All Bad Persuasion Is Sincere – the Crook of Sebelius’s Arm
17th September 2009
Secretary of HHS Sebelius once again demonstrates her tone deaf persuasion skills. The Wall Street Journal notes:
Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was in the middle of a pointed exchange on the Obama administration’s new malpractice pilot projects when a cough rang out in the White House briefing room.
Not just any cough, but a cough into the hands of NBC White House reporter Chuck Todd. Without missing a beat, the Obama administration’s point person on swine flu shot him a withering look. “What’s up with that?” She asked, quickly demonstrating proper procedure — cough into the arm!
She suggested Sesame Street’s Elmo would have to do an additional consultation with NBC.
First, the effect of coughing into your sleeve offers some slight improvement over coughing into your hands, but is not a cure-all, yet Secretary Sebelius acts as if all that stands between the world and a grand killer epidemic is the crook of her arm. Her persuasion analysis lacks proportion.
Second, persuasion plays accompanied by scolds only work with mean second grade teachers and, even then, not so well. Modeling a new behavior during a “teachable moment” is a good play. Adding a mean face (like Mrs. Douglas, my fifth grade teacher, would do) is a bad play.
Consider the Rules!
Power corrupts persuasion.
It’s about the other guy.
If you can’t succeed, don’t try.
And, finally . . .
All bad persuasion is sincere.
I thought the Obama Administration was Persuasion Central? This is great communication? I’m not even taking sides on health care, finance reform, Afghanistan, or soda pop taxes. This is just bad persuasion.