security and police forces couldn't rule out that possibility. As a result, the security perimeter kept widening around Parliament Hill (where the shooter was killed) and the National War Memorial (where Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was cold-bloodedly murdered).<br />
<b>2. Get information out quickly - even when you don't have all the answers. </b>The police forces began tweeting very quickly with information - as well as requests for photos and videos from the public.<b> </b>Although it took four hours before a news conference was held, it was reasonable in the circumstances. The news conference itself, held at RCMP Headquarters, didn't provide much new information and the response to it by journalists and the public (as evidenced by social media) was one of disappointment. So, either they needed to wait until they had something more solid, or perhaps go earlier with a quick update. However, they would no doubt have been equally criticized in either of those scenarios too. All in all, it demonstrated coherent action among the RCMP, Ottawa Police, the Canadian Forces and the Mayor of Ottawa - was the best they could do in the circumstances.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6XeU4E6yv0M/VEiGXikfK5I/AAAAAAAADu0/xrhMsZJvshI/s1600/PMSH%2Baddresses%2Bthe%2Bnation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6XeU4E6yv0M/VEiGXikfK5I/AAAAAAAADu0/xrhMsZJvshI/s1600/PMSH%2Baddresses%2Bthe%2Bnation.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A somber PM addresses the nation</td></tr>
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<b>3. Political Leaders need to be present - but not 'political'.</b> The Prime Minister's Office issued a statement early on but the decision was taken for Prime Minister Harper to wait until 7 pm to speak - which some felt seemed a little late - as President Obama had made remarks and shared his condolences hours earlier from the White House. Nevertheless, the PM, as with Opposition Leader Tom Mulcair and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau - all did an equally good job of their statements of condolences, praise and determination. Mayor Jim Watson of Ottawa also did an excellent job of conveying the feelings of the people of Ottawa at the news conference and in subsequent media interviews.<br />
<b>4. Communicate action that people need to take without invoking 'panic'.</b> This, the RCMP and Ottawa Police did superbly well. Their orders to 'shelter in place' for those in downtown offices and for the rest of the public to stay away were respected and followed. [I was downtown in my car a block away on Queen St. in the first hour, and the sense of order was already apparent].<br />
<b>5. Manage public perceptions and expectations.</b> This was done very well, overall. The perception of professionalism and purposeful response was evident from the beginning of the crisis. They didn't fall into the trap of 'over-promising and under-delivering' on expectations. Instead, the RCMP, Ottawa Police and Canadian Forces managed and fine-tuned our expectations well, and as the afternoon wore on, you could feel the relief start to take hold. By early evening, as with many of our neighbours, people emerged from their homes to walk their dogs, get some air, and try to feel 'normal' again.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k-KtHa6BTk8/VEh_zlNibCI/AAAAAAAADuU/_M09Ayac7Sw/s1600/Cpl.%2BNathan%2BCirillo%2C%2BR.I.P..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k-KtHa6BTk8/VEh_zlNibCI/AAAAAAAADuU/_M09Ayac7Sw/s1600/Cpl.%2BNathan%2BCirillo%2C%2BR.I.P..jpg" height="111" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cpl. Cirillo minutes before on duty, R.I.P.</td></tr>
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Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, who sacrificed his young life in duty for his country. It is difficult to find the words to convey how profoundly we admire and respect his sense of devotion and the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that the public never forget those who had fallen in defence of our nation's values. Now, we in turn, owe him that determination.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L4LcXF5TKwQ/VEiFzdUUxPI/AAAAAAAADus/jEdaNDuypjI/s1600/A%2Btrue%2Bhero%2B-%2BSgt-at-Arms%2BVickers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L4LcXF5TKwQ/VEiFzdUUxPI/AAAAAAAADus/jEdaNDuypjI/s1600/A%2Btrue%2Bhero%2B-%2BSgt-at-Arms%2BVickers.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A true hero, Sgt-at-Arms Kevin Vickers</td></tr>
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Finally, amidst all of that sorrow, however, there were inspirational stories - ranging from ordinary tourists and passersby pitching in to volunteer medical aid to Cpl. Cirillo - to Parliament's Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers who saved many lives by taking down the gunman - to police, emergency and security personnel - who acted with courage and professionalism to contain and reduce what could have been a far worse tragedy today. And yes, to journalists - print, radio and TV - who kept us informed, with restraint and tact, at risk to themselves on this terrible day, thank you.<br />
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Follow Barry on twitter.com/mclomedia or subscribe to this blog 'Communicate with Power®' by emailing mclomedia@msn.com.Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-37312528520050579222014-07-29T10:26:00.000-04:002014-07-29T11:58:14.991-04:00Politics at the movies<b>Coming soon...to a multiplex from hell...Politics at the Movies</b><br />
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Here we are at the mid-summer mark. As it has turned out to be a particularly tragedy-laced summer internationally - the shooting-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH 17 in Ukraine; the explosive and deadly bombings and killings in Gaza; the strange and tragic crash of Air Algerie in Mali...and now an Ebola outbreak in West Africa! If one cares about the world, it's not exactly the hazy, lazy days of summer, is it? </div>
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Laura Peck and I have been traveling - to Washington, Boston (where we completed the Certificate program, <u>Teaching the Case Study Method</u> at the Harvard Business School), Toronto, Labrador, Halifax and a few other places - all for work, alas, but I've tried to squeeze in a day here and there to read, think, swim and try to enjoy a pretty hit-and-miss summer when it comes to weather.<br />
Along with an occasional media interview, I've even managed to read a few books! Based on the recommendation of my daughter, Caroline, right now I'm deep into the second of a planned trilogy of novels about the life Cicero, by Robert Harris. The first was <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/22/books/review/Theroux.t.html?_r=0" target="_blank">Imperium</a> and the second - that I also can't put down - is <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/books/review/Bruni-t.html" target="_blank">Conspirata</a> (I hope by the time I finish it Robert Harris will have announced the publication of the closing chapter!). Who knew that in the 60s B.C. they played politics as dirty and as personal as today? Now there's fewer murders, but more political deaths by Twitter® and smart phone videos. They would make a great<span style="background-color: white;"> premium cable </span>mini-series for sure..... all of which leads me into the theme of this summer version of my blog post.<br />
<b>For Your Consideration...Politics at the Movies</b></div>
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Here are some sequels, re-makes and other summer flicks that you may want to consider as we head into the second half of summer. Will they be enough to rescue the anemic Hollywood Box Office this summer?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hLkUiANBz4Q/U9bMoF2Vv1I/AAAAAAAADHs/JfNXV0trmoQ/s1600/putin-reagan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hLkUiANBz4Q/U9bMoF2Vv1I/AAAAAAAADHs/JfNXV0trmoQ/s1600/putin-reagan.jpg" height="130" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putin in his first role as a typical tourist.</td></tr>
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1. <b style="font-style: italic;">A Most (Un) Wanted Man... </b>Now that Navi Pillay, the U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights, has labelled what happened to<i> </i>the shooting down - and the crash site aftermath - of Malaysia Air Flight 17, a 'war crime', perennial bad buy Vladimir Putin has done it again. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZHI2anY1opI/U9eX7_jDuwI/AAAAAAAADJE/GWBWI9hvNLw/s1600/harper+and+putin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZHI2anY1opI/U9eX7_jDuwI/AAAAAAAADJE/GWBWI9hvNLw/s1600/harper+and+putin.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harper freezes Putin's assets<br />
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However, in this international thriller, Putin comes head-to-head with Canada's own Stephen Harper who smacks him down by freezing his assets and those of his cronies. Will it be enough to stop the 'Back in the U.S.S.R.' tendencies of nemesis Putin? Not so fast, as Vlad [played by aging martial arts "star" Steven Seagal, who is a vocal admirer of Putin] is every bit the conniving vicious thug that one always suspected he was.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-36l7SWsixiw/U9eUIoiCNaI/AAAAAAAADI4/3A-bqgPFtLs/s1600/o-STEVEN-SEAGAL-PUTIN-570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-36l7SWsixiw/U9eUIoiCNaI/AAAAAAAADI4/3A-bqgPFtLs/s1600/o-STEVEN-SEAGAL-PUTIN-570.jpg" height="200" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seagal and his pal Vlad</td></tr>
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[Spoilers ahead!] Reports that he has managed to squirrel away $40 billion into his personal bank accounts, real estate and other nefarious 'investments' just pours salt into the wounds of those who have been particularly outraged by his Ukrainian atrocities. Vlad has played the role of villain to an extent that not even John Le Carré could have imagined. Not satisfied with stealing territories that don't belong to him, Seagal shows Putin stealing upwards of $40 billion through state-sanctioned extortion and bullying on the home front. The real question is, will EU countries turn a blind eye in hopes of maintaing their oil and gas imports? Will Harper be able to rally his fellow G7 leaders to avert a global catastrophe? You don't want to miss this climax!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZAL6qQGBvs/U9bzYOv4mWI/AAAAAAAADH8/7BZCRGBsQhM/s1600/bill-clinton_barack-obama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZAL6qQGBvs/U9bzYOv4mWI/AAAAAAAADH8/7BZCRGBsQhM/s1600/bill-clinton_barack-obama.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill threatens to upstage Barack</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b>2. A Solitary Man</b></i>... After years of disappointment in his dreams and dealing with his unhappy arranged marriage to the Republican-led Congress, Barack Obama [Denzel Washington] has mentally checked out from his life (but with none of the creepy fantasies and drugs from the original movie). Barack Obama has been hit with a lot of criticism as his career seems to be running out of gas. Critics say that he is 'dis-engaged' with all the big issues - while fund-raising, playing golf and dining with his Hollywood pals. Does his 'no-drama Obama' persona give people the impression that he's lost interest? As the movie reveals, Barack is never going to be the Bill Clinton 'feel your pain' kind of President no matter what. But can he pull it together for a final act to cap his career? Stay tuned!</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QhUAENuHDJI/U9b26RCD0HI/AAAAAAAADII/xzBOA3m5hzA/s1600/Hilary+in+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QhUAENuHDJI/U9b26RCD0HI/AAAAAAAADII/xzBOA3m5hzA/s1600/Hilary+in+2016.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a>3. <b><i>Secondary Colors</i></b><b style="font-style: italic;">..</b><b>.</b> With Emma Thompson reprising her <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119942/" target="_blank">Primary Colors</a> role, this sequel switches focus as Bill [played once again by John Travolta] plays second fiddle to Hillary who is gearing up for the Presidency in 2016. All jokes about pants suits and bad hair days have fallen by the wayside as Hillary proves she's up for the role of her lifetime. Yes, she stumbles - in one poignant scene, she tries to relate to ordinary folks, claiming she and Bill were essentially 'broke' when they left office. (Somehow, knowing each had a multi-million dollar book deal awaiting their signatures, triggered audience hisses and boos in the screening I attended.) Her speech-making fees - upwards of $250,000 - puts her in the category of ... well....Bill! So, there will be no pity party for her as she revs up her campaign early in the New Year. Although nothing is a done deal (as she herself learned in 2008), this movie promises that Hillary will be a formidable candidate. No more 'Tammy-Wynette-stand-by-your-man' for her. The only vacuuming going on in this movie is the dollars from the pockets of Democrat donors. </blockquote>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7vvBj9JPrp0/U9cB7Tm_AfI/AAAAAAAADIo/L3S9c1beJ2s/s1600/Trudeau,+Harper,+Mulcair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7vvBj9JPrp0/U9cB7Tm_AfI/AAAAAAAADIo/L3S9c1beJ2s/s1600/Trudeau,+Harper,+Mulcair.jpg" height="111" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House of Cards- Trudeau, Harper, Mulcair</td></tr>
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4<i>. <b>House of Cards: Another Foreign Adaptation...</b> </i>Frank Underwood would have a field day with this trio of politicos up north. The versatile Kevin Spacey hits the mark with this Canadian Netflix-only version of the political drama. This Hollywood North taxpayer-subsidized soap opera highlights the looming horse race in the 2015 federal election race, among Stephen Harper [Kevin Spacey], Justin Trudeau [Rob Lowe] and Thomas Mulcair [Tommy Lee Jones - he's can't capture the 'bearded Canadian intellectual' side of Mulcair, but he can play the crotchety aspects in his sleep]. The movie shows that anything can happen in an election campaign. It deftly illustrates what happened in recent provincial campaigns - Quebec and Ontario when the pundits had it wrong. The RCMP's laying of 31 charges against Mike Duffy [deftly played by SNL's Bobby Moynihan] triggers Tommy Lee Jones - as Mulcair - to play the defining role of his career - as the coldly incisive prosecutor. Although Mr. Mulcair would be best to remember that no one loves the prosecutor.</div>
