Recall Election Full of Lessons
By Julie Freeman
Arnold Schwarzenegger's November 17 inauguration as
governor of California culminated in a historic recall
election that attracted worldwide attention and fascination.
Some watched because of the movie star candidate; others
saw the election as another opportunity to shake their
heads in amazement about the citizens of California.
But for communicators, the fact that California even
held a recall election once again demonstrates what
happens when leaders do not see communication as an
essential part of their job.
Gray Davis, now former Governor of California, is well
qualified to serve as the state's chief executive. He
worked in state government for 30 years. Starting as
chief of staff for former governor Jerry Brown in the
1970s, he served as Assemblyman, Controller, Lieutenant
Governor and then in 1998, Governor. He is well educated
and knowledgeable about issues. As California Senator
Dianne Feinstein, one of Davis's allies, commented,
"He can explain it all chapter and verse."
But despite his education and experience, Davis made
the mistake of insisting that he could be judged purely
on his work. And in focusing solely on getting things
done, he failed to connect with the citizens of California.
The day after the recall election, a headline in the
San Francisco Chronicle read, "Davis, the great
un-communicator."
In the view of Robert Salladay, Chronicle political
reporter, "He [Davis] was faced with two of the
biggest crises in state history, but he utterly failed
to communicate with Californians. His straight talk
about the budget deficit came too late."
As Davis' example illustrates, leaders cannot afford
to be non-communicators. Amidst allegations of suspicious
donations, former chancellor of Germany Helmut Kohl
disregarded journalists and refused to disclose details
regarding the secret campaign contributions. As a result,
his lack off accountability and his disconnect with
constituents marked his genial image. In 2000, Kohl
was forced to resign as honorary chairman of the Rhine-Palatinate
Christian Democratic Union.
Daniel Zingale, one of Davis' aides, commented that
Davis thought the way to handle the energy crisis was
to work to keep the lights on and resist pressure to
raise consumer rates. He believed he would be rewarded
for his work. "In the end he wasn't," said
Zingale. "And it's probably because he never had
that conversation with ordinary Californians."
Davis, himself, in an interview broadcast on National
Public Radio, admitted that he had lost touch with the
people of California. In the beginning of his administration,
he had held town hall meetings. But he had stopped doing
that, and he acknowledged it was a mistake.
Of course, many will argue that it was Davis' performance,
not his communication style that cost him his job. During
his administration, California faced an energy crisis
and developed a record budget deficit. Voter anger over
his handling of those two crises led to the recall election
itself.
Similar political missteps can be seen on the world
stage, where once admired heads lose public support
due to unpopular policies or scandal. Fernando Henrique
Cardoso, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil
from 1995 to 2002, enjoyed widespread popularity as
a primary democratizing force. However, setbacks from
an energy crisis and a series of accusations that senior
government members had engaged in corrupt practices
tarnished Cardoso's seemingly infallible reputation.
Once the recall was underway, Davis faced an opponent
who is not only a movie star, but also knows how to
communicate his messages and make connections with voters.
In order to dramatize his intention to make changes
in California, Schwarzenegger was often photographed
holding up a broom, a visible symbol of making a "clean
sweep." His campaign was short on specific solutions
to the state's budgetary crisis, but his warm, likeable
personal style helped to inspire voter confidence that
he could lead the state to solutions.
Aside from providing entertainment for the world, the
recall election offers some lessons to leaders who are
not movie stars and must lead their organizations through
difficult times.
For communicators, the lessons are not new ones. Clear,
honest, frequent communication between an organization's
leadership and its employees, customers and stockholders,
is an essential element of management today. Though
some may argue that economic conditions are improving,
companies continue to cut costs, lay off workers, outsource
jobs and reorganize operations, all in an effort to
boost profits.
These measures create enormous uncertainty for all of
a company's stakeholders, particularly its employees,
and they create a breeding ground for a crisis in confidence
in the organization's leadership.
However, the CEO and senior management's communication
about the company's strategies and reasons behind them
go a long way in building buy-in for their initiatives,
even if they are painful.
Unlike Gray Davis, Ned Barnholdt, chairman, president
and CEO of Agilent Technologies Inc., and IABC's 2003
Excel winner, understands the value of communicating
during difficult times. Barnholdt told international
conference attenders that as his company decided to
lay off employees and reduce salaries, he stepped up
his communications with his employees. The increased
communication paid off. Even as the company was making
these difficult decisions, Fortune magazine included
Agilent in their "Most Admired Companies"
list.
Many people believe that "actions may speak louder
than words." Yet, as Gray Davis' experience demonstrates,
leaders who focus on doing without building understanding
for what they are doing are embarking on a risky management
strategy. It is incumbent on communication counselors
to keep reminding them of that.
Julie Freeman, ABC, APR, is President of IABC. Julie
has worked in communication and non-profit management
for almost 20 years. She has helped turn around organizations
undergoing financial crises and rebuilt their public
image through a variety of communications strategies.
Discuss this topic with other IABC members at: www.iabc.com/memberspeak.
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