Issues management basics : Its all about the mindshare !

Have you ever wondered how certain groups of people take over the debate about an issue, dominate it so much that any alternative discourse doesnt even seem possible.

Think of the Middle East peace process, the two-state solution for example. Or the debate about immigration that seems to have hogged the limelight in the US, in the context of the current economic climate. Everyone i speak with ( barring a few enlightened individuals) agree that it is "ok" for the US to be a bit "protectionist" about jobs, since it is about providing jobs for "our own" people.

I see this trend in the Middle East too. During my stay there in 2008-09, the wave of "Emiritization" was dominant, and I still read comments by former colleagues on Facebook that there arent enough "good" jobs for the locals. Well...

This brings us to the issue I was thinking about : that of mind-share.

How much of the mental space in the "publics" mind has been captured by one line of thinking ? Is this an easy thing to do ? Well, that again depends on the issue ? Is it important to be aware of it ?

Absolutely !

Sometimes, one group of people dominate a discourse and it becomes a part of our collective mind-share, to such a large extent that we forget that this may be false.

As a consumer of information or news, it does help to step back, just for a minute and ask the question : how much of your mind-share is being occupied by this line of thinking/ organization ?

When there is too much noise, it would perhaps help to whisper !

Insight of the week : When there is too much noise, perhaps it would help to whisper- rather than shout.

Counter-intuitive ? Well, this one is common-sensical.

With a cluttered market ( think of the corporate world, the political arena or even your own personal life)- With so many people competing for your time, attention and money, who do you really listen to ? The one who is shouting at the top of his/her voice, or someone who is thoughtful, close to you and who is not "hard-selling" you ?

Whispering has never been as important as today's hyper-connected world.

Get close to someone, get their attention and tell them what you want to - with sincerity and clarity.

And chances are - they will listen.

Good luck and have a great week ahead.