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So, as we approach the Mid-Summer Night long weekend, it's perhaps the last chance for Hollywood to recover from a less-than-stellar box office summer. Let's hope that the movie of your summer beats anything that you see here! </div>
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Until next time.....</div>
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<span style="color: #606060; font-family: arial, 'helvetica neue', helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 15px;"><span style="color: black;">Barry J. McLoughlin</span></span><br />
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Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-57624777241402472322014-04-16T21:44:00.000-04:002014-04-16T21:44:04.699-04:00Jimmy, we hardly knew yeWelcome back...<br />
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<b>'Jimmy, we hardly knew ye'</b><br />
This post is devoted to Jim Flaherty whose State Funeral was broadcast earlier today. Laura and I were working in Los Angeles traveling when our son Brendan phoned us with the shocking news of his death last Thursday. Although we've been in Winnipeg the past few days, we were able to make it back home just in time to catch the broadcast. While flying home, I thought back over the Jim Flaherty that I knew.<br />
<b>Jim's gift of friendship</b><br />
Jim had the gift of friendship and there were many more who had deeper, long-lasting friendships with him, than I. However, being in the business of media training and coaching, I had the privilege of working with Jim Flaherty in his various Cabinet portfolios provincially, as well as his first leadership run. Several years later, as Finance Minister he came to me to prepare him prior to the delivery of his first Budget Speech. In between, Laura and I would bump into him on many different occasions and we always enjoyed our conversations.<br />
<b>The last time I spoke with him</b><br />
Being Irish-born, I found it easy to strike a rapport with him - a friendship which stayed true all the way through, including the last time we chatted a few weeks ago. It was after Sunday Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral and as Laura and I introduced to him our young adult children - Caroline, Brendan and Liam, we all joked about our shared propensity for Irish names. That triggered the rest of the conversation that was mostly about his three sons - Galen, Quinn and John. He positively glowed as he spoke of them. Although he clearly looked like he was struggling with his health, he was as hard-working as ever. In fact, he was on his way to the office to put the final touches on his Budget Speech - the last one he was to deliver, only a day later. When he resigned from Cabinet a few weeks later, we all thought that now he would be able to take the time to rest and get his health back. Tragically, it was not to be.<br />
<b> Jim 'slips away to the next room'</b><br />
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The State Funeral - with everyone wearing green ties and scarves in his honour - was a great tribute to Jim, as he was one of the most significant Finance Ministers in history. Prime Minister Harper did a superb job of capturing - with humour and emotion - both the tender side and the tough, determined side of Jim Flaherty. He revealed his own feelings as he addressed Jim's three sons, Galen, John and Quinn, about how he dealt with the loss of his own father eleven years ago. It was a very meaningful comment from a Prime Minister who doesn't often reveal his own personal feelings. Jim's family were remarkable in their poise and their tributes, that gave us insight into his role as a devoted father and a husband. Quinn's message to his father was both humorous and touching: "Put your feet up. Lay your head back. Close your eyes and relax. We will take it from here." And they did!<br />
His wife Christine Elliott, M.P.P., in one of the most unimaginably difficult things to do, gave a wonderful tribute, including these lines from the ballad, <u>Death is Nothing at All</u>, by Henry Scott Holland:<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">"Death is nothing at all.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">I have only slipped away to the next room.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">I am I and you are you.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">Whatever we were to each other, </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">That, we still are.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">Call me by my old familiar name.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">Speak to me in the easy way</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">which you always used.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">Put no difference into your tone.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">Laugh as we always laughed</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">at the little jokes we enjoyed together.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">Let my name be ever the household word</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">that it always was.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">Let it be spoken without effect.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">Without the trace of a shadow on it."</span></span><br />
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His sister Norah, in her funny but profound tribute, revealed that his siblings and parents always called him 'Jimmy'.<br />
<b>Jimmy we hardly knew ye</b><br />
The Irish song, "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" was used as the title of a book by Kenneth O'Donnell and Dave Powers about their boss, John F. Kennedy, that is a wistful way of saying, 'I'd wished we'd spent more time getting to know you'. That would capture how most people who knew him would feel about 'Jimmy' Flaherty.<br />
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On a personal level, what will be left behind was the memory of his laughter and deft wit - sardonic, self-deprecatory and playful - that left one feeling better about life and the world. He told more with his eyes than with his words at times. Helpful, in the sound-bite world inhabited by a Cabinet Minister whose every word is measured by the markets.<br />
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Something else stays with me in his personal story. While he was a Princeton student, Jim supported himself by driving a cab and bussing tables. I think that tells us a lot about his character and his ability to understand the realities of people's lives, and of those who need a 'hand up' [as illustrated by The Abilities Centre he created in his beloved hometown of Whitby].<br />
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His most significant contribution, of course, was his handling of the October 2008 economic meltdown, and the actions that he took - in concert with the Prime Minister and the Governor of the Bank of Canada, Mark Carney - to save the jobs of hundreds of thousands of Canadians and to ensure the continued flow of money in the economy.<br />
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As we saw in the State Funeral and in all the tributes that were shared in the days following his death, was how he was able to maintain personal friendships and respect across the aisle. Even though he had a partisan streak in him and could fight fiercely for what he believed, he had the gifts of friendship and empathy and was able to develop friendships with politicians of every stripe. We need more Jim Flahertys'!<br />
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So, to adapt a toast from one of my favourite movies, 'Waking Ned Devine',<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"<span style="line-height: 18px;">Take a drink and remember the man. </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">And raise your spirits to the sky. Raise them to Jim Flaherty. God bless you Jim, and may we be forever in your debt."</span> </span><br />
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Jimmy, we hardly knew ye!Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-9461473547432003482014-04-04T02:23:00.003-04:002014-04-04T02:23:59.476-04:006 Rules for Managing a ScandalWelcome back! It's been a whirlwind time at McLoughlin Media as we celebrate our 30th anniversary in April. Laura and I have been traveling from New York (media training); to L.A. (message development); to Montreal (media training); and Toronto (presentation skills). Earlier this week I was in beautiful St. Louis doing a seminar in crisis communications. So life has been busy.<br />
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Just yesterday, we completed the term for our course, 'Political Management and the Media' in the Clayton H. Riddell Masters of Political Management program at Carleton University. Once again, a great group of students who represent the political spectrum and who are an inspiration for the future of politics.<br />
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On April 7th Laura and I will be attending the Women in Communications and Technology Awards Gala at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa where Laura will be receiving the Communications Excellence Award. Congratulations Laura!<br />
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After that, Laura and I are back in L.A. where we are on a panel discussion at the Spring Meeting of the American Bar Association, April 11th, called <b>"Scandal Scarred: Managing Your Clients Through a Political or Government Scandal. </b>We're looking forward to it.<br />
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Which brings me to my topic of this post....<br />
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<b>Six Rules for Managing a Scandal</b><br />
Over the past thirty years, we have consulted on behalf of clients in the political, corporate, government and non-profit sectors. Here are some rules for managing scandals.<br />
<b>1. Make sure your client doesn't <a href="http://www.citynews.ca/2014/04/03/kimmel-slams-ford-after-mistaken-council-vote/" target="_blank">become a joke</a>.</b> This week's outrage was that Mayor Ford had to stand up and change two votes - in which he had voted AGAINST Council congratulating Canada's Olympic and Para-Olympian teams, and AGAINST naming a street after Nelson Mandela. Jimmy Kimmell had another field day with that piece of news, and even Bill Clinton weighed in [ironic isn't it?] Interestingly enough, it looks like Rob Ford will probably avoid criminal charges for his actions, but will it save his political future? Right now, it's even odds that he could pull off a victory in October against John Tory and Olivia Chow, as they seem determined not to bring up the Mayor's <i>ahem</i> peccadillos.<br />
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<b>2. Don't bring in people who are 'toxic' to manage other people.</b><br />
The antics of Conservative MP Eve Adams and her fiancé, Conservative Party Executive Director Dimitri Soudas have tripped up Prime Minister Harper's efforts to shake loose last year's Senate 'Scandal'. Now that Mr. Soudas has been let go, there isn't anyone in his camp willing to defend him. <br />
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<b>3. Turn the channel. </b>Mr. Harper's strongest suit as Prime Minister was on show last week as his visit to Ukraine, Germany and the G7 in Brussels showed him to be resolute in his stance for justice and call to action on Putin's take-over of Crimea. However, when he arrived home to the swirling controversy over the Dimitri Soudas-Eve Adams side-show, he must have been furious that he couldn't spend one day basking in the success of his European trip.<br />
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<b>4. Style of leadership matters. </b>The resignation of Alberta Premier Alison Redford underscores the importance of leading by listening and motivating - not by command and control. A government requires a team. It is not a one-person power machine. No matter the progress she was making in Alberta's economy and development, her style began to grate - first internally, and then with the public.<br />
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<b>5. Understand and respect your own brand.</b> Every successful government understands its brand - that is, it's promise to voters. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie still hasn't recovered the damage to his 'just folks, man of the people' brand as a result of the 'Bridge' scandal. In Canada, for three elections, the Conservative brand was powerfully and persuasively built, but it has eroded badly since the last election - on political reform, the military, veterans and even solid management. The Conservatives have only 18 months to re-discover their brand and get off the defensive.<br />
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<b>6. Make sure your message hits the target.</b> The government's 'Canada's Economic Advantage' campaign is long in the tooth and has lost its ability to move the dial. The party's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id5GBBR6RLU" target="_blank">'He's in way over his head'</a> personal attack ads on Justin Trudeau seem weirdly personal (clips of him removing his shirt) and not serious. Justin Trudeau's F-bomb at a charity boxing match last week, followed by his <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/04/02/justin-trudeau-makes-another-swear-rules-out-rob-ford-running-for-liberals-in-chummy-cbc-interview/" target="_blank">cursing on television last night</a> won't cause permanent damage. However, it does play into the counter-narrative that the Conservatives have proven so adept at creating - with former Liberal leaders Stephane Dion and Michael Ignatieff. Will lightning strike three times? Although Mr. Trudeau seems to have a teflon coating, the Conservatives are betting heavily that the attacks will start to stick.<br />
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So those are only <i>some </i>of the rules for managing a scandal. But they're a start!<br />
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Until next time......welcome to spring!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out our latest pocket tips books. </td></tr>
