1930s - so much talent

The National Portrait Gallery is currently showing an exhibition of Vanity Fair photographic portraits from 1913 - 1936 and 1983 - 2008.

In his essay for the exhibition, Terence Pepper says 'The launch of Vanity Fair by the visionary publisher Conde Nast coincided with the birth of modernism, the dawning of the Jazz Age and the mould-breaking avant-garde art in the American public.'

The whole exhibition was incredible, with the (mostly small) photographs evoking a sense of wonder at seeing these historically great figures in such ordinary and natural ways, with the 1920s and 1930s quickly becoming my favourite sections.

Who could be anything other than inspired at seeing Adele and Fred Astaire in their twenties, James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw, Rebecca West, Virginia Woolf, Pablo Picasso, Amelia Earhart, Claude Monet, Louis Armstrong, Greta Garbo, Babe Ruth, Jesse Owens, and Cary Grant all looking so normal with only a twinkle in their eye to betray their destiny for greatness.

Then there is W.C. Fields in his pajamas, a young Albert Einstein and D.H. Lawrence looking utterly shy and uncomfortable in front of the camera, plus a beautifully soft portrait of Ernest Heminway wearing a felt cap,

What can I say, it was a beautiful reminder of just how much talent came out of that period in time. If you are able, go see the exhibition...it is on until August 30, 2009.

I think I will treasure my copies of Vanity Fair all the more for having seen the great people they promoted, and often gave a start to, in the past.

Image 1: Louis Armstrong, by Anton Bruehl, 1935, publ. November 1935. Credit: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

Image 2: Jesse Owens, by Lusha Nelson, 1935, publ. September 1935. Credit: Courtesy Condé Nast Archive

Speech writing - interview with Gerry Wheeler

Gerry Wheeler has a long history of speech writing, in particular he has written for a number of conservative politicians including former Australian Prime Minister John Howard, for whom he worked for seven years. More recently he has contributed to speeches delivered by the Managing Director of an Australian company. Recently, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to pick Gerry's brain on the subject.

HP - What was the first speech you ever wrote?

GW - I cannot recollect the first speech I ever wrote but I recall always being involved in writing and presenting speeches from an early age. I strongly believe that this is an important skill that should be encouraged from primary school.

Having said that there is an important comment to make about the ownership of speeches. Speeches belong to those who deliver them, not those who contribute to writing them. I was disappointed to read an article recently about a political speechwriter as though he was a ventriloquist. The unfortunate and false implication was that the individual delivering the speech was little more than a ventriloquist's dummy. I take the view that speechwriters should not seek the limelight for their craft. Besides, we would all agree that the best ventriloquist is the one who doesn't move his lips.

HP - What was the most notable speech you have written, or contributed to, so far?

GW - It was a special privilege to have contributed to a number of addresses to the nation delivered by former Prime Minister Howard. Two that stand out occurred at the time of the committal of troops to East Timor and Iraq. Both were momentous times in our history and of great international importance. On both occasions Mr Howard was squarely focussed on explaining how the then Government's decisions were being taken in the national interest. I have a special memory of two other speeches as well. The first was a speech at a memorial service for the death of Ted Matthews in 1997, who was the last surviving Australian veteran of the first Gallipoli landing and Mr Howard's address at the first Sir Donald Bradman oration, not long before Bradman's death. Both of these speeches succeeded because they were descriptions of Australian values as much as they were tributes to Australian heroism.

Incidentally, the majority and best of John Howard's speeches were delivered off the cuff. He has an extraordinary ability to speak from the heart without any notes at all. That John Howard has never spoken at a public gathering using an autocue is in stark contrast to political leaders around the world and a tribute to his speaking abilities.

HP - Do you have a process you follow when writing a speech? If so, what are the main steps?

GW - The most important precondition of any good speech is a strong message. Identifying the message is the first task of the speechwriter. This can only be gleaned from an appropriate brief or briefing from the speaker. From here, an outline of the speech is prepared identifying the message and appropriate proof points and then a series of drafts is prepared to flesh out the points. Considerable interaction between the speaker and the speechwriter is necessary during this process and the actual language itself comes towards the end of the process.

HP - How important is research when preparing a speech?

GW - When asked about how long its takes to prepare a speech I always say that speechwriting expands to consume the time available. Yes, research is important to support the selected message but, at times, there is limited time and opportunity to undertake the desired research. I recall Ronald Reagan's famous Challenger disaster speech prepared by Peggy Noonan where there was limited time for research. It was the setting of the message that consumed the energy in its preparation.

HP - When writing for someone else how do you ensure it sounds like them and not like you?

