Dealing with an Angry Public: The Mutual Gains Approach To Resolving Disputes

Some portion of the American public will react negatively to almost any new corporate initiative, as Disney discovered when it announced its plans to build an historical theme park in Virginia. Similarly, government efforts to change policy or shift budget priorities are invariably met with stiff resistance. In this enormously practical book, Lawrence Susskind and Patrick Field analyze scores of both private and public-sector cases, as well as crisis scenarios such as the Alaskan oil spill, the silicone breast implant controversy, and nuclear plant malfunction at Three Mile Island. They show how resistance to both public and private initiatives can be overcome by a mutual gains approach involving face-to-face negotiation, a strategy applied successfully by over fifteen hundred executives and officials who have attended Professor Susskind's MIT-Harvard "Angry Public" seminars. Susskind and Field outline the six key elements of this approach in order to help business and government leaders negotiate, rather than fight, with their critics. In the process, they show how to identify who the public is, whose concerns to address first, which people and organizations must be convinced of the legitimacy of action taken, and how to assess and respond to different types of anger effectively. Acknowledging the crucial role played by the media in shaping public perception and understanding, Susskind and Field suggest a way to develop media interaction which is consistent with the six mutual gains principles, and also discuss the type of leadership that corporate and government managers must provide in order to combine these ideas into a useful whole. We all need to be concerned about a society in which the public's concerns, fears and anger are not adequately addressed. When corporate and government agencies must spend crucial time and resources on rehashing and defending each decision they make, a frustrated and angry public contributes to the erosion of confidence in our basic institutions and undermines our competitiveness in the international marketplace. In this valuable book, Susskind and Field have produced a strong, clear framework which will help reduce these hidden costs for hundreds of executives, managers, elected and appointed officials, entrepreneurs, and the public relations, legal and other professionals who advise them.

Table of Contents:
Contents Acknowledgments Chapter I. Introduction A New Way of Interacting with the Public Why We All Should Be Concerned About Angry Publics The Public Is Not Easily Appeased The Typical Approach to Public Relations Does Not Work A Different Approach Is Needed Chapter II. Why Is the Public Angry? What Is Anger? Why Are People Angry? Rational and Irrational Anger Typical Responses to an Angry Public Dealing with an Angry Public: The Conventional Wisdom Chapter III. The Mutual-Gains Approach The Mutual-Gains Approach: Six Principles The Old Plastics Factory Background Applying for a Waiver Further Study The Public Presentation A Disaster Threatens The Fallout Chapter IV. Accidents Will Happen Three Mile Island: To Tell or Not to Tell The First Day: March 28, 1979 The Second Day: March 29, 1979 The Third Day: March 30, 1979 The Final Days: March 31 and April 1, 1979 Telling the Truth: The Mutual-Gains Approach The Advantages of Disclosure Outweigh the Disadvantages Act in a Trustworthy Fashion Select a Capable Spokesperson Enlist Support on the Outside Government and Business Should, Can, and Do Cooperate The Exxon Valdez: When Paying Out Doesn't Pay Off Cleaning Up A Modest Proposal Exxon's Response Mitigation Efforts Compensation for Damages The Aftermath Doing It Differently: The Mutual-Gains Approach The Company's Failure to Accept Responsibility The Company's Failure to Establish Clear Lines of Communication The Company's Failure to First Mitigate, Then Compensate (and Ultimately Leave People Better Off) The Company's Failure to Convene an Effective Problem-Solving Forum Conclusion Chapter V. Risky Business What Is Risk? Assessing Risk Perceiving Risk Communicating Risk Risky Business The Breast Implant Controversy The Story Unfolds The Story Is Retold What Should the Company Do? Implant Rupture Drawing Conclusions in the Face of Uncertainty Knowing Your Product and Presenting It Truthfully: The Mutual-Gains Approach Set Clear Performance Standards Minimize the Risk, Not the Concerns of Others Make Commitments You Can Keep Seek to Know, Not to Hide Engage Stakeholders in Making Risky Decisions Make Contingent Commitments Chapter VI. When Values Collide What Are Values? Why Are Value Conflicts So Difficult to Resolve? A Model for Deescalating Intractable Conflicts Hydro-Quebec and the Cree: Clashing Cultures Hydro-Quebec's Response to the Cree Talking With, Not At, the Other: The Mutual-Gains Approach Seek Common Principles -- Despite Seemingly Stark Differences Consider That You Might Be Wrong Consider Substantial Community Improvement Through a Fair Process, Not Compensation Only for the Few Ignoring the Principles of the Mutual-Gains Approach Intensifies Cultural Conflict Animal Rights Listening Whether You Agree or Not: The Mutual-Gains Approach Examine History to Better Understand Today Seek Reason Amid Emotion, Not Reason at the Expense of Emotion Recognize Diversity on the Other Side Beware the Pitfalls of "Rights Talk" Seek Forums for Dialogue Chapter VII. The Media The Conventional Wisdom of Media Relations The Media as Adversary The Media as a Tool The Media Can Be Controlled Media Policy by Default The Mutual-Gains Approach to Dealing with the Media Take into Account the Interests of the Media Tell the Media What You Know and Don't Know Make Available People with Authority Who Can Share Their Views Openly Work to Convince Media They Have an Educative Role Use a Neutral to Speak in a Single Voice In a Consensus-Building Process, Establish Ground Rules to Guide Media Interactions Use Additional Means of Communication Set an Example for the Media to Follow Summary Chapter VIII. Principled Leadership Doing the Right Thing Integrity, Honesty, and Trust How to Inspire Trust Sharing, Listening, and Learning What Leaders Value Leadership and Institutions Concluding Remarks Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Lawrence E. Susskind is Ford Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning at MIT, President of the Consensus Building Institute, and one of America's most experienced public dispute mediators.

Review :
Frank E.A. Sander Bussey Professor and Associate Dean, Harvard Law School Sets forth a powerful strategy for dealing with major public policy controversies. This book is the perfect antidote to an increasing tendency to polarize issues and escalate tensions. John Marks President, Search For Common Ground Wonderfully subversive of the established order. Among other things, this book will transform the nature of public life while rendering obsolete the field of corporate public relations. Judith Kroeger President, Kroeger Associates For every corporate attorney and any CEO whose company has more than 100 employees, this is real world process and problem-solving. Larry Marullo Director, External Affairs, Southwestern Bell Telephone Company Offers a new approach to old problems. A virtual jumping off the path for companies in finding a route to problem solving. Max H. Bazerman J. Jay Gerber Distinguished Professor of Dispute Resolution and Organizations, J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University Executives, governmental leaders, public relations professionals, attorneys, and others need to read this book before they are in the midst of their next crisis. It will provide the basis for seeking reason in the sea of emotion that accompanies most conflicts.