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<br />Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-68435259119477417782014-02-24T01:34:00.000-05:002014-02-24T01:34:03.643-05:005 Reasons Why Doubling Down Won't WorkWelcome back!<br />
It's been such a busy New Year that I haven't got around to a 2014 blog post until now. Laura and I just got back from New Jersey - where we did a seminar, and then New York City where we took a few days to unwind. Among the highlights was when we took in the new Broadway play, 'All the Way' about the first year of Lyndon Baines Johnson's presidency as he pushes the Civil Rights Bill through Congress. <br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ozwDvZaxoJI/Uwq26Wfhu8I/AAAAAAAABt0/V3FtE7GTm_o/s1600/Brian+Cranston+&+Barry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ozwDvZaxoJI/Uwq26Wfhu8I/AAAAAAAABt0/V3FtE7GTm_o/s1600/Brian+Cranston+&+Barry.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a>Playing LBJ was the multi-talented Bryan Cranston whose tour-de-force performance brought the Neil Simon Theater audience to its feet. We had a chance to meet him after the show, and I was impressed by his great attitude and patience with all the fans. The Breaking Bad star told me how he loved working in Canada, and rhymed off all the cities where he had worked - Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver. There wasn't a hint of Walter White that emerged!<br />
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<b>Gov. Christie Tries to Recover His Brand</b><br />
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While in the Tri-State area we were able to catch up on the travails of Gov. Chris Christie as he tries to recover from his Bridge issue. Although no one brought it up at a Town Hall meeting, the national media were all over it, looking for evidence that the issue had created permanent damage to his political brand - and thus his 2016 putative Presidential bid. Although two years is a lifetime in politics, he now has a mountain to climb in order to recover. What the allegedly deliberate traffic carnage revealed was a petty, partisan motive that was at odds with his brand of the truth-teller who wasn't going to let partisanship get in the way of helping his state. [Recall his bromance with President Obama in the post-Sandy recovery. A devastating critique by the New York Times' <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/23/opinion/sunday/dowd-christie-puts-the-gloves-on.html?ref=columnists&_r=0" target="_blank">Maureen Dowd</a> pretty well sums up his challenges. Which probably means...Jeb Bush will be testing the waters in a serious way.<br />
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<b>Doubling Down....and out?</b><br />
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I have just finished reading Mark Halperin and John Heilemann's insightful new book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Double-Down-Game-Change-2012-ebook/dp/B00C5R7EE6" target="_blank">Double Down</a>, their account of the 2012 Presidential election campaign. It's the follow-up book to their smash hit, <u>Game Change,</u> which was a brilliant chronicle of the 2008 Presidential campaign. Double down can be defined as, adopting a high-risk, high-reward strategy. Romney deployed it increasingly throughout the primaries and then in the Fall campaign - to increasingly disastrous results.<br />
As the Romney campaign 'doubled down' on his Republican base, and President Obama did the same with his Democrat base [which is wider], some lessons can be learned that apply elsewhere.<br />
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<b>5 Reasons why Doubling Down Won't Work</b><br />
<b>1. The public is increasingly fed up with 'politics as usual'.</b> Although this has been a long time in coming, any political party or leader who smacks of playing the same old partisan games is offside with the voter. When people are looking for signs of principle and character, such games are a major turn-off.<br />
<b>2. It makes it hard to reach the uncommitted voter.</b> Although it's vitally important to keep a political party's base onside the name of the game is the middle class voter who is worried about jobs and the economy. Doubling down on the base makes no effort to 'cross the chasm' to reach the uncommitted voter who is not politically invested.<br />
<b>3. The political zeitgeist is undergoing a profound change.</b> Personal attacks and cheap shots have lost their 'appeal'. Although they can gain headlines, getting personal is reminiscent of school yard bullies. Although it doesn't automatically show up in polls, when the public sees someone who represents change, not only in policies, but in vision and tone, they leap to it. Witness Obama in 2008 and - for a limited time in 2012-13 - Gov. Chris Christie. North of the border, Justin Trudeau is betting that his 'non-partisan' messaging and actions such as his Senate initiative will position him as less partisan and more in tune with the political zeitgeist.<br />
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<b>4. It's hard to project true leadership when you're busy attacking your opponents. </b>NDP Leader Tom Mulcair has proven to be an effective 'prosecutor' of Prime Minister Harper on the Senate 'scandal' issue. Yet very few flock to a prosecutor as a visionary. That may partially explain the lack of 'lift' under Mulcair in the past year. This past week, Defence Minister Rob Nicholson went out of his way to attack Lt. Gen. (ret.) Andrew Leslie for accepting a $72,000 payment to cover the costs of his final move, as allowed for in Canadian Forces policy]. While it might be red meat for the base, such an aggressive, personal attack runs the risk of being seen as mostly political in its motivation - as Leslie is now a declared Liberal defence policy adviser to Justin Trudeau. l.<br />
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<b>5. People get tired of hearing the same thing over and over again.</b> This is true in politics and it's also true in television. Piers Morgan doubled down on his belief that viewers would tune in to his repetitive anti-gun diatribes [no matter how legitimate some of them may have been]. The news that CNN is pulling the plug on <u>Piers Morgan Tonight</u> is not a big surprise.<br />
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I can't sign off without a special congratulations to my partner, Laura Peck, who started this company with me 30 years ago this year. It has just been announced that Laura has won the WCT [Women in Communications and Technology] <a href="http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1310123/wct-annual-awards-recognize-excellence-innovation-and-willingness-to-push-boundaries" target="_blank">Award for Communications Excellence</a>. The Awards Ceremony will be held on April 7th and I will proudly be there along with her.<br />
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<b>On a final note.....</b><b>Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people...</b><br />
Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine, with the events unfolding in Kiev leading to the removal of the President by the Ukrainian Parliament and the ordering of an election, I couldn't help but think back about five years when Laura and I were in Kiev and conducted three seminars for the three main courts of Ukraine. Hopefully, part of the new revolution will ensure that the rule of law will prevail, with an independent judiciary. Our thoughts and best wishes are for the Ukrainian people as they go through this historic revolution.<br />
So for now, it's off to Saskatchewan - where it's a dry cold - and we will see you all soon!<br />
Until next time....<br />
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<br />Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-60719911666183891142013-12-30T01:55:00.000-05:002013-12-30T01:55:01.108-05:002013 Communications DisastersWelcome back!<br />
It's that time of year when we pay tribute to the Communications Disasters of 2013. The purpose is to recognize the people and the organizations who defied the odds, went beyond the merely expected and tarnished their brands. But hey, at least you can say..... they did it their way!<br />
<b>1. Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse.....it does!</b><br />
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<b> Paula Deen </b>The cooking guru from Savannah, Georgia who managed to take an allegation of racist comments and single-handedly used it to destroy her own empire. At first, she ducked the Today Show to respond to the accusations by citing 'exhaustion'. Then when she <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PL02LMD8Gw" target="_blank">finally appeared</a> several days later, the damage had already been done. She was branded a 'racist' and took a pounding in all media - especially online. She lost her credibility and watched her brand become badly tarnished. She either received very bad crisis communications counsel, or she didn't listen to it.<br />
<b>2. Lululemon's customers just want him wrapped in his (over) stretched leotards and thrown to the wolves. </b><br />
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<b>Lululemon founder and Chair Chip Wilson</b>. Responding to questions on Bloomberg TV's <a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/956683/watch-chip-wilson-apologizes-for-saying-lululemon-pants-dont-work-for-some-bodies/" target="_blank">Street Smart program</a>, Wilson clearly was blaming women of a certain weight for causing the pilling problems about which customers had begun to complain. But the final straw was this so-called 'apology' on his website:<br />
“I’m sad, I’m really sad, I’m sad for the repercussions of my actions, I’m sad for the people of Lululemon who I care so much about, that have really had to face the brunt of my actions.” This is an apology?! The focus of his apology should have been to his customers and to women, whom he had clearly insulted.<br />
<b>3. The one good thing is ... smoking crack can never again be seen as 'cool'....</b><br />
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<b>Rob Ford was the clear winner of the "Disaster of the Year" Award. </b>The long-running, slow-motion, disaster featured crack-smoking, drunken binges, insulting comments about his wife, attacks on the Police Chief, video surveillance of the Mayor exchanging packages with known criminals, stolen video of the Mayor allegedly smoking crack, massive denials and then reversals, bowling over a fellow City Councillor, allegations of groping, and a threatened lawsuit earned in a TV interview with newly minted host, Conrad Black, in which he implied that a Toronto Star reporter who had been taking photos of his backyard fence was a pedophile. Of course, becoming the number one fodder for jokes on Letterman, Leno, Kimmel and Fallon turned him into an international celebrity. Watch this clip of Rob and Doug Ford clearly enjoying the video of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/11/19/rob-ford-jon-stewart-ford-nation-daily_n_4302469.html" target="_blank">Jon Stewart</a> on the first (and only) episode of Ford Nation on the Sun News Network. Defiant at all times, even while stripped of many of his powers, he seems determined to stand for re-election. However, at year's end, just when you thought he doesn't have a prayer for re-election...what does he do? He oversaw the Christmas time hydro ("it's not an emergency") blackout in Toronto to mixed reviews. For Mayor Ford, perhaps there is a Santa after all?<br />
<b>4. Nothing like a 'spending scandal' to boil taxpayers' blood, right?</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nigel Wright Sen. Mike Duffy</td></tr>
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The original story about three or four Senators, who were alleged to have claimed expenses to which they were not entitled, morphed into a full-blown crisis of credibility for the Harper Government with the revelation of the $90,000 paid personally by the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff, Nigel Wright, to Senator Mike Duffy. Throw in revelations that the Conservative Party Fund paid for Sen. Duffy's legal bills and there you have it - a full-blown crisis that knocked out of the headlines the government's accomplishments, including the EU Free Trade Deal. With possible criminal charges and no end in sight for the crisis, the Harper Government needs a Plan B if they're going to emerge fully from it.<br />
<b>5. I promise you that you can keep your own health plan if you want. Well not keep it exactly, but visit it, you know..just sign up on the internet...d'oh!</b><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n3JnDWiMbTk/Ur-K3cXRIEI/AAAAAAAABkY/Ka2UKsYlMwA/s1600/President%252BObama%252BSigns%252BHealth%252BCare%252BReform%252BBill%252BDXo97z9cIBnl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n3JnDWiMbTk/Ur-K3cXRIEI/AAAAAAAABkY/Ka2UKsYlMwA/s200/President%252BObama%252BSigns%252BHealth%252BCare%252BReform%252BBill%252BDXo97z9cIBnl.jpg" width="200" /></a>A mere 12 months after his election victory in which 'Obama-care'<br />
played a major role, the failed launch of the internet program triggered enormous public outrage. It didn't help that it took the Administration a couple of months to get hold of the situation and put it (mostly) back on track. All of this came on the heels of a recovering economy that the President would clearly have wanted to be lead the news. That's gotta hurt.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">6. At least you have to give him 'E' for Effort!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">The Lac Mégantic Train Derailment and the bizarre news conference four days later held by MMA Chairman Ed Burquardt will be a classic 'how not to' for years to come. </span></span></span></span></b><br />
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<b>Paying Tribute and Looking Ahead</b><br />
So, as we look ahead to 2014, one has to hope that those in positions of responsibility <strike>will learn from these disasters</strike>. Nah! That's not going to happen. Remember why crisis communications is an on-going business....apparently some people have to learn the same lessons over and over again!<br />
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A few disasters were exceptionally well handled -<b> the Boston marathon bombing</b> was well handled even as the city spent several days with the bombers on the loose. The Mayor, the police and community leaders did a terrific job of pulling the city together in a united way. That is one of the hallmarks of effective crisis communications. When the Red Sox won the World Series later that year, it brought it all together in such an emotional and positive way.<br />
