By Cindy O’Connell & Dr. Susan Fell Perhaps its wishful thinking — but imagine a world where civil discourse is prevalent in the midst of chaotic change. Where differing ideas can be discussed without personal attacks. And if leadership or management shifts had to occur in an organization, these could be accomplished respectfully without long-held […]
Often times campaign promises are vague, emotional words devised by a crafty politician to gain favor with voters. After elections, losers disappear and the winners -along with most voters – forget the campaign promises rather quickly. However, sometimes promises are clear, verifiable, and have consequences when broken. One of the most famous campaign promises was […]
By: Cindy O’Connell & Susan Fell “A Return to Civility” The Arizona Republic Headline, Top of the fold, November 11, 2016 Indeed, this is an interesting headline from a news outlet whose state was very late in reporting the final vote count for our country’s 45th president. Out of the thousands of headlines printed across […]
Decisions by the Gannett owned Tallahassee Democrat on what to cover and what to ignore during this political cycle is revealing a pattern of behavior that is consistent with the political priorities of Allison Tant. Tant is the Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman and currently serves as the Chair of the Leon County Democratic Executive Committee. […]
by Trent Pelham This has been one of the nastiest election cycles that many of us have ever experienced. I’ve heard some people say, regardless of who wins, we’re going to need a national shower after this thing’s over. I totally understand this sentiment. Where can we find relief? Where is the love in all […]
By Cindy O’Connell & Dr. Susan Fell “To work best democracy needs a diversity of thoughts, ideas and expression. This is only possible with freedom and civility.” –Kevin Stirtz The author of the quote is the author of a book, Marketing for Smart People. Why would a marketing guru be interested in civility? There are […]
The recent handling of electric power restoration after Hurricane Hermine put the City of Tallahassee electric utility in headlines throughout the state of Florida. And while the post hurricane analysis is not yet completed, one thing seems abundantly clear: the communications bureaucracy did not perform as well as it should have after the storm moved […]
By Cindy O’Connell & Dr. Susan Fell Rank does not confer privilege or give power. It imposes responsibility. -Peter Drucker As the quote suggests, the responsibility for civility in the workplace falls squarely on managers. People skills employed by managers to communicate and develop an atmosphere of mutual respect which values and respects the contribution […]
As a former consumer advocate who has testified before the Florida Public Service Commission in storm recovery cases involving private utilities, it is my view the post storm focus should be on the command structure of the City’s electric utility and not Mayor Andrew Gillum. Sure, Gillum could have done a better job communicating with […]
Our local government has stained the reputation of three of our fellow citizens. Now, through legal maneuvers, they are trying to break their spirit and hide the truth. This is an embarrassing story of how the powerful hide their own failings at the expense of hard working public servants. —————————– Three dedicated public servants got […]