More from The Cluetrain Manifesto:
Ironically, public relations has a huge PR problem: people use it as a synonym for BS. The call of the flack has never been an especially honorable one. There is no Pulitzer Prize for public relations. No Peabody, Heismann, Oscar, Emmy, Eddy, or Flacky. Like all besieged professions, PR has its official bodies, which do indeed grant various awards, degrees, and titles. But do you know what they are? Neither do most PR people. Say that you’re an award-winning PR person and most people will want to change their seats.
Everyone -- including many PR people -- senses that something is deeply phony about the profession. And it’s not hard to see what it is. Take the standard computer-industry press release. With few exceptions, it describes an "announcement" that was not made, for a product that was not available, quoting people who never said anything, for distribution to a list of people who mostly consider it trash.
Dishonesty in PR is pro forma. A press release is written as a plainly fake news story, with headline, dateline, quotes, and all the dramatic tension of a phone number. The idea, of course, is to make the story easy for editors to "insert" in their publications. [from chapter four]
Comment: So, what does the Diocese of Central NY do when they get in a bit of a jam? They hire a public relations firm. You would think that a church organization with professional speakers (if we can rightly call clergy this) could find someway to communicate the truth of a situation without having to hire a p.r. firm. Did it surprise the DCNY staff that the media went around their p.r. flack and apparatus and talked to individual priests to get the real scoop. Everyone knows, and especially news reporters do, that p.r. people are not about promoting the truth. It even looks sleazy that a church organization would hire a p.r. flack. No wonder this diocese is falling apart.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Friday, February 24, 2006
A little more cluetrain
"Companies will survive employees telling their truths, their stories in a business context, without instituting draconian controls on their ability to speak out when and to whom they please. We listen to individuals differently than we do to organizational speech. When a company publishes PR, it's trying to give us a complete message about who they are and what they do. We have to decide to trust or distrust the company based on a single statement. Well-written PR leaves us with few avenues for corroboration and second opinions. It's meant to be self-contained.
"On the other hand, when I converse with people inside a company, I hear stories from individuals. They're all grains of sand, their combined voices richer and more diverse than the univocal speech of corporate mouthpieces. We add up all the anecdotes we hear from individuals. We have to trust our own averaging, our own summing of stories, our own divining of truth. With more people, more stories in the mix, it's harder for one negative story to sway me. This speaks to the need to have many people in an organization talking to customers. A single "corporate story" is a fiction in a world of free conversation. [from chapter three of The Cluetrain Manifesto]
This blog is intended to be one more voice in a diocese where the "corporate story" has serious conflicts with reality. An example of this that I have mentioned earlier is the mischaracterization of a parish action at St. Andrew's Church in Vestal, NY. An article in the diocesan newspaper about diocesan convention stated that St. Andrew's had withheld money from the diocese in 2004 as a protest about a diocesan action in 2003. I had explained at diocesan convention that we didn't have any such money to withhold, but either the article writer had not heard that or decided that what I said wasn't true. What I said can be verified by our parish financial records that are audited every year and summarized in an annual parochial report. Do I expect a retraction on the false statement?
I would be very surprised if the mistatement in the diocesan newspaper was ever acknowledged. This is why we need free conversation, like this blog.
"On the other hand, when I converse with people inside a company, I hear stories from individuals. They're all grains of sand, their combined voices richer and more diverse than the univocal speech of corporate mouthpieces. We add up all the anecdotes we hear from individuals. We have to trust our own averaging, our own summing of stories, our own divining of truth. With more people, more stories in the mix, it's harder for one negative story to sway me. This speaks to the need to have many people in an organization talking to customers. A single "corporate story" is a fiction in a world of free conversation. [from chapter three of The Cluetrain Manifesto]
This blog is intended to be one more voice in a diocese where the "corporate story" has serious conflicts with reality. An example of this that I have mentioned earlier is the mischaracterization of a parish action at St. Andrew's Church in Vestal, NY. An article in the diocesan newspaper about diocesan convention stated that St. Andrew's had withheld money from the diocese in 2004 as a protest about a diocesan action in 2003. I had explained at diocesan convention that we didn't have any such money to withhold, but either the article writer had not heard that or decided that what I said wasn't true. What I said can be verified by our parish financial records that are audited every year and summarized in an annual parochial report. Do I expect a retraction on the false statement?