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<b>The Alberta flood </b>was a nightmare that was well handled by Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi in cooperation with Prime Minister Harper and Premier Alison Redford. The Mayor's ability to pull those communities together at a time of emotional chaos was a critical factor in the response to those crises.<br />
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<b>The qualities of true leaders</b><br />
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So let's remember, finally, the two leaders who seemed to have understood what it means to be a leader:<br />
First, Pope Francis (Time's Man of the Year) whose simple style and powerfully inclusive messages have served to change the climate, the tone and the priorities of the Church in a few short months. As a result, he has created the opportunity to be a truly transformational leader throughout the world.<br />
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The passing of Nelson Mandela in December has reminded the world of his incredible journey that has inspired the world. I just saw <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2304771/" target="_blank">Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom</a>, and was inspired all over again by what a true leader - even though he was an admittedly flawed human being - can do in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds. The genuine worldwide sorrow at his passing underscores what he meant to the entire world.<br />
<b>Happy New Year!</b><br />
On behalf of Laura and the entire McLoughlin Media company and family, we want to wish all of our clients, friends and suppliers a Happy, healthy and 'no crisis' New Year!Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-25985204518627664922013-11-22T00:28:00.000-05:002013-11-24T10:27:07.384-05:00Why I remember JFKNovember 22, 1963. To my generation, it was a terrible watershed in our lives. Those of us alive remember where we were and how we heard of the assassination of JFK. Could it really be 50 years ago? Why are we still talking about it all these decades later? Here are my memories and why his life - not just his death - matters to me.<br />
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I was a newspaper delivery boy along with my brother Stephen in Toronto (more precisely North York) in the autumn of 1963. Our family were classic Irish immigrants - two portraits on the wall in our home - one of Pope John XXIII and the other, John F. Kennedy. On that day, I was in Mr. Wenzel's Grade 7 class joking around, as usual, when the Principal, Mr. Kiesinger, popped his head in the door at 2:38 and said, "I thought you might want to hear this". Within a moment, on the PA system came the announcer, "John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States is dead." We were stunned. The word 'assassination' entered our vocabulary. Some of the girls cried. I blurted out something about Kruschev, but deep down I was devastated.<br />
We were dismissed from school early, and when I arrived at home, my mother was in tears watching the television. From that moment on our entire family was glued to the television for the next three days - including the surreal scene from the Dallas jail of Oswald's killing by Jack Ruby.<br />
Most of the media coverage and commentary understandably focuses on his assassination - understandably. The plot scenarios get rolled out - some more fantastical with each passing year. I have read most of the books, but I do no find them ultimately persuasive. I believe that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin. Yes there are unanswered questions and tantalizing threads, and I remain open minded, but so far, they are not credible.<br />
I was always more interested in reading about his life and his Presidency. We have learned that he was a flawed man in his private life, but he changed America, and the world. With panache, style and wit, he represented a fresh, appealing view of what was possible as individuals, and ultimately as citizens of the world.<br />
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He was a man who was constantly learning and evolving. His views and his stance on civil rights, nuclear disarmament and Vietnam had changed dramatically. In the fascinating book: <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/JFKs-Last-Hundred-Days-Transformation/dp/159420425X" target="_blank">JFK's Last Hundred Days</a>: 'The Transformation of a Man and the Emergence of a Great President', author Thurston Clarke paints a picture of a man who had gone through the profoundly personal tragedy of the loss of his stillborn son, Patrick; his evolution from a cautious politician to a confident national and world leader are convincingly laid out by Clarke in his book. I had the opportunity to meet him at an event at the Canadian War Museum and the book is a must-read for Kennedy-ophiles.<br />
Given my enduring fascination by JFK - and equally his brother, Bobby - it seemed inevitable that I would end up at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard (now known as the Harvard Kennedy School). Nicknamed 'Camelot High', the Kennedy School turned out to be an even greater experience than I had imagined. One of our profs, the late Richard Neustadt, was a Kennedy aide, and a well known expert on Presidential power. He shared with us wonderful anecdotes of JFK. "He was the smartest man I ever knew", said Neustadt.<br />
While there, I attended a 20th anniversary panel discussion of the Cuban Missile Crisis and had the opportunity to see McGeorge Bundy and others who were right there during this crisis. They shared their recollections of how Kennedy refused to listen to the advice to unleash nuclear weapons on Cuba and instead - with the help of his brother - find a negotiated solution. The world really was teetering on the edge of nuclear war. Kennedy, with the ability to stay cool and skeptical, was able to weigh carefully the advice of the military leaders anxious to have him press the button.<br />
<b>Jackie Kennedy</b><br />
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For a good number of years, Laura and I would bring the kids to Martha's Vineyard for our summer vacation. Usually once or twice a summer we would run into Jackie - walking along the streets of Vineyard Haven. A pleasant smile and a nod would be exchanged. She was able to live her life largely left alone and as long as one respected that, everyone was cool with it. One time in particular sticks in my mind about her. We were at a native American moccasin store at Gay Head (now called Aquinnah). In came Jackie with what we guessed were her grand-nieces - shopping for moccasins. What was great about that was her complete naturalness as she helped the girls try on the moccasins and we ended up trading back and forth various sizes. It was great to experience what she was like - completely unaffected - and we never reacted as if we knew who she was. It all went wonderfully - until a few tourists showed up - with cameras, and they started filming her from the doorway. She quickly wrapped up her business and slipped out to her blue Ford Explorer (parked next to our car, as it turned out) and drove off.<br />
It struck me at times like that how determined she seemed to be to live a 'normal' life and she succeeded in doing so as much as possible.<br />
<b>JFK 'I'm an idealist without illusions'</b><br />
Will there ever be another JFK? Our world has become so much more cynical since that November day. Our political life has turned crass and mean. Yet, to balance this off, I have the privilege of interviewing young people applying to Harvard each year, and it's a wonderful experience in that it reminds me that there still are idealistic youth who want to change the world.<br />
So on this 50th anniversary, I think of what the late Sen. Pat Moynihan (D-NY) said to columnist Mary McGrory as they were on the tarmac at Andrews Air Force base watching President Kennedy's casket being lowered to the ground. Mary said to him in anguish, "Pat do you think we'll ever laugh again?" Moynihan replied, "Mary, we'll laugh again. But we'll never be young again."<br />
Let's spare a moment today to think of JFK - for what he accomplished and where our world would be today if he had lived.<br />
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Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-63220171829241971972013-11-18T09:39:00.000-05:002013-11-18T14:08:59.834-05:00Is there any chance for Rob Ford?<br />
Welcome back!<br />
Who is the happiest person in Canada right now? Why, that might well be Stephen Harper, who just a week or so ago was mired in the 'Senate scandal' and now sees a media universe dominated with far greater outrage and media fixation....the Rob Ford Follies. Laura and I spent a lot of time in Toronto last week, and the mood is not one of fun and games...it's a profound sadness that has taken hold over the soap opera. It's only as one goes farther afield across Canada and the United States does a certain giddiness take hold...leading to Saturday Night Live, the Daily Show and Letterman's Top Ten. It's not something that Toronto needs - as a city, it needs to be taken seriously. In this post, we will take a look to see if there really is any chance for Rob Ford at this late date?<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nCndHZlGOCQ/UofKZHbJpDI/AAAAAAAABZE/1mPehlirR38/s1600/rob-doug-ford-television.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nCndHZlGOCQ/UofKZHbJpDI/AAAAAAAABZE/1mPehlirR38/s200/rob-doug-ford-television.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Coming soon to Sun News Network.</b> I would be amazed if some creative reality TV producers haven't already inquired about the possibility of a series starring the Ford family. Given the international fame already generated by the daily feats of PR blunders by Mayor Rob and Brother Doug, it's entirely likely that they could rival Duck Dynasty or the Kardashians for viewers.<br />
Just when you think there's been nothing new to comment on regarding the Mayor, here comes another outrage to feast upon.<br />
I have been doing <a href="http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1044311&binId=1.1164511&playlistPageNum=1" target="_blank">my share of media interviews</a> - although not with any sense of glee - but to try to understand how intelligent people can violate every rule of ethical and effective crisis management - let alone common sense. Earlier in my career I had coached the late Doug Ford Sr. when he was a member of the provincial government. I found him to be a common sense, self-made, smart man who could sense political BS from a mile away. Ironically, it was those qualities of his father that made Rob Ford so appealing to the electorate back in 2010 when he ran for Toronto's mayoralty. It's exactly what seems to have left him over the past year or so. I have worked for a number of Mayors who have found themselves in trouble - some through no fault of their own - but the one common denominator that was needed to help them, was their recognition that something profound had to change in their conduct and messages. In Rob Ford's case, his political instincts seem to have left him; his ear for the 'Ford Nation' seems to have turned to tin. All the exposure on CNN's Anderson Cooper and Fox News is not going to help him. And now the only question remaining in his career is...<br />
<b>Is there any chance for Rob Ford?</b><br />
<b>Well, the odds are against him, but he has a slim chance. </b><br />
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Many point to the comeback king of crack-smoking mayors, Washington DC's Marion Barry whose FBI sting video of his arrest while caught in mid-puff, earned him a prison sentence. His infamous comment about the woman in the video, "the bitch set me up," put him in a deeper hole of public esteem. Nevertheless, only a few short years later he was re-elected Mayor, and, in fact, still serves on City Council. Now that's not an exact comparison; and Ford has not even been charged - and likely will never be - for his admission. However, Barry didn't lie - and as his supporters endlessly repeated - "he did his time". Mayor Ford chose not to tell the truth nor did he serve any penalty. However, Ford Nation is deeply loyal and, so far, have proven (amazingly so) to the Mayor. That support can dissipate and fracture. Ultimately, when people get tired of a circus, they don't want to go back. That is the ultimate danger to Rob Ford's future - that people just get tired of it. He needs to change the channel, but he appears to be in a deep rut, and doesn't want to get out of it.<br />
<b>Everybody loves a redemption story, but there's been no redemption here.</b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">His refusal to take a medical leave of absence and clean up his act has been one of the greatest failures of judgment in the entire sad spectacle. What he has failed to understand is that the public is enormously forgiving (Bill Clinton, Marion Barry, Gov. Mark Sanford etc. etc.) so long as you eat humble pie and take your punishment. If he had taken a leave for treatment last May or June when the story of the crack video first surfaced, he had a window of opportunity to get cleaned up. However, as the Toronto police surveillance tapes have shown, he seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time this summer engaged in suspicious activity with at least one known criminal (even though he seemed to know he was being followed by the cops). That is a complete failure</span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">of common sense, no matter how the die-hard Ford Nation tries to paint it. </span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span">Stop blaming the media for his troubles.</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Sure, the Toronto Star has been a thorn in his side. But they turned out to be right about the crack video (the existence of which the Mayor had long denied - until confirmed by Chief Blair). The Mayor treats most of the media as the enemy - which appeals to his base - but is not going to help him in any possible recovery scenario. </span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Tell the truth first - not eventually. </b>The Mayor doesn't seem to understand that people will forgive everything except lies. So tell the truth immediately - not when all other options have been exhausted.</span><br />
