What Information do Communities Need

The Knight Commission published a report Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy. The three objectives are:

-Maximizing availability of relevant, credible information
-Strengthening the capacity of individuals to engage with information
-Promoting individual engagement with information that leads to positive public change

This sounds like what we are working on in public health. Two things of note:
People are desperate for "trusted intermediaries"...credible people who can help them make sense of the information that is most important, relevant and useful.

Being social media savvy is an important strategy..because it can help people leverage available resources. Public Media 2.0, a report by the American University Center for Social Media identifies five ways social media is changing people's "media habits"
Choice, conversation, curation, creation, and collaboration.

Top three tips for dealing with conflict

I'm always looking for good tips on dealing with conflict. 

Peter Pregman, the Martial Art of Conversation gives three concise rules that, in my experience ( if you can do them) work to diffuse a tense situation and help you to move forward. 

1. Ask Questions: what is most important is to understand how the other person views the situation. You don't have to agree...you just have to understand.
2. Listen ( really)  When people are angry or upset, they need to feel heard and respected.
3. Repeat and summarize:  You want to make sure you understand the other person's perspective and you need to make sure they believe you understand.

The key point is, when people are angry, the gut reaction is to get defensive. Once you are defending your position ( which you believe to be right) you aren't listening.  When someone is angry, they need to feel heard ( and respected) before they can listen to someone else.

Peter shows you what he means by telling you a story.

Photo: Flickr 1677426833_c31dfc8d40

What is the most powerful marketing tool?

According to Amy Sample Ward at Get Attention...it is testimonials. And she's got a point!

Think about it?  If you don't have much time and you are skimming a brochure or fact sheet or promotional piece...  What stands out?  Quotes.

Testimonials work because they are credible and authentic.  We trust people like us.

What would influence you more?

Who should attend this presentation?  Public Health Professionals, tobacco control advocates, educators, youth leaders, anyone interested in the the health of their community.

"This was the best session I've seen all year!  I'm a busy health professional but I wouldn't have missed this for the world.  I left with concrete ideas on actions I can take to help my community healthier."

Word of mouth influences action.  Quotes bring word of mouth into your newsletters, fact sheets, and promotional pieces.  To find out more about how to get and use testimonials, read Amy Ward's: The Most Powerful Marketing Copy in the World

Photo credit: Flickr newendproductions