Tag: communication

Are you giving out or getting through?

By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director

Someone should do a study to answer this question: How much genuine communication takes place on social media? Stay with me—it’s an important question that actually isn’t limited to social media.

There’s a quotation from Sidney Harris on the masthead of the Bulletin. The two words’ information’ and ‘communication’ are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.” If you have read the Bulletin and didn’t notice it, we’re not getting through. That shouldn’t be a surprise. One-way communication has its drawbacks. And, as a society, we are increasingly relying on one-way communication, whether we realize it or not.

I had an exasperating exchange on Facebook recently. I won’t bore you with the details as interesting as they might be. I was answering a writer’s question. Another person almost immediately jumped on me, “correcting” me. I responded to his comment by pointing out that I did not say (write) what he was criticizing me for, hoping he would see we weren’t communicating. He then proceeded to take a slightly different approach to telling me I was wrong anyway. I did not respond further and attempted to see some humor in it. Part of the humor was that the person who originally asked the question didn’t take part in the exchange.

My attacker had no desire to communicate. He was more interested in demonstrating how smart he was. He went off-topic, particularly when I challenged his understanding of what I’d written.

How often does that happen in our conversations? Are we giving out or getting through? We all want to be heard, and that’s not a bad thing. But we should be equally interested in being understood and at least mildly interested in our listeners. That’s much simpler to achieve in “live” in-person conversation. But it’s only easier if both parties are committed to communicating to create understanding.

A down-to-earth technique is called “clarifying and confirming.” It’s based on the assumption we should understand both what the other person is saying and why they are saying it.

“I love ice cream,” seems like a clear statement, at least as far as what is being said. If we want to understand, let’s be a little curious and ask (clarify) why the person loves ice cream. “Because it tastes good.” How’s our understanding? We won’t know for sure until we confirm it. “So what you’re saying is that you like ice cream because it tastes good.” That just might trigger more information. “Yeah, and I feel like I’m getting a treat…”

This becomes particularly important when our initial reaction to someone’s statement is to reject, ignore or disagree. How we react determines what happens next. A knee-jerk reaction may mean the conversation ends or develops into an argument. The few minutes required to demonstrate a desire to communicate by clarifying and confirming are well worth the effort. If you confirm that you are in total disagreement, understanding the “what and why” equips you to remain friends and perhaps even find a middle ground or compromise.

► FACT: Last week, the MSG website was viewed 328 times. The two most visited items were the Directory of Granges and the Mill Stream Grange post.

Let’s Have a Grand Grange Gathering

By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director

“Train With Hazardous Materials Derails in Rural Maine “ was a recent headline in a mainstream media outlet. Since a small forest fire developed, the Maine Forest Service was involved. A subsequent report by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry included this statement, “Additional rail cars transporting hazardous materials did not derail.”

There might be a lesson in communication here. Or at least in journalism. The media headline is not inaccurate and will pass the fact-checkers. Is it a “good” headline?

A headline is, according to Wikipedia, “the text indicating the content or nature of the article below it.” There’s actually a bit of science involved that includes grammatical rules. No, we’re not going down that path, interesting as it might be.

Headlines became commonly used in the late 19^th Century as competition between newspapers increased. Thus, they became “attention-getting devices.” When people stood at the newsstand, they picked up the paper with the most interesting headline. As readers paged through the purchased copy, they often decided which articles to read based on the headline.

In the electronic world, we use the term “click-bait” to describe a headline that captures interest to the point we click a link, often to be disappointed. As a writer, I find it disappointing that we aren’t having more conversations about the ethics of headline writing. I’m willing to concede that there’s a difference between writing a  headline for an advertisement versus a news story. An online ad recently offered “Save a Life—Free CPR training.” To their credit, in the fine print, they disclosed a fee for the certificate or completion. Much like the news example, the headline was not inaccurate. A number of folks took them to task for what they considered “misleading.” It might be a shame that we aren’t taking the media to task for some of the headlines they write. “The Training Is Free. The Certificate Is Not,” might have been more accurate, but a lot less attention-getting.

I’ve been tempted to create a lecturer’s program that would involve critiquing current headlines using some sort of accuracy scale. The program might be more about critical thinking than headlines.