<b>What is one thing he could do - even now - to give him a chance for re-election? </b><br />
Make a dignified statement admitting fully his mistakes, apologize to the Toronto Chief of Police, Bill Blair (for the demand that he resign), apologize to his Executive Committee whom he has alienated, apologize to the people of Toronto for putting them through this spectacle, and then take whatever time it takes - one to two months at the least - to get treatment. Come back sober, fresh, determined and genuinely focused on the taxpayer. And....he would have a chance (a slim one, but a chance, nonetheless). Without it, the circus will continue, and long before election day next October, the Ford Nation will have fractured, and, it will be an ignominious defeat worthy of Anthony Weiner.<br />
Sad, sorry, and ....it didn't have to be.<br />
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Until next time.......Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-39684201808744556792013-10-28T23:30:00.000-04:002013-10-28T23:30:35.735-04:00What should the PM do?Welcome back to the Senate "House of Horrors'. Just in time for Hallowe'en, the issue of the expenses 'scandal' has exploded into a media-frenzy which has captured the attention of the public like nothing else in recent years - thanks to the fumbled attempt to suspend the three Senators without pay. The three Senators have made impassioned pleas for 'due process' and they seem to have succeeded in getting Canadians to put a hold on the suspension.<br />
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Following the latest 'wrinkles' revealed by Sen. Mike Duffy and his lawyer, Donald Bayne, and the release of emails revealing a second cheque being paid to Duffy by the Conservative Party to cover his legal fees, the issue has spun out of control. Sen. Pamela Wallin got some traction in her speech with her call for 'due process'. [The High School Confidential part starring Sen. Marjorie LeBreton and Sen. Carolyn Stewart-Olsen triggered more snickers than impact.] In her second appearance, she dropped that and honed in on the 'due process' issue to maximum effect. Sen. Patrick Brazeau revealed that he was offered a chance to reduce his punishment if he were to apologize. Interestingly enough, it served to open the door to a potential compromise. All of this at a very awkward and frustrating time for the Prime Minister and the Party on the eve of their Calgary Conference later this week.<br />
<b>So what should the Prime Minister do?</b><br />
<b>1. "If you've broken the eggs, you should make an omelette." </b>Anthony Eden had it right, at least on that line. The Prime Minister should let it be known that he would embrace the Liberal amendment to hold off on the suspension and proceed immediately to a special Senate committee to hold hearings on it. In turn, Sen. Carrignan, the Conservative leader in the Senate could amend it to limit the time for the committee to meet and to vote based on the evidence before them. The three Senators would be invited to appear - as would Nigel Wright and others - to provide testimony, and answer questions. Yes, they should be allowed to have legal counsel, given the current RCMP investigation and the legal consequences. Then the Committee could vote its recommendations to the Senate as a whole on what, if any, should be the consequences for the Senators.<br />
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<b>2. Won't this make the Tories look bad?</b> There are no pure options. Yes, the Twitterverse would be filled with people saying that - but it's not likely that they're Tory voters anyway. Besides, now that new 'evidence' and allegations have emerged, it's worth clearing the air, and not letting it fester any further. It would provide a clear opportunity for the Prime Minister to say that he has listened to Canadians and has changed his mind. It's about restoring the issue that helped the Conservatives get into power - accountability. They need to look for the opportunity in this crisis, or as Homer Simpson put it, a 'crisi-tunity'.<br />
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<b>3. The PM should hold a news conference and clear the air </b>about what he knew and when he knew it. Personally, I'm confident that he has nothing to <br />
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hide and can handle any questions from the Parliamentary Press Gallery that he is thrown. It would give him a chance to take care of, for example, his comments that he 'dismissed' Nigel Wright - rather than 'reluctantly' accepted his resignation. It may not be worth a hill of beans, but it's important to clear up the apparent contradiction. Also, watching him perform in the House this week (when he didn't hand it off to his Parliamentary Secretary), he was strong, clear and cool.<br />
His sound bite of the week will probably be used again: "You're darn right I told him he should repay his expenses." The PM needs to do what he does best. Non-combative, strong, but 'more in sadness than with anger'.<br />
<b>4. Is the damage to the PM fatal? </b>Given past history, and depending on whether or not there are any further damaging 'revelations', it is probably not permanently damaging. Despite all the heat developing around the issue, there still is no proof that the PM knew - either about the $90,000 Nigel Wright cheque or the $13,500 Party cheque to Sen. Duffy's lawyers. It's bruising, yes. And that's why it needs to be aired in public and then put to rest.<br />
<b>5. The PM needs to get back to his agenda - the economy...and fast.</b> With news that the government is well ahead of its 2015 balanced budget commitment, combined with the huge EU free trade deal, this balloon has to be 'popped' and he needs the focus to return to his strong suit, the economy.<br />
<b>The Obama Administration's Struggles</b><br />
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Meanwhile, the Obama Administration is trying to recover from fumbles on two fronts - one domestic - the disastrous rollout of 'Obamacare'' and the other - the revelations of spying on Allies - including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and the Spanish and French governments. The key is to move quickly, and this, they did. The President held a news conference and used it as an opportunity to eat crow on the website roll-out and vow to get to the bottom of it.<br />
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The international 'bugging' embarrassment was handled by White House spokesman Jay Carney - who parsed his words carefully (allowing others to deliberately read into the remarks the silent admission that they had indeed bugged the Chancellor's telephone calls). Carney was also called upon to admit that - contrary to the President's previous assurances - some Americans would indeed lose their existing health insurance.<br />
The decision to get out there and communicate is essential to credibility. Although they could have moved on a peremptory basis, instead of just reacting to the stories, nevertheless when the Administration did move, they were able to begin the process of regaining credibility.<br />
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Finally, the social media world was gripped with the battle of wits between the BBC's acerbic Jeremy Paxman and bad boy comedian Russell Brand. Paxman should have spent some time checking out some previous efforts by Brand to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/25/russell-brand-revolution-interview-paxman-bbc_n_4164283.html">turn the tables</a> on his interlocutors, as he did recently on MSNBC's <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/17/russell-brand-morning-joe-mika-brzezinski_n_3455568.html">Morning Joe</a>. No matter what you think of his arguments, Brand seems to get a special joy out of throwing expectations to the wind and saying whatever he wants. I guess Katy Perry lost her fascination with it, but hey, it works!<br />
Until next time....I'm going to focus on the rest of the World Series. Go Red Sox!<br />
<b><br /></b>Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-34444354537056311122013-10-21T00:02:00.001-04:002013-10-21T00:02:33.274-04:00Will suspending Senators work? The day after the impressive ceremony the Speech from the Throne, the Conservative Leader in the Senate, Senator Claude Carignan, announced, unceremoniously, his intention to introduce a motion suspending the three controversial Senators - Pamela Wallin, Mike Duffy and Patrick Brazeau from the Senate. On top of that he said that they should be suspended without pay for 'using their privileges to abuse their power' and 'gross misconduct'. Sen. Carignan called them 'very severe sanctions'. That's for sure!<br />
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It is clear that the Harper Government wants this issue to recede and does not want to have them sitting in 'the other place' during this session of Parliament. Is it the right thing to do? We will leave it to legal, Parliamentary and other experts to pronounce on it from their perspectives. However, looking at it through a comnunications lens, let's see if it's going to get the government back in control of the agenda.<br />
<b>First, what options did the government have</b> in the management of the issue? Given the messiness of the Duffy case - with the now infamous $90,000 cheque from Nigel Wright and the restrictions on public communications as a result of the ongoing RCMP investigations - the government has by now run out of options. Suspension is seen as the only viable step. The reason is simple. It stopped just being a Senate issue months ago. Now it's an issue for the Harper government.<br />
<b>Second, will it be perceived as fair?</b> Already, talk radio is filled with voices saying that it's not fair. Senator Wallin has gone so far as to threaten legal action if the Senate goes ahead. Many claim that it is trying them without giving them a chance to defend themselves. Almost all institutions have provisions to suspend employees and officials for serious allegations of misconduct - financial or otherwise. The Senators have had months to present evidence in their cases and so far have not been able to dent public opinion running heavily against their expenditures and claims. Sen. Mac Harb proved that resigning took him out of the spotlight. When the other three did not follow him, the spotlight focused even more heavily on them - and by extension - the Prime Minister and the brand of the government was obviously being damaged.<br />
<b>Should Senator Wallin be treated the same as Duffy and Brazeau?</b> In an ideal world, perhaps not. She is repaying $100,000 and has strongly pushed back that she has followed the rules. There certainly appears not to be a 'smoking gun' in her case. Unfortunately for her, though, she is getting lumped into the 'soap opera' elements surrounding Senators Duffy and Brazeau.<br />
<b>Why not suspend them with pay?</b> By banning them from access to their office, staff or resources of the Senate, it would be a huge penalty in and of itself. By cutting off their salaries and benefits, it appears to be over-kill. If they were fired, they would probably receive one year salary and benefits. For really angry Canadians, they'd say 'tough'. But for the middle ground who want to see fairness in process, they would probably be more inclined to support 'suspended with pay'.<br />
<b>So, what should happen in the Senate vote? </b>In my view, once the motion has been tabled, an amendment should be proposed and seconded that would remove ' without pay' from the motion to suspend. [Ideally, the original motion should drop that provision.] In that way, it would be strong action, but not cross the line into unfairness - either in fact or in public perception.<br />
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<b>Will it enable the Harper government to 'turn the channel' on the issue? </b>The Throne Speech didn't change the channel (even as it vowed to unbundle them!) The EU trade deal was important to the economic credibility of the government, but it can't match the Senate issues for audience interest, so it won't change the channel. The Senate suspension won't change it, but will give credibility to the Senate itself for taking action -- and by extension the government.<br />
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<b>So going forward, what will it all mean?</b> The first few days of Question Period - with the return of the Prime Minister - will be the roughest. If he can respond calmly and credibly, and then turn the <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hmUvuJSOCl0/UmSlPoa5JPI/AAAAAAAABNQ/fu7g04E3Nz0/s1600/Harper+in+QP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">f<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">ocus to the series of legislative initiatives and announcements previewed in the Throne Speech, he may be able to move the dial back in his government's direction. How Tom Mulcair and Justin Trudeau handle their attacks on the government will be critical to their ability to pin the government down on the issue. If they get over-heated or over-the-top in their attacks, it would be a gift to the Prime Minister, whose experience and ability to handle such attacks is formidable.</span></a><br />
Until next time.....<br />
<br />Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-7783332532846718342013-10-10T17:28:00.000-04:002013-10-10T17:28:16.342-04:005 Political Lessons from BlackberryWelcome back!<br />
Here we are with one of the most beautiful autumns in memory (at least for most parts of North America); with major league baseball playoffs filling our screens, all the football and hockey you could want, everything seems perfect. And yet...... Congress can't pass a budget bill, the U.S. debt ceiling deadline is days away...the iconic Canadian technology company, Blackberry, has collapsed, Ontario's government giving away $1 billion in penalties for canceling the gas plant contracts, and the ongoing saga of Senator Mike Duffy and his expenses. Is there anything that connects the dots in all these events?<br />
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<b>Blackberry's Lessons for Politicians</b><br />
