Short Messages Can Be Tricky: What Did Kansas’ Gov. Laura Kelly Say About the Super Bowl Shootings?
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?)