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.