Continued…

Toxic Rhetoric Leads to Poisoned Communication Climate

A leader’s inability to choose an appropriate communication strategy in a conflict situation can have disastrous consequences, as witnessed by the French riots.

Instead of using language that could calm heated attitudes and discourage further violence, Nicolas Sarcozy chose to declare war on the young rioters and challenged them anew by announcing, "I will fight them in the back alleys of the suburbs!” To no big surprise, the rioting teenagers accepted the challenge and increased their attacks on suburbia with Sarcozy’s rhetoric providing the fuel of hatred and desperation.

What lesson can business leaders learn from the French Interior Ministers communication strategy?

Irreversible Damage

All communication, whether intentional or unintentional, is irreversible. We often wish that we could take something back we’ve said, and rephrase or rethink our language. But that is of course impossible. While retractions, apologies and explanations serve as attempts to “smooth things over”, once a damaging or toxic remark has been uttered, it has already hit its target without any chance of being recovered. The impression is created, the message received. Such is the power of words. Hence the value of the old saying, “think before you speak.”

While most of us do not carry the burden of running a country, important communication lessons can be extracted from the leaders that are directly involved in France’s unrest.

Lessons in Conflict

Conflict is a part of life, as it represents a struggle to have one’s needs and goals met. This is instinctive for most humans and whenever we face a barrier in our quest to have our needs met, we have certain options. Submit to the circumstances and suffer silently; speak up, assert ourselves and argue for our position; or take action to change our situation and fight for what we believe in.

The worst strategy in any conflict situation is to insult your opponents, tell them they are wrong and promise to squash them. To try and press a lid onto a boiling pot of water brings about predictable results every time. It’s the same with communication during conflict.

Rather than applying counter-pressure, smart leaders seek to release tension and de-escalate conflict by adopting a collaborative communication style, focusing on facts while diverting the focus from often heightened emotions.

In the case of the French riots, Interior Minister Sarcozy should have immediately addressed the rioting youths by acknowledging their frustrations and letting them know that he understands their pain and struggles.

Further, instead of publicly insulting the protesters and labeling them as “scum”, he could have avoided an increase in rioting, by clearly and demonstratively communicating his commitment to promptly launch an investigation into the deaths of the two immigrant teenagers that sparked the rioting.

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