When we send Grange news and program information to media outlets, we certainly don’t want to be misleading. But I think most would agree we can and should be more “attention-getting.” It may not be easy because you’re forced to really think about why someone should read your story or come to your event. A good day for a reporter includes a report where the headline just writes itself, but it rarely happens. One of my memorable ones happened when I was writing a press release announcing a local school concert. “Kids Raise Voices and Lift Spirits.”

One way to improve our headlining ability is to read other headlines critically. Be especially alert to headlines that might be adaptable to the news and events you are trying to promote. I love alliterations—they tend to “stick” in people’s minds. Let’s have a Grand Grange Gathering!

► FACT: Your MSG website was viewed over 1,500 times during March 2023–if you aren’t submitting your events and news, you are missing an opportunity!

Which Half Are You in?

By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director

“Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, and the other half who have nothing to say keep on saying it.”

Attributed to Robert Frost

While I’m a big fan of Robert Frost, if he said this, I’m not sure I totally agree—it’s too arbitrary. There’s a third group who have something to say and can say it reasonably well. Unfortunately, it’s a small group.

In the interest of over-complicating this, it also depends on how we define “say” and “saying.” How about “Half the world is composed of people who have something to communicate and can’t, and the other half who have nothing to communicate keep communicating.

With that change, we can note that communication takes place in four basic forms: verbal, non-verbal, written, and visual. A case can be made that listening is a fourth form, but we are trying to keep this simple.

As most of you know, I recently accepted a position as an adjunct instructor at Beal University. I was warned that I would likely be surprised and disappointed by the writing skills of most of my students. I thought I was prepared. I was not.

One of the things I was not prepared for is that many students do not accept the need (or opportunity) for good written communication skills. An even bigger surprise was that most are unaware of the tools and technology available that can help us with writing.

We could have a long and interesting discussion about the future of communication. For example, AI (artificial intelligence) now exists, making it possible to let “the computer” do the actual writing. Part of our discussion would include whether or not that technology diminishes the need to learn the rules of grammar.

Let’s get very practical. Thinking about your Grange and Grange membership, do you have something to communicate? Understand that “you” can mean “you as an individual,” but it can also mean “you as a Grange.”

When my students have a paper to write, it’s usually apparent whether or not they have something to communicate. If so, helping them find ways to say it can be fun, even if challenging. If they don’t have something to say, it doesn’t matter if they can write or speak well. Developing skills becomes somewhat pointless and feels empty without a use for them. That’s why we give assignments. “Write a 500-word essay explaining…”

If we want our Grange to be vibrant and growing, we’d better have a lot to say. “No report” isn’t, by the way, grammatically correct. At a minimum, it should be, “I have no report.” Occasionally, I hear, “I have nothing to report.” That’s also grammatically correct. Are you beginning to see that “no report” is not too far from “I have nothing to say?”

• Why should I consider joining your Grange? “I have nothing to say.”
• What are some of your future programs? “No report.”
• What community services are you offering? “Nothing to report.”

If an assignment would help, here’s one for your Grange. “Write a 250 word description of at least three things your Grange is doing well.” (For reference purposes, that’s less than half the length of this column.) Submit it to the website for publication. Failure to submit (“no report”) results in a zero (F). If you need some help, contact…

Wouldn’t it be interesting to make that a formal program? Assignments carry a deadline after which we’d publish grades—if only as pass/fail.

In college, completing assignments competently ultimately means receiving a degree. In the Grange, completing this assignment  (and some others) means keeping and maybe even growing the Grange. Failure in college means no degree. Failure in the Grange means no Grange.

► FACT: Your MSG website was viewed over 1600 times during January 2023–if you aren’t submitting your events and news, you are missing an opportunity!

Actions Communicate!

By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director

Actions speak louder than words, and often communicate messages that words simply cannot. Showing someone you care is one of the best ways to demonstrate your feelings.

A simple act of kindness, such as a hug, can communicate love, appreciation, and understanding. It can also show others we care about their feelings and value them as individuals. Similarly, body language is also a powerful method of communicating. Making eye contact, replicating postures and gestures, and body movements such as crossing your arms can say a lot about how someone is feeling or what they are thinking. Ultimately, actions can be a more powerful form of communication than words alone.

But, like words, actions are subject to misinterpretation. Thanks in a large part to COVID, Touching and physical proximity are being questioned and challenged. The handshake was originally about open, weaponless hands and grasping each other in a ritual of mutuality. There are now those who think the ritual should be abandoned in the interest of public health. You’ll know you’ve met one when they cringe in horror and disapproval at the extension of your proffered hand.

