By Jason Snyder
Even the purple worn by First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was part of President Obama’s State of the Union communications strategy, according to ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. President Obama wasn’t speaking to the blue Democrats or red GOP. He had to mix the colors and speak to a broad, blended swath.
President Obama’s first State of the Union address, given Wednesday, Jan. 27, like all major speeches, was a case study in the art of communications, though this one took place on the grandest of stages.
Politics aside, I think Obama’s communications staff did a fine job, especially given that one year ago, their man could seemingly walk on water. On the cover of the latest issue of the New Yorker, he is seen sinking into that very water.
Politics aside, business executives and organization leaders can learn much from last night’s speech as they work to engage and motivate their constituents, whether it is from behind the podium or with the pen. Whether you need to build, maintain or, as in Obama’s case, repair your image and public perception, how clearly and effectively you communicate with your stakeholders will go far in determining whether you can achieve your goals.
Three tenants of strong communications rise to the top in my review of the State of the Union speech – the president’s consistency of message, use of authentic stories to put a face on an issue, and proper positioning.
Despite what happened last week in Massachusetts when Republican Scott Brown won the Senate seat Ted Kennedy held for 37 years (and which Obama did not mention), his message on health care was consistent with the night he took office: health care for all Americans. In the world of business, visionary leaders will encounter roadblocks as they lead their organizations toward achievement of their strategic goals. The successful leader understands that the key messages remain the same regardless of the time it takes to clear them, and whatever the pundits (or your opponents) may say about whether you will fall flat on your face. Abandoning your key messages to snipe at your critics is a sure sign of desperation — and defeat.
For the vast majority of the president’s constituents, the economy and jobs are foremost on their minds. How does a president, whether of a country or a business, empathize with his or her stakeholders, especially when many are largely walled off from the day-to-day concerns shared by many of them? By demonstrating an understanding of their plight and by spending time with and listening to them. Obama cited numerous examples of the letters he has read, including the one from a child who asked why his family had to move out of their home, and the towns he has visited as unemployment has rocketed to 10 percent. He put a face on the shared human experience, including unemployment, to prove his understanding of and commitment to fixing it.
In my many years as a communications professional and as somebody’s employee (i.e., a stakeholder), I’ve seen some very authentic CEOs who were able to truly understand their stakeholders and thereby effectively engage them and motivate them. I’ve also seen some merely pay lip service, and it’s ultimately cost them. In my current work with my clients, we are dealing with significant business issues that can affect legislation and millions of people. In my experience, our clients have had the most success communicating the importance of their mission, many times through the media, when they’ve been able to deliver authentic stories that put a face on these issues.
Finally, I’ll use the example of the federal bailout of America’s largest banks and the stimulus bill to illustrate my point about positioning. With its stimulus bill, the Obama administration added $1 trillion to our deficit, and many saw and still see it as the wrong thing to do. First conceding the additional debt, Obama then quickly and positively positioned the bill, citing the two million jobs it created, the 1.5 million it is set to create this year and announcing that nearly all of the bailout money has been paid back, $30 billion of which will go toward improving the small business lending environment. He also clearly stated that inaction was not an option.
There is always more than one way to look at something, and therefore more than one way to position it. Savvy business leaders who are broad thinkers know this and use this knowledge to their advantage in communicating with their constituents.
Are the president’s policies right or wrong? Can they be achieved or not? I’ll let the pundits argue about that. My point is that the 2010 State of the Union address was an excellent exercise in collectively analyzing the communications strategies and tactics that business leaders should be using in their stakeholder communications every chance they get.
Did Mr. Obama’s communications strategy to settle a nervous America work? Did he convince Americans that the state of the union is strong? Did he succeed in regrouping a wobbled Democratic party? If you were one of his speechwriters or communications strategists, what you would have done? I mentioned consistency of message, authentic storytelling and proper positioning. What am I missing?
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Jason Snyder is vice president of WordWrite Communications.
