Shadow Effect: When You Look Bad Because of Others

Sometimes, through no fault of your own, your organization’s reputation can suffer. For example, what if you worked for a reputable, conservative mortgage lender or bank when news reports of mortgage companies failing start hitting the market? How should a toy manufacturer respond when reports of lead-poisoning in toys made in China come to light?

I got an e-mail today from a former student, Ashley McKell, who is completing an internship with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She sent me the link to an on-line media packet aimed to reduce confusion between the Church of Jesus Christ and the FLDS Church, which has been in the national news spotlight because of the allegations of child abuse acted upon by Texas law enforcement agencies. Check out the packaged here.

This is a great example of how to respond in these situations when the dark shadow of another’s actions taint your organization or confuse people about your role or mission. Here are some key principles to keep in mind:

1) Research before reacting: Note the research that was done to confirm that the confusion was real and not imagined. This gives the claim of misunderstanding credibility instead of appearing reactionary.

2) Focus on your positives: Instead of pointing out all the things that the FLDS Church is or isn’t, the Church of Jesus Christ packet focuses on their own beliefs: Elder Quentin Cook is quoted as saying, “We’d much rather be talking about who we are than who we aren’t.” Perfect direction.

3) Use credible opinion leaders: The Church of Jesus Christ includes in the packet videos of church members from Texas to show what they are a like. The effect is to clearly demonstrate the difference between the FLDS representatives seen in news reports. But again, the way it is done emphasizes what members or the Church of Jesus Christ are like instead of pointing toward FLDS members for contrast.

4) Go directly to those who make mistakes: The packet is a great tool to drop in the lap (or the in box) of anyone in the media who reinforces the confusion identified in the survey. The packet is clear, direct and high quality, so it’s an easy task to put it in front of people.

If you ever face the situation of the “shadow effect,” this is a great pattern to follow.

Sports and Grammar Don’t Mix

It’s tough to be a sports fan. Not only do I get hooked into the NBA playoff coverage and then my Utah Jazz lose in the second round, but it grates on my nerves to listen to the poor grammar on the broadcasts. I can excuse most of the players’ errors – partially because there are so many of them and partially because I know they don’t get paid to string together a coherent sentence. But the announcers DO get paid to speak intelligently, and their sloppy grammar makes listening to them like listening to fingers scraping a chalkboard (those who grew up in the white board era, please forgive the dated analogy).

Here are just a few examples from the NBA playoff broadcasts. I’ve left off team names and attributions to avoid pointing the finger at anyone in particular. The problem is so rampant that I don’t want to start naming names.

“They just need to play more aggressive.” Argh! The adverb is aggressively! You’re okay if you use aggressive as an adjective in a sentence like “They need to play more aggressive defense.” But please, know when the word is modifying a noun, when it’s modifying a verb, and the difference!

(This from an interview with a player) “Is there other things you’re doing to help?” This is third grade noun/verb agreement! “Things” denotes a plural, so the question has to be “ARE there other things you’re doing to help?” No wonder the players don’t speak well; their interviewers who should know better don’t!

“He’s the one that can make a difference in this series.” NO. He’s the one WHO can make a difference. If you’re talking about a person, use who or whom; if you’re talking about a thing use “that.”

“The franchise is in the playoffs for their first time in a decade.” Argh! The franchise is an “it” not a “they.”

This is why I listen to basketball with the sound off sometimes. That grating squeak of the fingernails is just too much sometimes!

Oh, and in case you missed it, there’s a funny article in the May 21, 2008, issue of the Chicago Tribune about two Dartmouth College grads who are going around the country fixing poor grammar and typos on store signs. Fun read; click on the link to check it out.