by Helen Wilkie

If you live in another country, you may not know that we in Canada are in the throes of a federal election. I find election campaigns fascinating in the same way as an accident on the highway - I don't really want to see what might be there, but I feel compelled to look!

The reason I bring this up is that politicians are essentially professional communicators, and there's one aspect of their technique I feel we all need to understand.

It's the art of propaganda - and the skill of recognizing it when we hear it, whatever its source.

My online dictionary defines propaganda first as "chiefly derogatory information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view."

Coming from all directions

It seems to me that by that definition, propaganda comes at us from all directions every day, and not just from politicians. But let's use politicians to illustrate how it works.

Consider this: one party leader makes a statement about a subject of national interest. Do you tend to believe it?

I think the answer depends on whether he or she leads the party of your choice or one of the others. The simple fact is, our perception of a message is coloured by our opinion of the speaker.

Many years ago we had a charismatic leader in Canada-I won't mention his name, but those of my vintage can probably take an accurate guess as to who I mean.

One day while watching him make a speech, I suddenly realized I believed anything that came out of his mouth - and that was a dangerous thing. From that day on, I made a point of carefully considering what he said to be sure I agreed with the content, and was not just persuaded by his personal style or my own bias.

This happens in business life as well. If you receive a piece of news at work, or hear an unfounded rumour, you are more likely to believe it if you admire the person who tells you.

If you don't, you may dismiss the information as "gossip". But it's wise to listen carefully to the song, and not just the singer.

Bandwagon effect

Have you noticed that politicians make frequent use of what's known as the "bandwagon effect"? Every night on the news, we hear from one or more party leaders that "Canadians want this" or "Canadians want that" and therefore "Canadians will vote for..."

Hence the popularity of opinion polls. We are supposed to think that if Canadians in general want that, then we must want it too.

We may be too smart to be taken in by this old political ploy-but we don't always recognize it in other circumstances.

For example, you are asked to contribute to a charitable campaign in your office, and the memo tells you that "last year 98% of our employees contributed to this worthy cause". That may be true, but it's a poor reason to hand over your money.

If you think it truly is a cause worthy of your support, then by all means contribute-but not just because everyone else is doing so.

It's a few years now since cellphones first came on the scene. At first they were a novelty. Then they became a bit of a joke.

Soon, though, people saw a certain value in them and they became a practical communication tool.

Now, however, manufacturers and others would have us believe they are indispensable and we can't possibly operate in the modern world without one.

That is propaganda. And it's not true. We can manage just fine without the constant contact created by a cellphone.

That's opinion too - mine. Of course, that may not be true either.

You decide!

Helen Wilkie is a professional speaker and author who helps companies save money and employees save their sanity by improving companywide applied communication. She can be reached at 416-966-5023 or hwilkie@mhwcom.com Visit her websites at http://www.mhwcom.com and http://www.HiddenProfitCenter.com.

Some Related Articles:

Open Mind - or Mindless?
Persuasion...or Manipulation: Are They Different Things?
Beliefs That Derail Sharp People
Let's Get Real: The Case for Being Consciously Authentic
Strategies for More Skillful, Authentic Communication
Become a Credible Communicator