GW - Someone once said to me "your task as a speechwriter is not to put your words into their mouth. It is to put their words into their mouth." This means that it is important to study how a person speaks. Listen to them. Read transcripts of their language and any speech they have written for themselves. This is where the humility of a good speechwriter should ensure they are writing for their speaker, not themselves.

HP - Do you follow any rules that dictate the rhythm of the speech? For example Abe Lincoln was known to keep most of his words to single syllables, use antithesis and repetition to achieve a certain rhythm.

GW - The eloquence of a speech is generally directly proportional to the importance of the occasion and the stature of the speaker . In other words, attempting to use fancy words for a bit player at a pedestrian event will simply fall flat. Having said that, well crafted speeches that convey simple messages using simple language should provide considerable satisfaction for any speechwriter.

HP - Is there a particular type of speech you enjoy writing over others?

GW - I think the speech everyone wants to write is the great occasion speech - the one that is written to convey the desires and ideals of a nation at a significant moment of time. Most of us will never get the chance to contribute to such a speech but there are plenty of other occasions where a speechwriter can display his craft. Great speeches tell us something new about the speaker. The best speech I have ever written is the speech I gave at my own wedding - an enunciation of values at a great moment in time for friends and family. In fact, some of the best speeches I have ever heard were at wedding receptions where the bride or groom reveals something about themselves - how they came to be where they are and how people close to them contributed to their achievement.

HP - Do you have a formula for working out how long a speech will take to deliver, based on the number of words?

GW - A simple measure is to apply a two words a second rule.

HP - In delivering a speech, what are the most important things to consider?

GW - The first and last thing to consider is the message. It is the message of a speech that will remain long after the memory of eloquent language has passed.

HP - Finally, what makes a Gerry Wheeler speech different?

GW - Hopefully it is that a particular speech mattered.

A big thank you to Gerry Wheeler for taking time out of his busy schedule to give us some advice on speech writing!

Are you ready for a crisis?

With Swine Flu (or H1N1) doing the rounds, it seems like the perfect time to start talking about Crisis Comms. What should you do, when should you do it, and how?

While times are good
Ideally you should be part of your organisations crisis response team, which should also include reps from different areas of the business including Security, Facilities, HR, IT, Finance, Legal, Contracts and Senior Leadership.

It is important to keep response plans up to date, and run regular crisis simulations to test the plan and make sure everyone is well-versed in crisis response situations.

Crisis hits
It’s here, it’s worse than anyone could imagine, and everything is happening at a million miles an hour. What do you do? Get out your plan, and follow your comms checklist!

Comms checklist
- Determine the extent of the crisis. Gather as much credible information as you can.
- Identify a single spokesperson or coordinated spokespersons for the organisation.
- Start and maintain a log of actions taken, the times, and parties involved.
- Get contact information to / from emergency response organisations if required.
- Develop a set of messages, ensure all spokespeople are briefed consistently.
- Prepare answers to likely questions.
- Communicate to employees.
- Respond to media queries. Make sure to use media contact logs to record what was said and to whom.
- Coordinate all messages with crisis response team.

During the early hours of a crisis it is important to communicate early and frequently to build trust with stakeholders and make sure they know you are managing the situation.

Don’t assume knowledge. Over communicate if you have to.

Be honest and open, fight the urge to deny or shift blame – this will only prolong the media coverage and story angles. If you are in the wrong, admit it quickly and honestly.

Don’t decline to comment unless you absolutely have to. Silence will be taken as an admission of guilt or perceived as the organisation having something to hide.

Combat rumours, tell your side of the story and show sincere empathy. Don’t just repeat corporate messages of ‘Our priority is the safety of our customers.’ Be open and genuine, for example ‘My heart goes out to those who have been affected by this incident, I can’t begin to imagine what they are feeling and will do everything in my power to resolve it.’

Talking to the media
- Write out a list of likely questions and answers.
- Be honest, open and accurate.
- Do not speculate, discuss matters only within your direct knowledge or area of responsibility.
- Ensure answers support your agreed messages and overarching corporate messages and branding.
- Be polite but firm.
- Do not argue with the journalist.
- Consider everything to be on the record.
- Speak slowly and clearly.
- Be concise, avoid acronyms and jargon.
- Do not use or repeat negative language.
- Do not address matters under litigation.
- Take the high road, don’t talk negatively about the competition.
- Be mindful of confidential matters or products / services that have yet to be announced.
- Use the opportunity to tell your company’s story.

Are you ready for Social Media?

Looks like Social Media tools and applications aren’t the passing phase that the cynics were predicting, they are here to stay.