Which side of that particular debate you are on is less significant than the recognition that there is a debate. “One man’s pleasure is another man’s pain.” Not everyone wants to be touched. But some of us do want to make that contact and connection. Another way of looking at this is with the consideration that what we’ve always accepted as a “universal language” may no longer be so universal.

So we hopefully become much more aware of our own behavior and what it might be communicating. We also try to become more aware of others’ potential understanding (or misunderstanding) of that behavior.

If you haven’t yet seen it, there’s an interesting parallel for the Grange. Many of our practices we see as protecting and even increasing the fraternal nature that has served us well. But how do others see it? We sometimes lose our balance. What we see as “fraternal” others may see as exclusionary.

Car buying was different some years ago. I recall one particularly difficult negotiation. The salesman was dutifully doing the “let me see if my manager will approve… just initial here to demonstrate your sincerity.” The poor guy was actually sweating from the numerous trips he made to the back office. After one, he said, “Well, at least you can see how hard I’m working for you” I rather directly corrected him. “What I can see is that every time you say it’s the best deal, it isn’t. Here’s what I want. If  you come back with a counteroffer, I’ll just leave so we both stop wasting time.” That’s exactly what happened. I stood up, shook his hand, and walked out the door. Actions communicate. The salesman ended up chasing me through the parking lot to announce that the sales manager had finally agreed. Sometimes you have to cut through the ritual to get the result. The next time I bought a vehicle there, things went much more smoothly.

Does what we do as an organization (or individual) communicate what we say we believe and value? Or, if we can step outside of ourselves and our world, do others see what we believe and value in the things we do and don’t do? It’s a question we need to be asking.

► FACT: Your MSG website was viewed over 1600 times during January 2023–if you aren’t submitting your events and news, you are missing an opportunity!

Staying Out of Copyright Jail

By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director

This may not be the most exciting and entertaining column I’ve written in a while, but it could be one of the more important. A few years ago a number of Granges in California got into some serious trouble due to copyrights and licensing. Not understanding and honoring copyright basics can get very expensive. There’s a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding. I’ll try to keep this short.

Copyright is about intellectual property. It literally establishes the ownership of a creative work (intellectual property). When I, for example, write a book copyright law establishes that I own the content and reserve the right to make copies of it. That’s why you’ll often see “All rights reserved,” as part of a copyright notice. As the owner, I can give (or sell) others the right to reproduce what I’ve written, but others can’t do so without my permission.

This affects the MSG website and Bulletin in a variety of ways. Let’s consider a few, but first let me say that social media in general and Facebook, in particular, are not good examples of copyright compliance. The comparison I would make is a friend who constantly speeds and somehow manages not to get caught. The reality is that they are still breaking the law and, if they do get caught, it may get quite expensive.

Example One: You have an event at your Grange. A local reporter shows up and writes a great article, takes some photos, and the article and photos are published in the newspaper. Generally, this is considered “work for hire,” and the newspaper owns the rights to that article. No one is supposed to “copy” it without permission—that’s the law. If you send me a copy, I can’t (won’t) post it.

Example Two: You write a press release about that same event. Pay attention to the word “release.” As the author, you have ownership of that article, and you are releasing it for publication—effectively giving the media permission to “copy” (print) it. We (in the media) like press releases. No fuss, no muss, no worries about posting or printing them.

Example Three: You write an article or column for the website. In it, you include a poem or quote from someone else’s book. This could be a problem—do you have the right to use it? If not, both you and I could be guilty of copyright infringement. This is not always an easy question to answer. There are some narrow exceptions to needing permission that include “fair use” (very difficult to determine) and public domain.

As Communications Director I tend to be ultra-conservative because a mistake or poor decision can create serious legal and financial liability for the Grange. It’s the same with photographs, especially of children. This can get complicated, but the short version is that we will not post photos that include children on the website unless we have written permission. (This is more about privacy than copyright.)

If you have questions or concerns about this, I’ll try to answer them, but please understand this can become a legal nightmare. Also, bear in mind that, while I’m happy to help, I cannot assume the responsibility for getting reprint permission for those submitting to the site. I am confident that, with a little common sense, we can all stay out of copyright jail!

► FACT: Your MSG website was viewed nearly 1500 times during December 2022–and over 20,000 times during the entire calendar year 2022.