I would be very surprised if the mistatement in the diocesan newspaper was ever acknowledged. This is why we need free conversation, like this blog.
More on Cluetrain and the DCNY
In chapter one of The Cluetrain Manifesto, the writers compare the management style that came out of the industrial revolution to that of the "All-New, Culturally Revolutionized Organization."
"Many spouted the new religion, but secretly tried to hedge old bureaucratic bets. A handful walked the talk, but it was tough going. A central tenet of TQM [total quality management] was W. Edwards Demingsw dictum: "Drive Out Fear" - a challenge that went to the heart of the corporation. Conversations among workers were finally seen as critical to the spread of valuable knowledge - "best practices" in the still-current jargon. Conversations are where intellectual capital gets generated. But business environments based on command-and-control are usually characterized by intimidation, coercion, and threats of reprisal. In contrast, genuine conversation flourishes only in an atmosphere of free and open exchange."
Comments: "Intimidation, coercion and threats of reprisal." Let's see, we've had the shabby firing of a priest on diocesan staff that served our diocese with three different bishops. Then we had an orthodox priest forced out of his parish in North Syracuse a year before his retirement. Now we have the on-going debacle with Fr. David Bollinger for which the diocese has earned itself a $4.35 million lawsuit. Fr. Bollinger has made many friends among clergy and laity in his many years of service in this diocese. Why is it that they, especially the clergy, have generally not supported him as the diocese has sought to remove him from his parish?
The diocese attempted to have a canon lawyer excommunicated who dared question the diocese's handling of different situations and has recently acted to remove an orthodox priest as "pastoral leader" of a parish that has withheld its assessment. These actions hardly qualify as best practices, but this is what is going on in the Diocese of Central New York.
"Many spouted the new religion, but secretly tried to hedge old bureaucratic bets. A handful walked the talk, but it was tough going. A central tenet of TQM [total quality management] was W. Edwards Demingsw dictum: "Drive Out Fear" - a challenge that went to the heart of the corporation. Conversations among workers were finally seen as critical to the spread of valuable knowledge - "best practices" in the still-current jargon. Conversations are where intellectual capital gets generated. But business environments based on command-and-control are usually characterized by intimidation, coercion, and threats of reprisal. In contrast, genuine conversation flourishes only in an atmosphere of free and open exchange."
Comments: "Intimidation, coercion and threats of reprisal." Let's see, we've had the shabby firing of a priest on diocesan staff that served our diocese with three different bishops. Then we had an orthodox priest forced out of his parish in North Syracuse a year before his retirement. Now we have the on-going debacle with Fr. David Bollinger for which the diocese has earned itself a $4.35 million lawsuit. Fr. Bollinger has made many friends among clergy and laity in his many years of service in this diocese. Why is it that they, especially the clergy, have generally not supported him as the diocese has sought to remove him from his parish?
The diocese attempted to have a canon lawyer excommunicated who dared question the diocese's handling of different situations and has recently acted to remove an orthodox priest as "pastoral leader" of a parish that has withheld its assessment. These actions hardly qualify as best practices, but this is what is going on in the Diocese of Central New York.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
A Quote to Remember
In 1945, the anti-Nazi German pastor Martin Niemoller wrote the following:
"First they came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up, because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me."
"First they came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up, because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me."
The Cluetrain Manifesto and the Diocese of Central NY
Yesterday I discovered a book on the web. The Cluetrain Manifesto is downloadable from www.cluetrain.com. It is a business book written by four co-authors on how corporations need to pay more attention to human values. The book is premised on 95 theses. Thus far, I have read the Foreword, Introduction and the theses. Even from this short reading I see some applicability for the Diocese of CNY.
From the Theses with Comments
4. Whether delivering information, opinions, perspectives, dissenting arguments or humorous asides, the human voice is typically open, natural and uncontrived.
This just isn't how things in the Diocese of Central NY are done these days. Take our diocesan convention - it was highly scripted and controlled by agenda, the bishop and the chancellor. The few places that there were for "the human voice" were at small hearings or on breaks. Another example is the sexuality committee that was put together for the dcny. It was stacked with liberals and one conservative priest. When objections were raised to this, a conservative lay person was added. That made the balance something like 6 to 1 rather than 12 to 1. That's not an open conversation - that's a conversation controlled in order to get the desired outcome.
