Constructive Engagement

By Craig Miyamoto, APR, Fellow PRSA

(This is an expanded version of the 2000 Second Quarter issue of Public Relations Strategies, a quarterly publication of Miyamoto Strategic Counsel)

It's perplexing how many companies and organizations continue to butt heads with their opponents in the court of public opinion. One would have thought that the "Let's play hard ball and not empower them" strategy would have disappeared years ago into the Ever-Filling Pit of Hopeless PR Tactics.

But, it hasn't. We still tend to ignore activists and "trouble-makers" (despite their uncanny ability to score media points with their minority attitudes and opinions), and are afraid (or perhaps too arrogant) to give credence to their so-called "biased" messages.

But if history has proved anything, it's that these people and causes just don't go away - they will stick to our organizations like chewing gum on the soles of our shoes. They will harden their stance, and the effect they have on us will become harder to neutralize than that once-insignificant, nasty, discarded piece of gum.

Saul Alinski, the "father of modern American activism," wrote of a dozen or so tactics that activists can use to bring huge corporations to their knees. Most of these techniques are used by activists, whether they know who developed them or not, so you'd best be aware that they exist.

One of the suggested tactics exposes an Achilles heel of the opposing group: "The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative. Never let the enemy score points because you're caught without a solution to the problem." Use this tactic to your advantage; ask them what they think the solution is, then negotiate within that framework.

"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem." You've heard this before, many times, perhaps to the point where you're turning off the message. But what if we changed it slightly to reflect a different point of view: "If THEY'RE not part of the solution, then YOU'VE got a problem."

Okay, think about this for a minute. They're not going to go away, they will continue to be a thorn in your side, they will make so much noise that any message you present will be shunted aside by the news media and will be judged suspect by the public. They will chip away at your credibility, as well as your capability and ability to withstand the heap of abuse they're raining down on your organization.

You will end up putting more time, energy and resources into this battle against an opponent that conceivably could consist of a mere one or two people. Is it worth it? Nope.

Next time, instead of stonewalling, ignoring, or trading blows, try some "constructive engagement." Engage opponents in serious dialogue, learn to trust them, and at the same time, give them reason to trust you. Show them the figures and the facts as you know them, and be as open as possible without compromising your competitive advantage in your marketplace.

Giving your opponents a measure of ownership by allowing them to help shape policy is as good a gesture as any to bring them to your side of the table. Continuing to fight the battle may not make you a loser (although it might make management feel powerful as they flex their muscles), but it certainly will not make you a winner. Engage your opponents, not in battle, but in constructive work for the greatest amount of benefit for the greatest number of people.

Get past the dog-sniffing, feeling-out process as soon as you can. Very early in the engagement, lay all your cards on the table. Respect the cards your opponents show. And then, together, roll up your sleeves to work cooperatively. Agree on small points at first and work your way up to the big ones. That way, both sides will be loath to discard the hard work and results that have preceded the sticky issues. Although consensus might never reached, each side cannot help but understand what forces are driving the other toward its own goals.

In a sense, constructive engagement is almost Biblical in its underlying concept - Love thy neighbor, (and, kill thy enemies with kindness). Make them part of the solution, and they will cease to be a problem. Na�ve? Perhaps. Historically effective? Definitely.

The strategy is empowerment. Education is the key. Use it to reach the new objective: Agreement, instead of outright victory. Everybody will win, everybody will be the better for it.

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