If you are just starting to think about Social Media tools for your organisation you can be forgiven for feeling like you are significantly behind the eight ball. There is a lot to think about, and you should work out if you are even ready to use Social Media tools now…in fact you may never be ready.

For some companies Social Media works a treat, for others it fails miserably and just won’t ever work, why is that?

Well, some companies simply aren’t the right environment; they don’t have an employee culture where Social Media tools works well, or they have overriding business requirements that prevent that sort of open, collaborative communication.

Here are a few important things to consider before you dive in:

Will it succeed?
It isn’t just the younger population who are embracing Social Media tools, hell my parents are on facebook and twitter! But they may be more willing to make it part of their daily working lives and adopt it more readily. Different groups will be more willing than others, think of technically minded folk such as engineers versus labourers, how will the different groups respond?

Are Social Media tools likely to be seen as an extra burden by your employees?
Are senior leaders likely (and willing) to embrace the new technology?
Do Social Media tools complement your existing strategy, vision, goals and values?
Who is your audience, and are they already using these tools?

Build a business case
Don’t feel you have to implement everything. If a wiki is likely to work best for you, start with that. Once it becomes accepted and you can demonstrate value, then you can branch out and try something new.

Is there a need?
Who will use the tools?
How will they generate useful conversations or information?
How will they give employees better access to leadership?
Will they help global teams communicate better?
How will they actually help your business and your employees in their daily jobs?

Can you let go?
Social media tools only work when they are open and honest. Communication has to be transparent and it has to be two-way.

Do you work in an industry where information is sensitive, and needs to be controlled?
Are you REALLY ready to hear the feedback that is likely to be generated?

Conduct a trial
Get together a focus group to trial the new tools. Make sure you are implementing the right thing at the right time and to the right people.

Set guidelines
Yes Social Media tools are designed to be open and honest, and you have very little control over them. But you need to set guidelines. What can and can’t be talked about, and to remind employees that confidential information rules still apply.

Have a look at Telstra's 'Guardrails', released after a Twitter incident. Another example is the Powerhouse Museum and there are loads more out there.

The basic premise should always be, use common sense and don’t be stupid. Make sure everyone is accountable for what they say, allowing anonymous postings can lead to disaster.

Internal versus external
Social Media isn’t a great way to sell products. However, it is great for building a community among your customers, gathering useful feedback, and has been succ and For a lot of organisations, using Social Media tools internally is a lot less scary and can offer great benefits to employees and the organisation. Capture knowledge through a wiki, engage employees by encouraging your Managing Director to blog and solicit comments and questions. Build team cohesiveness through a facebook style tool, or bring in an instant messaging system that also allows for online group meetings, video-conferencing and collaboration.

Lincoln has moved

Folks, my obsession with Abraham Lincoln has grown to such a proportion that he needed a blog of his very own.

You can now find the latest sightings and random facts, myths, and general made-up-stuff at The 16th President.

Drop me a line with your own Lincoln sightings!

What's behind the wall?

My Lincoln reference for today was sent to me by a friend who saw a CNN story about The Tunnel, a movie about the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel under New York City that supposedly contains hidden objects and secrets that would unravel many of the world's current mysteries. Some of these secrets include the missing pages from John Wilkes Booth, the assasination of Abraham Lincoln, and information on conspirators involved in Lincoln's death.

Of course there are rumoured to be other treasures like a perfectly preserved locomotive from the early 1800s, but what is that when there are Lincoln mysteries to uncover!

The filmmakers are raising money from the public to finish the shooting and excavation, so let's find out what's behind the wall!!

Did you know?

My uncle sent me a link to the latest 'Did you know?' video on YouTube. A video that was put together to make you think about the future and give you a few eye-opening stats along the way.

YouTube then suggested I watch 'Did You Know?: The 2009 Inauguration Edition' and thus gave me my Lincoln reference for the day. Did you know that the first course of Obama's Inaugural Lunch was served on a replica of Lincoln's china, displaying the American bald eagle, US Coat of Arms, and a border of 'solferino' (a colour popular back in the 1860s).

And of course, but this was already a well-known fact, Obama was sworn in on Lincoln's bible, which hadn't been used at an Inauguration since 1861.

There you have it folks, another day in the world of Lincoln references.

Anton is free

Last night, watching Season Three of Dexter, Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) tells Anton (David Ramsey) he is free. His response...'Have been since Abe Lincoln'. Of course she meant that he didn't have to be a police informant anymore, but I was happy to have my Lincoln reference for the day!

Anyone else have any good ones? Anyone? Come on, share with me!

Image courtesy of www.imdb.com