16. Already, companies that speak in the language of the pitch, the dog-and-pony show, and no longer speaking to anyone.
Where does the diocese turn when it needs to communicate important information? Lately it has been turning to a public relations firm. Case in point: the statement that was issued after the emergency meeting of clergy last January.
26. Public Relations does not relate to the public. Companies are afraid of their markets.
Hello? Why does the diocese hire a p.r. firm? Are they afraid of speaking the truth and what might result from the truth?
38. Human communities are based on discourse - on human speech about human concerns.
There used to be something called diomail; it was an open conversation, but now it's gone. The diocese prefers control of information to open conversation. Now we have dionews and it is controlled by the diocesan office. Human speech about human concerns happens now in different ways, like this blog and private conversations and emails.
44. Companies typically install intranets top-down to distribute HR policies and other corporate information that workers are doing their best to ignore.
Like dionews?
45. Intranets naturally tend to route around boredom. The best are built bottom-up by engaged individuals cooperating to construct something far more valuable: an intranetworked corporate conversation.
Like the defunct diomail?
47. While this scares companies witless, they also depend heavily on open intranets to generate and share critical knowledge. They need to resist the urge to "improve" or control these networked conversations.
You mean like shutting down diomail?
51. Command-and-control management styles both derive from and reinforce bureaucracy, power tripping and an overall culture of paranoia.
Interesting.
52. Paranoia kills conversation. That's its point. But lack of open conversation kills companies.
Exactly. The problem is that the dead don't realize that they are dead. They believe that they are just doing effective management.
That's enough for today. I'll add to this at another time.
From the Theses with Comments
4. Whether delivering information, opinions, perspectives, dissenting arguments or humorous asides, the human voice is typically open, natural and uncontrived.
This just isn't how things in the Diocese of Central NY are done these days. Take our diocesan convention - it was highly scripted and controlled by agenda, the bishop and the chancellor. The few places that there were for "the human voice" were at small hearings or on breaks. Another example is the sexuality committee that was put together for the dcny. It was stacked with liberals and one conservative priest. When objections were raised to this, a conservative lay person was added. That made the balance something like 6 to 1 rather than 12 to 1. That's not an open conversation - that's a conversation controlled in order to get the desired outcome.
16. Already, companies that speak in the language of the pitch, the dog-and-pony show, and no longer speaking to anyone.
Where does the diocese turn when it needs to communicate important information? Lately it has been turning to a public relations firm. Case in point: the statement that was issued after the emergency meeting of clergy last January.
26. Public Relations does not relate to the public. Companies are afraid of their markets.
Hello? Why does the diocese hire a p.r. firm? Are they afraid of speaking the truth and what might result from the truth?
38. Human communities are based on discourse - on human speech about human concerns.
There used to be something called diomail; it was an open conversation, but now it's gone. The diocese prefers control of information to open conversation. Now we have dionews and it is controlled by the diocesan office. Human speech about human concerns happens now in different ways, like this blog and private conversations and emails.
44. Companies typically install intranets top-down to distribute HR policies and other corporate information that workers are doing their best to ignore.
Like dionews?
45. Intranets naturally tend to route around boredom. The best are built bottom-up by engaged individuals cooperating to construct something far more valuable: an intranetworked corporate conversation.
Like the defunct diomail?
47. While this scares companies witless, they also depend heavily on open intranets to generate and share critical knowledge. They need to resist the urge to "improve" or control these networked conversations.
You mean like shutting down diomail?
51. Command-and-control management styles both derive from and reinforce bureaucracy, power tripping and an overall culture of paranoia.
Interesting.
52. Paranoia kills conversation. That's its point. But lack of open conversation kills companies.
Exactly. The problem is that the dead don't realize that they are dead. They believe that they are just doing effective management.
That's enough for today. I'll add to this at another time.
Friday, February 10, 2006
From Our Neighbors to the West
February 07, 2006
Rector of 'Extinct' Parish Inhibited
The Living Church
2/7/2006
The Rev. David Harnish, whose Irondequoit, N.Y., parish was declared "extinct" by the Diocese of Rochester during the annual diocesan convention in November, has been inhibited and now faces “new decisions,” according to the Bishop of Rochester.
