What is the Value in Changing One’s Mind?
This Week …
We take a look at the newscycles for two Midwestern governors:
Exercising the Right to Change One’s Mind
A look at Nebraska’s Gov. Jim Pillen’s recent decision-making
Short Messages Can be Tricky
What did Kansas’ Gov. Laura Kelly say about the Super Bowl shootings?
The Pool is Closed (Really)
Do you know what tautological means? It’s my new favorite word.
Deep Dive: New information, new decision
"When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?"
John Maynard Keynes
Introduction: Changing One’s Mind
When I worked for Sen. Bob Kerrey (NE) at the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C., he was famous for reserving his right to change his mind. And, when he got new information, he often did so.
This week in Nebraska, Gov. Jim Pillen exercised his right.
Pillen initially rejected $18 million in federal funding intended to feed hungry children during the summer but reversed his decision.
Pillen's change of heart was influenced by discussions with high school students who shared their personal experiences with hunger, highlighting the importance of the Summer EBT program.
The Summer EBT program, which provides pre-loaded EBT cards to low-income families for purchasing groceries, was made permanent in 2022 after proving essential during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The move to accept the funding came amid legislative efforts to mandate the state's participation and bipartisan support for the program, showcasing the power of advocacy and cross-party collaboration.
As a strategic communicator and a college writing instructor, I love that the students’ testimonies to the governor became the final input to help change his mind.
While there are numerous angles to consider, my analysis focuses on the positive evolution of this situation. So what is the value, in general, to a community and a democratic government when a culture supports changing one’s mind? Benefits can include:
Fosters Growth: Encourages lifelong learning and intellectual humility, promoting both personal and communal development.
Improves Decision-Making: Leads to informed, effective policymaking by allowing adjustments based on new evidence or information.
Stimulates Dialogue: Supports open, constructive debate, refining ideas and enhancing democratic processes.
Enhances Trust and Cohesion: Reduces polarization and builds trust by showing openness to new insights.
Increases Adaptability: Enables communities and governments to effectively respond to new challenges and information.
Promotes Accountability: Encourages transparency and acknowledges that adapting in light of mistakes is a strength.
Drives Innovation: Cultivates a more innovative and effective approach to problem-solving by considering diverse ideas and solutions.
Valuing the ability to change one’s mind in light of new information is profoundly beneficial to both communities and democracy and this type of culture fosters resilience, adaptability, and progress.
Deep Dive Story Idea Hat Tip: Eva Roberts!
Additional Resources:
What did the students say to the governor? How did they prepare? Read more about the five students who worked to change the governor’s mind in the Lincoln Journal Star.
A Slight Change of Plans Podcast with Dr. Maya Shankar: Named by Apple as the Best Show of the Year 2021, host Dr. Maya Shankar blends compassionate storytelling with the science of human behavior to help us understand who we are, and who we become, in the face of a big change. (Hat Tip: Miki Kramper!)
Clarity Rating: Scale of 1 to 5
On the Hot Seat: Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s post on X soon after shots were fired at the Kansas City Super Bowl parade last week.
No doubt, it’s a challenge to quickly put together a short message that conveys multiple messages, particularly in a crisis. But that is when a message is most important.
Let’s take a look at Gov. Kelly’s first public statement immediately after the shootings:
Did anything stand out to you?
How about the governor’s update on her own safety before mentioning the danger for others?:
“I have been evacuated and am out of harm’s way.”
News was quick to share that multiple people had been shot and were receiving medical attention, including children. The governor's emphasis on her personal safety, despite presumably having access to a dedicated security team, appeared to lack the necessary empathy and did not convincingly demonstrate a prioritization of public welfare above her own concerns. Comments on her post seemed to be most critical for those reasons:
Thank God you told us about what was done for YOUR safety. I don’t think I could have slept tonight.
Good thing you’re evacuated and safe. What about the people you serve? No thoughts or prayers?
Well good for you. Bad for thousands that don’t get preferential treatment.
Glad you are safe. Not everyone made it out safely.
You can't always avoid negative feedback, but being mindful of the full impact of your words can help you steer clear of unnecessary pitfalls. Analyzing communication missteps is essential for identifying lessons that can help avoid future occurrences. If the governor and her press staff had paused to carefully review each sentence and asked pertinent questions, could they have identified and addressed the focus on her safety as a potential issue before hitting send? Questions could include:
Is this the correct sentiment that is needed in this moment?
Am I sharing the right information to the audience/s who follow me?
Do my words bring calm and help people?
Am I shining my spotlight on the correct people and/or places?
Clarity Rating Score for Governor Kelly’s X post: 2
The Clarity Rating measures effective communications on a scale of 1 to 5 using this criteria:
1: Blurry, Indistinct
2: Slightly Focused, Needs Adjustment
3: Moderately Focused, Fair Clarity
4: Well-Focused, High Clarity
5: Razor-Sharp Focus, Crystal Clear (Are we clear?)
Read the Sign: Yep
As spring break approaches and many seek out warm weather and a dive in the pool, this beauty was found somewhere online. (Hat Tip: Ben Fogarty!)
Of course, it’s word salad. Here is AI’s analysis:
Positives:
Clarity of Message: The sign is clear about the current status of the pool—it is not open.
Politeness: The sign concludes with a polite request for understanding, which is a positive touch in customer communication.
Negatives:
Redundancy: The phrase "The pool is currently not open because it is closed" is tautological. Stating that the pool is closed because it is not open doesn’t add any information and might confuse or amuse the reader.
Lack of Information: It fails to provide essential details, such as the reason for the closure and the expected duration. Without this information, guests may feel inconvenienced and left in the dark.
Missed Opportunity for Positive Spin: The message could be framed in a way that softens the disappointment and potentially provides guests with alternatives or reassurances.
Possible re-write:
“The pool is temporarily closed for maintenance. Thank you for your understanding.”
Then have the front desk staff ready to …
1) estimate when the pool will open if you know for sure! If not, do not estimate.
2) make unhappy guests happy with a discount, special coupon, ideas for what activities are available etc.
See you next week …
Send me Hat Tips!: Please continue to send me story ideas and wild finds from anywhere! I believe we can learn from any story or source.
erin@claritychannels.com