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Chapter 26 DEAN’S SCREAM ENDED HIS DREAM Watching Howard Dean deliver his concession speech after the Iowa Caucuses in the 2004 Democratic Presidential primary underscored the point that often it’s not just what you say that counts, but how you say it. This chapter is not about politics or the presidential race, but rather illustrates why those in a position to communicate publicly must be aware of their demeanor and its impact on others. While Dean was a distant third in Iowa, he wanted to communicate the message to his supporters that things were looking up and it was not time to quit. No problem with that. His execution, however, was another story. Jacket off, shirt sleeves rolled up, and microphone in hand, there was Howard Dean screaming at the top of his lungs,“We have just begun to fight. We have just begun to fight. And we are going to fight and fight and fight.” He then continued to scream about where he was going to fight, naming various states holding presidential primaries: “We’re going to New Hampshire, South Carolina, New York. . . .” As he did this, his face was contorted and his body language was anything but under control. At the end of his speech he let out a perplexing howl that sounded like a weightlifter who had just finished breaking a world record and was now screaming in celebration. No one should criticize Howard Dean or anyone else for wanting to pump up the troops. Passion clearly has its place. But, if in the effort to do it you come off as angry and enraged, bad things often happen. This is particularly true when the position you attempt to hold is so important . Whether we are talking presidents of the United States, or the CEO of a major company, demeanor and communication style matter a lot. As soon as I saw Dean’s speech I knew he had a problem. There was little doubt television networks would replay this part of his speech over and over again, cementing this image of the screaming candidate in our minds as well as in our psyches. Skip Cimino, senior vice president for public affairs at Schoor DePalma, is the former commissioner of the New Jersey Department of The Power of Passion and Connecting with Others 55 Personnel. Cimino has spent years evaluating employees’ professional potential based on their communication skills and says there is a big difference between being enthusiastic and being “over the edge” in your communication. Says Cimino, “What a speaker, be it a presidential candidate or the manager of a workplace team, needs to convey to people is a confidence in his message without being shrill. In his speech, Howard Dean lacked a real sense of understanding that his message was being communicated not just to a group of supporters, but to the entire country via television.” Any speaker, but particularly one in such a high-visibility position, must understand who their audience is and how that audience is likely to perceive their message and the delivery of it. So here’s the deal. If you want to be enthusiastic in your communication, that’s great, just do it without screaming. Screaming has no place in campaigns or in business. It also has no place with teachers attempting to motivate students or parents trying to change a child’s behavior. The only place screaming may work is on the football field, and I’m not so sure about that. Just know that even though we are sometimes tempted to scream and yell at the top of our lungs, when we actually do it, we pay a hefty price. For if we are too loud for too long, our audience may not hear what we are saying because they are so turned off by our approach. Chapter 27 WHY KERRY DIDN’T CONNECT Massachusetts senator John Kerry lost the 2004 presidential race for a lot of reasons. One of the biggest was that he never really “made the connection” with many Americans. Kerry was smart and knew the issues. He was a better debater than President Bush and he spoke the English language more effectively than the president. Still, Kerry never really connected on an emotional and personal level. He just wasn’t that likable. 56 MAKE THE CONNECTION ...

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