CGM blog: How did the PM do?

11 May CGM blog: How did the PM do?

So how did Prime Minister Boris Johnson do in trying to provide the nation with a clear steer on how to work its way out of the Covid-19 crisis?

Wearing my media training hat rather than offering any personal political opinion, the answer I have to say is not very well.

In fact, Johnson broke almost every rule of clear and effective communication despite having a straightforward brief – to deliver a clear and coherent message and provide calm and reassurance.

Instead he managed to achieve largely the opposite – confusion, panic, and even anxiety among many rather than the soothing balm he could have provided.

So, let’s break down his presentation starting with the most significant factor – the overall message.

Every year CGM trains hundreds of people how to conduct broadcast media interviews and statements.

The most important thing we focus on is the quality and clarity of the message you want to deliver.

Not spin doctor stuff but quality content (which should always be king) – clear, concise and unambiguous.

I don’t agree with people (voice coaches, usually) who say it doesn’t matter what you say, it is the way that you say it. That’s nonsense, though delivery does count hugely in being understood.

Johnson failed to shape a winning overall theme. I still don’t know why the phrase Stay Alert has any specific relevance now more than any other time.

Then there’s pace. Johnson relentlessly plodded his way through his speech like a gallop-weary pony.

A good speech has rhythm. It ebbs and flows and includes purposeful pauses to personalise key messages that offer emphasis and empathy.

He could have used this technique for example to address everyman concerns like how to safely meet up with family – with parents, grandparents and, indeed, children whom we’ve all missed in recent weeks – or the big plan to boost morale such as attending funerals, visiting the local council tip and the reopening of libraries.

Beyond the vagaries of freeing up rules to travel wherever you want to exercise and play sport, the PM was thin on actual detail.

There was little advice for employers, parents with young children who may be called to a hasty return to work and nothing on furloughed staff. Alarm bells were well and truly ringing for those living in rural communities and tourist areas now bracing themselves for an influx of potentially Covid-carrying visitors.

The body language was wrong. He spoke at, not to you.

Perched forward across his table Johnson was all nervous energy – clenched fist with bouts of aggressive arm-waving and finger-jabbing.

“If you can’t work at home, you MUST go back to work,” he said at one point, implying an apparent feckless reluctance.

It’s the sort of thing we iron out in people having their first go at media training. The camera simply doesn’t warm to the distractions of wagging fingers, waving arms or raised voices.

The PM’s visual aids were little better. The graphics were weak and ambiguous with the assumed downside of the mountain portrayed as an inevitable path.

If he’d REALLY wanted to get his message across, Johnson could have played his trump card and addressed the really big serious issue – failure to adhere these revised regulations will lead to a second spike in deaths and delay everything indefinitely. There would have been no starker warning or message.

And for real calm an understanding smile might also have helped. Never underestimate the value of being kind and caring.

I’m sure the PM has been offered plenty of advice and training but maybe there’s another communication issue to address – the willingness and ability to listen and learn.