Re: Communicating with the public ("Nuclear music etc") -Reply

[MICHAEL S FORD <MFORD@pantex.com>]

Amen, Bjvrn and Ruth!

If we fool ourselves into thinking that protons, neutrons, alphas and
betas, are our biggest problem with Radiation Safety --- we've got
much bigger problems than anyone suspected.

We can slay the "math dragon" all day long and prove through
infinite derivations that we know what we're talking about, but in the
end, it's a matter of perception and trust.  A man by the name of
Stephen Covey talks about "7 Habits" of effective people.  His fifth
habit is:  Seek first to understand, then to be understood.  Too often
we find ourselves in collective monologues.  Instead of listening to
the other person, we're waiting for them to finish so we can say
what we want to say.

Any teacher or coach worth their salt knows that in order to be
effective they have to first *understand* what makes their kids tick. 
They have to establish a link (or bridge) through which they can
convey the lesson and establish a rapport.  The must be able to
speak in the kids' language.  Sometimes this involves music.  No
understanding, no link.  No link, no message.  You might as well
be talking to a wall.

I have found this to be equally true in communicating these issues
to the public and my fellow workers.  People don't want to hear your
mastery of technical jargon or all of the statistics you've memorized.
 They want your understanding and empathy, plain and simple. 
They want to know that you feel what they're feeling.  Only then will
they really open up and listen to what you have to say.  Logic does
not enter into the equation.  This is all a matter of emotion and
feeling.

Society's reliance on music as a means to alter moods and convey
messages plays a pivotal role (with many other things) in our
understanding of our various audiences.  At one time or another,
I'm sure we've all had a song playing over and over in our heads
that we just could not get rid of.  Don't those lyrics tend to embed
images in our minds?

If a person with some of the nuclear verses embedded in their
minds encounter a nuclear issue with no other knowledge other
than what is currently playing in their heads, wouldn't that tend to
affect their response to the issue (positively or negatively)?

I would ask the people who found the "nuclear music" thread to be
off-topic to reexamine the purpose of the list:  "... for [people] who
have a professional interest in matters related to Radiation
Protection."  If you look back on your own experience or talk to
those who have been in the field for a few decades, you might find
that technical issues we the least of their worries.  What was really
tough was sorting through the emotions, not the logic, of the public
and their fellow workers.

Have a great day!

Michael Ford
mford@pantex.com

Quote of the day:  "Television is a triumph of equipment over
people, and the minds that control it are so small that you could put
them in a gnat's navel with room left over for two caraway seeds
and an agent's heart."  Fred Allen, American Comedian (1894-1956)