At a time when one of Blackberry's rivals - Apple - has just knocked Coca Cola out of the slot for the No. 1 brand in the world (with Google no. 2). That's gotta hurt - when you consider that Blackberry once 'owned' the smartphone world. On a personal note, as a longtime Blackberry customer, as with millions of others, I genuinely agonized over the new, but less-than-thrilling - Z10 before I decided to go 'over the side' to the Samsung Galaxy 4. The Globe and Mail ran a great piece recently that tells the story of what went wrong: <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/the-inside-story-of-why-blackberry-is-failing/article14563602/?page=all">Inside the Fall of Blackberry</a><br />
However, in my view, many of those lessons are transferable to the world of politics:<br />
<b>5 Political Lessons from the Blackberry Debacle</b><br />
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<b>1. Not listening to customers (voters)</b><br />
The smartphone marketplace was changing dramatically and Blackberry appeared not to listen to their changing desires. Instead, they became overly reliant on their legacy products, while delaying the entry of a brand new operating system. This week's Nova Scotia provincial election saw the incumbent NDP government, led by Darrell Dexter, dumped to third place behind the victorious Stephen McNeill-led Liberals (and losing his seat in the process). The Dexter government clearly disconnected with the voters - raising harmonized sales taxes and creating a massive deficit clearly led to the voters' disenchantment. The volatility of voters means that they will now usually give you only one chance to make good on your promises before they give governments the chop (B.C. Premier Christy Clark, who found life after certain death only by the questionable campaign of the Adrian Dix-led NDP.) So all political parties better be truly listening - and delivering. Remember the <b>eight words that get governments re-elected: "We did what we said we would do."</b><br />
<b>2. Loss of focus</b><br />
While Blackberry wasted time delaying - and finally releasing - their Tablet (that tanked instantly in contrast to the game-changing iPad), they took their eye off the ball. The creative forces within the company were split - with some developing the Tablet and the others the new phone. The result was a loss of communication and coherent leadership. When a political party divides itself (Tea Party Republicans vs. mainstream Republicans, they tend to plunge in the polls (witness the fact that 62% of Americans blame the Republicans for the budget debacle).<br />
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Senator Mike Duffy's ongoing saga appears to only get worse with each new 'revelation'- causing a continued de-focus for the Harper government, who clearly want it all to just go away. If Senator Duffy remains in the Senate, it will continue as a de-focusing exercise for the Government as the House of Commons reconvenes next week.<br />
<b>3. Failure to adapt (while disappointing your base) </b>The Republican Tea Party base has been temporarily satisfied in the budget battle. But even they will be disappointed when the inevitable compromises are made (stand by for that). Stephen Harper's Conservative government works hard at satisfying the party's base, (witness the battle over competition in the telecommunications sector), yet they need to bridge over and regain the support to the middle ground. For months now they have trailed Justin Trudeau and are only slightly ahead of Tom Mulcair and the NDP. (Look for the Throne Speech to hit the themes to reach 'families' and the 'middle class' as they try to regain traction with the voter).<br />
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<b>4. Ignoring or discounting your competition </b>Blackberry under-estimated the Apple brand promise and the resurgence of the less-expensive-but-very-cool Samsung product line. As the Republicans have been slamming Obama at every opportunity, after a while they sound like yesterday's news. People want to know what you're constructively going to do. Competition for voters is as much up in the air as in the business world. Loyalty to a particular company - or political party - has mostly gone by the wayside.<br />
<b>5. Failure to protect your brand</b><br />
Your brand is your promise to your customer. Blackberry failed to deliver - and to deliver on time. They missed the window of opportunity. The brand of a political leader will usually diminish over time, so it's important to be innovative, to refreshen the brand and to keep moving forward. Stephen Harper is clearly facing that challenge - as is Barack Obama.<br />
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Then there's the sad legacy of the McGuinty Government in Ontario incurring over $1 billion in costs for the cancellation of the gas plants in order to save two or three ridings in the last provincial election. It's an example of a complete failure to protect the brand of Dalton McGuinty and the Liberal Party. Even though it seemed to work as a short-term tactical (albeit a highly cynical move, one might reasonably deduce), it put paid to his declining brand and as more evidence emerges of the true cost and the political calculations around it, even his departure may not be enough to save the Kathleen Wynn-led Liberal government. The Premier apologized profusely but where's the action to somehow make up for it? When it gets that bad, apologies are not enough. Sometimes, though, one is saved by the quality of one's enemies (Clinton's 1995-96 government showdown with Newt Gingrich); (Harper vs. Stephane Dion in 2006); B.C. Premier Christy Clark vs. the NDP's Adrian Dix earlier this year). You just can't count on it happening.<br />
So to sum it up, politicians - as well as companies - are gradually waking up to the reality that your brand is everything - understand it, refresh it, build it with tangible accomplishments - but ignore it at your peril.<br />
<b>Favorite Video of the Week</b><br />
There's something about upending the conventional friendly news anchor-reporter banter that is particularly enjoyable to watch. In this clip, a local news anchor rakes a reporter over the coals for his lack of reporting skills:<b> <a href="http://video.ca.msn.com/watch/video/news-anchor-vs-reporter/2gveimfpu?from=en-ca-infopane">check this out</a> </b>and enjoy!<br />
<b>Until next time....</b>Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-58107148334621308112013-09-17T01:35:00.000-04:002013-09-17T09:03:20.828-04:00It's never too late to do the right thingWelcome back!<br />
So much has gone on in the past two weeks since my last blog post - from the nightmare of Syria to the ongoing soap opera of some Canadian Senators to the terrible tragedy at the U.S. Navy Yard in Washington DC, the news has been troubling to say the least.<br />
<b>Costa Concordia - Righting the Ship</b><br />
One cause for celebration amidst these depressing scenarios is the raising of the Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy nearly two years after its sinking. A true feat of engineering and determination, the successful righting of the ship is a hopeful salve to an upsetting time.<br />
<b>Syria and the Obama Administration</b><br />
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Much has been written about the on-again, off-again threats against Syrian poison gas sites by President Obama and Sec. of State John Kerry; the mixed messages; the after-the-fact (sure-to-fail) attempt to garner Congressional support. The ultimate embarrassment was the emergence of Vladimir Putin as a 'peace-maker' in a negotiated deal between Russia and the U.S. to remove those weapons of mass destruction. What are some lessons out of this messy situation?<br />
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<b>Five Key Lessons from Syria</b><br />
<b>1. The U.S. President was conflicted in his roles. </b>His initial instinct was to strike hard and fast as Assad had clearly crossed the 'red line' that the President drew long ago. Once the President announced that he would strike militarily, he had painted himself into a corner. U.K's Prime Minister David Cameron found himself in the same dilemma when the House of Commons voted against him. That clearly had an impact on the President.<br />
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<b>2. The process was not well managed</b><b>.</b> In the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy brought the nation together, shared with them what they had discovered (Russian missiles in Cuba), and put in place a blockade with a clear warning to the Russians. He didn't threaten - or strike - even though he was strongly advised to by his military advisers. He used back-channel communications between Bobby and the Russian Ambassador to find a peaceful solution. In this case, the President and the Secretary of State seemed to be on different channels - and all of it live on CNN.<br />
<b>3. Don't ask what you know you won't get.</b> The public is tired and cynical - and Congress is no mood to risk political capital on this issue - the only thing to unite both parties. Even though the U.N. inspectors have now confirmed that Assad did indeed use poison gas on innocent people, the public still cannot be galvanized into action. After Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya, they just don't want to go there anymore.<br />
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<b>4. The Value of Delay</b>. While waiting for Congress to get its act together, John Kerry <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/syria-latest-john-kerry-may-have-averted-war----by-accident/article14213707/">blurts out a response at a news conference</a> that changes the entire direction of the issue. This opened the door for Putin to step in and offering to intercede with Assad. With that delay came the path to a peaceful solution. [Although how to punish Assad still remains a source of deep discord between Obama and Putin.]<br />
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<b>5. Can Obama 'Right the Ship'?</b> Yes, so long as he learns the lessons out of this situation, Americans may thank him from keeping them out of direct military involvement. He has proven time and again his ability to recover and he only has a year left before the mid-terms to demonstrate his bona fides internationally. After all, he won the Nobel Peace Prize shortly after being elected. Who knows, maybe he could win it again?<br />
<b>How to End the Senate 'Scandals'</b><br />
The Canadian people have clearly made their minds up about the four Senators at the centre of the 'scandal' involving expense claims and housing allowances. They have become so turned off that the majority want to end the Senate altogether. [Personally, I think that would be an over-reaction and a real shame. A reformed Senate could be a major step forward in bringing more accountability and a more vigorous democracy in Canada. But that's a subject for another day.]<br />
In this post, we are looking at the issue of the spending scandals and what it will take to end the reality series that threatens to be renewed for another season. So far, Sen. Mac Harb has paid back the money and resigned. Notice how quickly he is out of the limelight? What should Senators Duffy, Wallin and Brazeau do?<br />
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<b>How to End the Senate 'Scandal'?</b><br />
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<b>First, Senators Duffy, Brazeau and Wallin need to do the right thing....and resign.</b> Without a resignation, they will continue to draw heat - not only onto themselves, but more importantly, the entire Senate, let alone the Harper government. They have violated the rules, and Canadians expect that there should be consequences. Just paying back the money doesn't do it. Notice how Sen. Mac Harb has already disappeared off the radar screen since his resignation?<br />
<b>Secondly, the Senators need to apologize fully and unreservedly for their actions</b>. No excuses, no blame, no attacks. Without it, the outrage only continues.<br />
<b>Thirdly, the Harper government needs to move forward on a refreshed agenda.</b> They need to demonstrate that they are not captives of the issue. That will be difficult, as the Opposition is already demonstrating with yesterday's 'Twitter Question Period' that they intend to keep adding heat. Stephen Harper is out there doing what Prime Ministers can do - namely, make news. His performance at the G20 was strong, and on issues such as Child Protection and Syria (while staying out of it, he has communicated his profound disgust for what the Syrian government has done. Canadians seem happy with his response so far.)<br />
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Remember, even if things have not been well handled, it's never too late to do the right thing.<br />
