Politicians, CEOs need help in communications

Politicians, CEOs need help in communications

K. Basrie, Contributor, Jakarta

The government's decision to keep the bird flu a secret from
the public for five months and then daring only to send a
director general of the agriculture ministry to explain the
horror to the public -- after the existence of the disease was
revealed by numerous media -- reflect not only the lack of
leadership, but also the lack of communications flair.

What's wrong with the President, coordinating ministers, the
State Secretary, ministers and state ministers? They hid rather
than proclaim the truth. Did they refuse to accept the
responsibility and so appoint someone else to face public anger?

While this does not mean that the government lacks vision by
default, it does indicate that they lack the ability to
communicate, which is not the same thing as the ability to speak.

Communications involves both speaking and listening, and also
checking for understanding. This is not easy. Thus, effective
leaders always stand up and speak -- in good times and bad -- to
address concerns and issues, to inform, to exhort, to cheer, to
heal or to inspire.

Now, imagine yourself the minister of religious affairs in a
majority Muslim country whose government is under fire for
various failures in arranging the annual haj pilgrimage. Some
parties have even accused you publicly for abusing your power to
collect a "commission" for yourself and your family from the
pilgrimage program.

Well, let's say that you've done no wrong. Should you
strategically and creatively prepare an immediate media briefing
by presenting all companies involved in the haj program, as well
as your suspected relatives, before journalists?

You might opt to distribute point-by-point press releases to
key media in an effort to elude "difficult" questions. Or should
you place full-page ads in leading media to explain your side of
the story? In the end, perhaps, you might decide to hold your
breath and wait for the truth to speak for itself, because you
firmly believe that meeting the press would only further ruin
your image.

You might also be asked to resort to the most popular approach
in Indonesia and hire lawyers, who will then communicate on your
behalf with the press and the public.

Like many politicians, some businessmen still believe that
their companies, brands and corporate image have no need of
communications management, or public relations consultants. Worse
still, they mistakenly believe that public relations services are
only for those companies or institutions facing a crisis. Many
companies believe they know the market's true character and how
to win the hearts of skeptical consumers.

In many cases, CEOs have been too late to realize that they
need experts to do the job -- in good times and the bad.

Fortune magazine once listed 10 reasons as to why corporations
failed. Four of these -- see no evil, dysfunctional boards,
fearing the boss and dangerous culture -- were attributed to a
failure of another sort -- a failure in communications.

Ineffective communications is also evident in product
promotions. Look at the huge billboards along Jakarta's busy
thoroughfares and count how many are actually effective brand-
building tools.

Not surprisingly, most of them advertise the ad models and not
the product.

The name and face of an executive of a South Korean mobile
phone company has gained more popularity here than the phone, as
he always insists on having a head shot of him holding the tiny
product in most of the ads -- of course, footed by his company.

Today's marketplace and society are no longer responsive to
communications strategies of the past. There are just too many
products, too many services, too many companies and too many
marketing tactics that all make for white noise.

The key lies in getting a focused message to the public in an
effective manner. This is also why it is now generally accepted
in Indonesia that advertising, marketing and public relations are
essential business strategies.

Advertisement alone cannot change someone's mind, but great
communications skills can provide direction, maintain focus and
develop appropriate strategies to achieve goals. Effective
communications develop messages -- and deliver and sustain them.

Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president of the United States and
who succeeded Richard M. Nixon, has something to share: "If I
went back to college again, I'd concentrate on two areas:
learning to write and to speak before an audience. Nothing in
life is more important than the ability to communicate
effectively."

The writer is a senior consultant at Prisma Public Relations,
Jakarta.