The Rt. Rev. Jack M. McKelvey inhibited Fr. Harnish for six months effective Jan. 26 after “careful, prayerful discussion and deliberation” with the standing committee.
In a Jan. 25 pastoral letter to diocesan congregations, Bishop McKelvey said Fr. Harnish and the All Saints’ congregation had failed to contribute toward its mandatory parochial assessment payments to the diocese and had taken a number of other steps that made it clear that they “were not desirous of being part of our family.” He explained that the diocesan canons allow the diocese to close a viable congregation in response to such provocation, and it would have been unfair to make a special exception for All Saints’.
Bishop McKelvey said that if Fr. Harnish does not “reconsider and retract” or “renounce” his orders within the next six months, “I am obliged with the advice and consent of the standing committee to depose him as a priest. This means that David will no longer be a priest in the Episcopal Church.”
Shortly after November’s vote, All Saints’ announced that Fr. Harnish and the congregation were under the jurisdictional authority of the Anglican Province of Uganda. The congregation has continued to be led in weekly worship by Fr. Harnish at the same location where it has worshipped for 78 years.
The diocese “was exploring options in regard to the property dispute, including preservation of the Episcopal parish records,” Bishop McKelvey said.
Rector of 'Extinct' Parish Inhibited
The Living Church
2/7/2006
The Rev. David Harnish, whose Irondequoit, N.Y., parish was declared "extinct" by the Diocese of Rochester during the annual diocesan convention in November, has been inhibited and now faces “new decisions,” according to the Bishop of Rochester.
The Rt. Rev. Jack M. McKelvey inhibited Fr. Harnish for six months effective Jan. 26 after “careful, prayerful discussion and deliberation” with the standing committee.
In a Jan. 25 pastoral letter to diocesan congregations, Bishop McKelvey said Fr. Harnish and the All Saints’ congregation had failed to contribute toward its mandatory parochial assessment payments to the diocese and had taken a number of other steps that made it clear that they “were not desirous of being part of our family.” He explained that the diocesan canons allow the diocese to close a viable congregation in response to such provocation, and it would have been unfair to make a special exception for All Saints’.
Bishop McKelvey said that if Fr. Harnish does not “reconsider and retract” or “renounce” his orders within the next six months, “I am obliged with the advice and consent of the standing committee to depose him as a priest. This means that David will no longer be a priest in the Episcopal Church.”
Shortly after November’s vote, All Saints’ announced that Fr. Harnish and the congregation were under the jurisdictional authority of the Anglican Province of Uganda. The congregation has continued to be led in weekly worship by Fr. Harnish at the same location where it has worshipped for 78 years.
The diocese “was exploring options in regard to the property dispute, including preservation of the Episcopal parish records,” Bishop McKelvey said.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Is No News Good News?
Nothing has been sent out by the Diocese of Central NY concerning the $4.35 million lawsuit that was filed by attorney David Gouldin on behalf of the Rev. David Bollinger. The lawsuit names Bishop Adams, the Diocese of Central NY and former comptroller Gael Sopchak as defendants. A letter did arrive last week stating that Fr. Bollinger's inhibition has been extended for another 90 days. This makes it over a year that Fr. Bollinger has not been permitted to function as a priest.
I have been told by multiple sources that the diocese has hired one of the most expensive law firms in Syracuse to handle the lawsuit. You might recall that this is the same diocese that could not afford to continue the ministry of the Thornfield Conference Center. In the past two years, our impoverished diocese has paid $30,000 for a forensic audit, hired a public relations firm and now an expensive law firm. As our bishop tells us, a budget is a theological statement, and the forensic audit, p.r. firm and expensive law firm speak volumes about the bankrupt theology of the Diocese of Central NY.
I have been told by multiple sources that the diocese has hired one of the most expensive law firms in Syracuse to handle the lawsuit. You might recall that this is the same diocese that could not afford to continue the ministry of the Thornfield Conference Center. In the past two years, our impoverished diocese has paid $30,000 for a forensic audit, hired a public relations firm and now an expensive law firm. As our bishop tells us, a budget is a theological statement, and the forensic audit, p.r. firm and expensive law firm speak volumes about the bankrupt theology of the Diocese of Central NY.
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