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Until next time....Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-45656617260925476342013-09-02T23:53:00.005-04:002013-09-02T23:53:46.208-04:00Managing Perceptions and Expectations<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Managing Perceptions and Expectations</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Welcome back...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Canadian Politicos 'Fess up to Smoking Dope</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Canada seems transfixed by whether their political representatives have smoked dope, how much and when. Now that Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has pronounced himself in favour of legalizing the sale of marijuana, it was inevitable that he would be asked about his own use of it. He surprised the public by his admission of having smoked it as recently as a few years ago - while sitting as an MP. The media immediately quizzed every politician they could - ranging from Premiers to Mayors [Rob Ford's admission to having smoked 'lots of pot' was not reassuring]. Prime Minister Harper replied at a news conference, "do I look like I've smoked marijuana?" Then he used the opportunity to <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/08/29/pol-cp-trudeau-harper-pot-legalization-debate.html">attack Trudeau and the Liberals</a> as promoting marijuana use while he is focused on the economy and jobs. That is the script formula for the next two years leading up to the election. Justin Trudeau is banking on his marijuana 'positioning' as part of his narrative attractive to youth and positioning his party as a clear alternative to the status quo. His target on this one is to pull away potential NDP Mulcair supporters, who is in favour of decriminalization - not legalization. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Obama Rolls the Dice on Syria with Congress</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Meanwhile the world awaits what will transpire in Syria. President Obama built up expectations that the U.S. would launch imminent military action against the Syrian government to "suffer consequences" for their use of sarin gas against hundreds of innocent civilians and children. However, President Obama pulled up short and threw the issue to Congress for approval on the heels of the British House of Commons' voting down Prime Minister David Cameron's intention to join the President. It also forced the only other world leader - France's François Hollande - to 'consult' with the French National Assembly as well. [Incidentally, you've got to hand it to France, in one deft move, President Hollande has secured a strong relationship with Obama. After all, he was right there with him from the outset. Those chips can be cashed in somewhere down the road when France is looking for support from the Obama Administration.]</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The President feels he can win the support of the House and Senate and his concerted effort to secure the support of Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham appears to have paid off. The two Senators emerged from their White House meeting to urge their fellow Republicans to back the President. The big issue will be the Tea Party Republicans who see an opportunity to paint Obama as a weakened President by denying him the support he needs. At the same time, they can claim that they are acting consistently on their belief that America should stay out of such military actions. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Perception of the President will Rise or Fall on the vote</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The perception of the President as a strong, principled leader will rise or fall on the vote - particularly in the House - where the outcome is uncertain. If he loses the vote, his brand will take a strong hit. He has indicated that he may proceed regardless of the Congressional vote, but that would fly in the face of his strong stand in 2008 when candidate Obama told the Boston Globe, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“the President does not have the power, under the constitution, to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.” He did, however, take unilateral military action against Libya in 2011 but that cost him political support among Democrats. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Therefore, he needs to gain Congressional backing this time to maintain his support among Democrats and to strengthen his hand - especially if the Syrian strike does not work out the way he would want. If he does gain Congressional support, he will be strengthened in the perception of him as a leader. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Next time, though, he'll have to manage the expectations of the American public in a more strategic way.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><br />
<b>The Perception of Vladimir Putin</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And what - if anything - will be said at the G20 in St. Petersburg about the Russian government's legislation concerning the anti-gay legislation passed by the Russian Duma? Probably nothing formally, but Prime Minister Harper's spokesperson, Andrew MacDougall, has said that the Prime Minister may bring up the issue with Putin on a one-on-one basis. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putin auditions for the Olympics Synchronized Swimming team</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The carefully managed perception of Vladimir Putin - President for Life of Russia is one of macho man staring down leopards and riding bareback. [Those photos bring to mind the Chinese government claiming that Chairman Mao swan the Yangtze River.] His pushing of the laws restricting the public from 'promoting' the gay lifestyle runs no risk for him domestically, but promises to create problems for the Sochi Olympics. Although the International Olympic Committee can reliably be expected to do nothing, the world's athletes seem determined to show their strong disagreement. More to come on that issue, as we get closer to the Olympics. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Until next time.....</span></span>Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-57331701531121489692013-07-23T18:29:00.000-04:002013-07-23T20:37:15.209-04:00The Power of Perception<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Welcome back!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here we are right in the middle of those 'lazy hazy crazy days of summer'. Laura and I have been busy with trips to New York, Cape Breton and St. John's, Newfoundland - mixing seminars with a few days off in each wonderful location as we go.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And what a summer it has been! The heat and humidity have featured prominently so far. I, for one, will not complain - as I only have to think of January in Ottawa to remember what cold is like. I have even managed to squeeze in a few rounds of golf and am somewhat surprised that my game is not as bad as I had feared. Although Phil Mickelson has no worries there [his win at The Open was a must-see in our household.]</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In this posting I want to examine the perceptions as we look at recent events - the Lac Megantic train derailment; the Royal birth and the new revelations about New York Mayoralty candidate Anthony Weiner.</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Managing Perceptions</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>The Oxford Dictionary defines perception as: "</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses". It's not necessarily logical, but 'perception is reality' has a powerful impact in the public sphere.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After the nightmare of the Lac Mégantic train derailment and the angry aftermath of the George Zimmerman trial, the birth of Will and Kate's new son, certainly lifts the mood and gives everyone a much-needed happy distraction to all that bad news.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And, on top of that, it's another Brit who has come to the rescue as <a href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/Paul+McCartney+brings+M%C3%A9gantic+survivors+onstage+tonight+Quebec/8695452/story.html">Paul McCartney offers up to 1000 tickets</a> to the people of Lac Megantic for his Quebec City concert on the Plains of Abraham tonight [ironically the site of the British victory over French forces in 1759.] The first time Macca played there in 2008, a straggling group of protesters tried to make an issue out of it. For tonight's concert, there is not only no sign of protest, but the people of Quebec have clearly taken to McCartney as never before. Could it be partially due to a magnanimous offer from Sir Paul? It's an excellent example of managing perceptions- whether intended or not.</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How Will and Kate Managed Perceptions </span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You've got to hand it to Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge who have their own style and sense of what is appropriate. It was on full display today as they managed the media and public fascination with the birth of their first born. In the future King's debut on the front steps of St. Mary's Hospital, they were able to communicate some key messages in their <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-TuDnCLJ70">photo-op</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-stMchioO18c/Ue7XvPImt1I/AAAAAAAAA5M/xGqamA64eJ4/s1600/car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-stMchioO18c/Ue7XvPImt1I/AAAAAAAAA5M/xGqamA64eJ4/s320/car.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. Their style is so informal and down-to-earth. From their casual (blue) clothes and easy-going manner (under a firestorm of flash cameras and shouted questions) to the Prince strapping in his son into the car and then getting behind the wheel himself and driving off, they did it all so effortlessly and without affectation.</span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OrY-vz6FLYA/Ue7kZqKBaDI/AAAAAAAAA5s/L2ZEV1CKhvQ/s1600/Ed+Burkhardt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></b></a><br />
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So thanks to the Brits for giving us ...The Open...Paul McCartney and the Royal birth - a respite from the bad news, disasters and problems surrounding us.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. Their handling of the media scrum was low-key, upbeat and genuine in tone and message. Politicians could learn a few lessons from that alone.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3. Although we are all aware that there are Royal handlers lurking behind the scenes, the Royal couple give the impression that they are the ones deciding what they want to do and how they want to do it.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4. They appreciated what the entire matter meant to the people and they delivered it effortlessly. Diana's ring was notable on Kate's finger as she proudly held her new son. A 'tear-in-the-eye' moment that was telling but not over-played. Just the perfect touch from a young couple who seem to get what it's all about.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Although it would have been historic if a daughter had been born (thus becoming the first female to benefit from the new Laws of Succession to the throne) nevertheless a healthy child is always a cause for joy - Royals or not. We can only wish him a long, healthy and happy life.</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Lac Megantic Train - and Perception- Disaster</span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Lac Megantic Quebec explosion -which killed fifty people in a horrific disaster - was also a classic perception disaster. After four days, the Chair of the MM&A Railway company - Edward Burkhardt showed up and proceeded to ad lib (in English) his way into hot water (first blaming the volunteer firemen and then hanging his engineer out to dry) and breeding even more resentment as he (unintentionally) smiled his way through a <a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/707916/watch-mma-railway-chairman-ed-burkhardt-addresses-media-in-lac-megantic/">nightmare media encounter</a> . Although the video of him laughing while talking to someone when he thought he was off-camera was also damaging to the perception of caring.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I admire him, at least, for having the guts - and yes, the temerity - to show up without handlers and public relations advisers to face the media and the angry residents. He was completely ill-advised in the way he went about it, however, and it has real consequences for the company down the road.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For all CEOs out there who may find themselves in a similar nightmare...please don't manage your communications this way. There are professionals - not intended as a commercial - who can help you do it right. You have to manage both the facts and the perception of you and your company's values. The atmosphere will be angry, noisy, accusatory and hostile, so you need to know your messages, deliver them convincingly, manage the media relations and the community relations. It's not a job for one man with little experience at communicating in such a nightmare.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My comments on that - and other communications issues - <a href="http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/194/14760/810%20barry%20mcloughlin.mp3">here</a> on CFRA's Madeley in the Morning with guest host Mark Sutcliffe.</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just when you thought it was safe to run for Mayor...along comes 'Carlos Danger'</span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Former Rep. Anthony Weiner, after humiliating himself and his wife, Huma Abedin, by tweeting photos of his private parts (and lying about it) <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/07/23/anthony-weiner-accused-of-more-lewd-chats-online-allegedly-used-user-handle-carlos-danger/">has now been revealed</a> to have continued to engage in lewd online 'chats' even after his resignation from Congress in 2011. Will this mean the end of his New York Mayoralty bid? Possibly. His decision to hold a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/23/huma-abedin-anthony-weiner-sex-scandal_n_3641790.html">joint news conference</a> with his wife was the right one - in that he hoped to change public perception. He also realized that it was essential for the public to hear directly from Huma and not just to watch their standing awkwardly beside him. His public apology was vague in terms of the timeline involved in his indiscretions but did admit that they continued after his humiliating resignation from Congress.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That is very significant in terms of assessing his judgment and character. What kind of judgment does it imply that he continued to do these damaging and destructive things after his resignation? The public will forgive you once, but if it's true that he kept this sick uh...hobby...going after his resignation, then it's hard to see them giving him another pass on this. However, stranger things have happened - witness the recent election of disgraced former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford.</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Huma to the Rescue</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">However, this key line from Huma Abedin's statement was critical to his survival chances: "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 21px;">We discussed all of this before Anthony decided to run for mayor, so really what I want to say is I love him, I have forgiven him, I believe in him, and as we have said from the beginning, we are moving forward." She learned well from her former boss, Bill Clinton - positioning it as an issue just between them. It's a slim chance, but it could be enough to hang on. The reality is that he has seven weeks left in the primary race to put distance to this, so it ain't over yet.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 21px;"><b>Which leaves us with the other formerly disgraced New York politico...Elliott Spitzer</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Even New Yorkers who are otherwise very forgiving will have trouble with this. Former Gov. Elliott Spitzer - whose run for City Comptroller is looking very good - seems to understand that the bargain for forgiveness is no repetition - something that Bill Clinton had to learn the hard way. Noticeably absent from the public eye is Hilda Wall Spitzer, his long-suffering wife, while Huma has been active -recently raising $150,000 from friends of Hilary and campaigning alongside him. She will have to continue that, or it will be a sign that she hasn't really forgiven him. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Perception is powerful in politics, in royalty, in entertainment and, yes, in responding to disasters.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Until next time....</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Follow us on our new McLoughlin Media Twitter account. <a href="http://www.twitter.com/McLoughlinMedia">http://www.twitter.com/McLoughlinMedia</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And also friend us on our company's new Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/McLoughlinMedia">http://www.facebook.com/McLoughlinMedia </a></span><br />
