When Bad Things Happen

It is an unfortunate fact of life that bad things happen.  Not only do they happen to people, but they happen to and at organizations, companies, schools, hospitals, parks, government buildings and the list goes on.  I was struck by the response of an East Coast college this weekend, when a technology supported test-run led to a number of students being erroneously told they had gained that most valued early admission. While the actual number of students impacted was not a huge number, for every student impacted it was a huge deal. The college has responded with an apology for the error and offered students the opportunity to talk with a real person if they so chose.
When bad things happen, it is critical to remember that for the person or persons it is happening to, it is a not an abstract occurrence, but very real. It is important not to use words like 'only, minor, or insignificant' that negate the very real hurt, harm, sadness or unhappiness that those impacted are experiencing. We should try to first put ourselves in the place of the person or persons who are going through the experience, reflect on how we would like to be treated and to the best of our ability, craft our messages accordingly.
A few years ago, my then 15 year old son and I were in an airport kinda people watching when he asked me how it felt to be part of  'just the background' in the lives of people walking by.  His question has stuck with me for the past 8 years, is quite humbling and helps to inform how I approach communications "work."  Having a profound respect for those for whom I am "just background" is important, especially when it comes to having to share why something 'bad' has happened. 

Tag Lines

Isn't it interesting how exhausting finding the right few words to serve as a tag line or positioning statement can be?  Perhaps it is so hard because such statements must be memorable, pithy (an old word), long lasting (meaning cannot be too contemporary or too throwback) and have to be embraced (and sometimes approved) by lots and lots of internal audiences.  I found myself with a little bit of time on my hands and decided to take a trip through the neighborhood of taglines for direct to consumer companies, business to business corporations, non-profit agencies and of course, other health care organizations.  I came away from my journey with two thoughts:
1.  Getting it just right is really, really hard
2.  When it is just right, it "sticks" immediately
While it would probably be inappropriate for me to share the ones that 'stuck' for me immediately, I will share their attributes.  First and foremost, they were simple.  No big, fancy words or 'industry-insider' language that I needed to know.  Second, there was a connection not only with my brain, but with my heart.  The ones that really connected with me, engendered an inaudible "Ahhhh."  Third, they were believeable.  Since I was taking the journey, I only went to companies or organizations that I knew something about.  I must say, I did read some that made me go "Really?"  which means they did not immediately pass the believable test.  Finally, they transcended being just "catchy, right now."  I could see the words being used in the distant past, present and far into the future. 
Because 'words' are an important part of what I do, these kinds of exercises are fun for me.  Unfortunately, this kind of fun is not shared by anyone who lives (or has lived) in my house, so I am glad I have this forum to share my thoughts with others who get a kick out of words!  Happy 2012.
J