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Winning The Day

Bully for the Governor!

December 19, 2011

This month we decided to skip the question-and-answer format and simply deliver an opinion on a recent event.

Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation this month designed to stop bullying in our schools. We commend the legislature and the governor for taking this needed action.

The governor’s remarks during the signing ceremony offered us an object lesson in how powerful stories are in getting your message across, making your remarks memorable and winning the day.

To drive home the point that this legislation is necessary, the governor told his own story. He was painfully honest about how he was bullied as a kid in school — from his younger days all the way through college — for being a “nerd.”

He put his own face on the problem and helped all of us relate to it. He clearly demonstrated the counsel we often give our clients: people prefer stories and anecdotes to statistics, because stories put a face on the problem or issue.

Kudos to the governor for his honesty and authenticity. It’s also worth noting that he took something that caused him ridicule and turned it into a strength. Who can forget his first campaign commercials where he introduced himself to us as a “nerd?”

Gov. Snyder not only won the day with his own story, he won a victory for “nerds.”

Paula Blanchard Stone and Patty McCarthy are partners in McCarthy Blanchard, an executive training firm specializing in key message development, presentation skills training, media interview training and executive presence. Copyright © 2008 McCarthy Blanchard. | Website