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<br />Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-42226543513850238312013-06-18T01:02:00.003-04:002013-06-18T01:02:56.150-04:00Common sense ain't that common<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Welcome back!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1t's been a very long time indeed since my last blog posting - must be the pace of our lives - but of course I have not stopped <i>thinking </i>about writing a new post. Laura and I have travelled to New York, (twice), Vancouver, Toronto (many times), Peterborough, Boston (for my Kennedy School reunion - hard to believe it's been 30 years!) and all points in between. It seems that between the<i> thought</i> and the <i>deed</i> of actually writing the blog post, there is a huge chasm of.....procrastination! So, enough of that and let's get to it! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Scandal-apaloosa</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The news is filled with 'scandals' involving Mayors (Michael Applebaum of Montreal faces 14 charges of corruption and Mafia dealings) and Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's alleged crack-cocaine smoking). And as if that wasn't enough the continuing saga of Senators and their expenses and residence claims; I commented on <a href="http://globalnews.ca/video/626801/crisis-communications">Global TV's 'The West Block' with Tom Clark</a> on the crisis management of the issue by the Prime Minister's Office. These 'scandals' certainly grab the media's attention. As with many news stories, their prominence may not match at all their importance in the scheme of things. Long-time readers will recognize this phenomenon as 'urgency trumps importance'.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Hyper-partisanship is here to stay</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As we see in political culture everywhere, the era of hyper-partisanship is here to stay. First, the Harper government targeted newly chosen Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau with some tough ads, with the theme, "he's just not up to the job". Then Mr. Trudeau countered with an ad of his own. How did that go? Here is my appearance on <a href="http://is.gd/b54UpK%20#cdnpoli">CTV's PowerPlay with Don Martin</a> in which I give my analysis of whether or not they worked?</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vx6nnOx2-PY/Ub_YJveL4oI/AAAAAAAAArk/cZ86Hpjo-IQ/s1600/Trudeau+defends+himself.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vx6nnOx2-PY/Ub_YJveL4oI/AAAAAAAAArk/cZ86Hpjo-IQ/s200/Trudeau+defends+himself.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now the Harper government has turned its fire on Justin again with attacks on his charging charities for for his speeches (and at least one wants their money back). Mr. Trudeau has offered to talk with any of them that may have an issue over their payment to him - probably the only step he could have taken. Of course, there is nothing wrong with charging for one's speech - but it couldn't have come at a better time for the Harper government after weeks of attack on the Sen. Mike Duffy - Nigel Wright file. After all, the best defence is a good offence.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Taunting - and Pressuring - the Russian Bear</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The leaders of the G8 nations are holding their meeting in Northern Ireland (and it was intriguing to see Stephen Harper take on Vladimir Putin, in no-uncertain terms over Putin's backing of 'thugs', that is, the brutal Assad regime in Syria.) The Prime Minister seems to have grown very comfortable with these meetings and, - perhaps buoyed by his successful and historic speech to the British Parliament - was spurred to stand up to the former KGB spook and master of the bare-chested photo-op, Vladimir Putin. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XILC9qVlNb4/Ub_InM4vBRI/AAAAAAAAArE/vxmtcKFcN2w/s1600/Putin+and+the+tiger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="125" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XILC9qVlNb4/Ub_InM4vBRI/AAAAAAAAArE/vxmtcKFcN2w/s200/Putin+and+the+tiger.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now the Siberian tiger-hunting, President-for-life wouldn't be too used to this kind of treatment. See the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22817368">painfully staged media interview</a> in which the normally bare-chested alleged Super Bowl ring-stealer and his wife, Lyudmila, announced that they were divorcing. You've gotta ask, 'what took her so long?'</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>How not to handle allegations of spousal abuse</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7-8SofjreT8/Ub_KfOCqQqI/AAAAAAAAArU/zEAwFmMW1NY/s1600/Saatchi+and+Nigella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7-8SofjreT8/Ub_KfOCqQqI/AAAAAAAAArU/zEAwFmMW1NY/s200/Saatchi+and+Nigella.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Speaking of abusive husbands, what to make of the shocking photos of British art collector and legendary ad exec Charles Saatchi with his hands around his wife, Nigella Lawson's throat at a swish Mayfair restaurant? The public reaction was powerful and immediate in the condemnation of Saatchi - as well as of the diners who seemed satisfied to take photos but not to intervene. His wife gathered up her dignity and promptly moved out. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Saatchi in damage control mode</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Saatchi scrambled to recover his badly damaged reputation, as follows:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">"About a week ago, we were sitting outside a restaurant having an intense debate about the children, and I held Nigella's neck repeatedly while attempting to emphasize my point," Saatchi, 70, said in the statement.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">"There was no grip, it was a playful tiff. The pictures are horrific but give a far more drastic and violent impression of what took place. Nigella's tears were because we both hate arguing, not because she had been hurt," he continued. </span></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuOkaU7mhzc/Ub_cr15QtoI/AAAAAAAAAr0/ufdP-SMlXhA/s1600/Charles+Saatchi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuOkaU7mhzc/Ub_cr15QtoI/AAAAAAAAAr0/ufdP-SMlXhA/s200/Charles+Saatchi.jpg" width="130" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saatchi cautioned for assault<br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Well, this didn't exactly sound humble, apologetic or anything even close. For such an experienced ad man, one would think he would know that this 'I did nothing wrong' approach is no way to deal with such a humiliating experience that he had triggered for his wife. Where was the apology to her? Sorry Mr. Saatchi, only a fool would believe that story line. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;">It's the classic difference between advertising and public relations. Being skilled in one doesn't make someone skilled in the other.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Mr. Saatchi cautioned for assault by police</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;">Then Mr. Saatchi - no doubt by now with a full-court press of advisors - showed up at a London police station to accept a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22947383">caution for assault</a>. That apparently unique British legal maneuver gave him the opportunity to cooperate with the police in their investigation and he was right to get himself to the police station in order to be cited with it. One can only empathize with Nigella Lawson and the pain and humiliation she is enduring. Several years ago, Laura and I had the opportunity to chat with her father, Sir Nigel Lawson, former British Chancellor under Margaret Thatcher, when he spoke in Ottawa. He expressed to us such pride and delight about her success as a chef, author and television host in her own right. One has the feeling that she will rise to the challenge of dealing with it - certainly better than her husband.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;"><b>There's always 'common sense'</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;">All of these issues - from politics to diplomacy to society - are 'cautions' that no matter how much money </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;">or political success, one can never replace common sense which, after all, isn't so common. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;">Until next time.....</span></div>
Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483591719872030628.post-82377916010564374612013-03-13T15:59:00.001-04:002013-03-13T16:30:20.236-04:00The New Pope's Top 5 Priorities<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Welcome back!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dqFM-7rBbE8/UUDZFeC3MII/AAAAAAAAAqA/SNSCN56Y67Q/s1600/Pope+Francis+I.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dqFM-7rBbE8/UUDZFeC3MII/AAAAAAAAAqA/SNSCN56Y67Q/s200/Pope+Francis+I.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pope Francis I</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Habemus Papam! The election to the Papacy of a kind, compassionate Jesuit from Buenos Aires, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio. This is a remarkable outcome, and has the opportunity to signal a fresh start for the Church in a time of great crises - not just within the Church but in all parts of this world. Laura and I have had the privilege of working with many Bishops and Cardinals over the years, so I have a particular interest in this surprising - and in my view, refreshing - choice of the Cardinals. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>What are the top 5 priorities facing Pope Francis I?</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>1. Modernize the Vatican bureaucracy and financial systems</b> to bring streamlined decision-making, and transparency and accountability. Pope Francis' parents are Italian immigrants, but his South American perspective, combined with his Italian cultural background can only help bridge the gap necessary to create genuine change.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>2. Reignite the 1. 2 billion faithful around the world</b>. The fact that the fastest growing parts of the Church are from south of the equator, the election of a Cardinal from the Americas, is a huge step that many had thought would not happen in their lifetime.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>3. Use all forms of communications to build a dialogue</b> with the world. That means embracing broadcast interviews, social media and every opportunity to build mutual understanding. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Expect to see him travel extensively throughout South America, Africa and across the globe. That will be critical to building the capital necessary to make transformative change.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>4. Bring a fresh perspective to broad social issues</b> - including building a constructive dialogue over 'moral' issues, the environment, the poor, refugees, as well as the issues over handling of sexual abuse cases around the world. As Pope John Paul II proved, it's remarkable what a fresh, energized Pontiff can do to move forward on a range of constructive issues.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>5. His passion for social justice</b> - read his angry criticism of 'hypocrites', as has been reported by the Associated Press: </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Like other Jesuit intellectuals, Bergoglio has focused on social outreach. Catholics are still buzzing over his speech last year accusing fellow church officials of hypocrisy for forgetting that Jesus Christ bathed lepers and ate with prostitutes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"In our ecclesiastical region there are priests who don't baptize the children of single mothers because they weren't conceived in the sanctity of marriage," Bergoglio told his priests. "These are today's hypocrites. Those who clericalize the Church. Those who separate the people of God from salvation. And this poor girl who, rather than returning the child to sender, had the courage to carry it into the world, must wander from parish to parish so that it's baptized!"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bergoglio compared this concept of Catholicism to the Pharisees of Christ's time: people who congratulate themselves while condemning others.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Jesus teaches us another way: Go out. Go out and share your testimony, go out and interact with your brothers, go out and share, go out and ask. Become the Word in body as well as spirit," Bergoglio said."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With those words, come hope - not just for the Catholic Church, but for the whole world.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time...</span></div>
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<br />Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12812838678496298456noreply@blogger.com2