One of the greatest aspects of communications is the ability to make sense out of chaos.  Communications goes beyond ably communicating a thought to ensuring that communication has impact.  That communication enables populations to learn new common values and processes that move their nation forward and not backward.  Communicating for wider adaption and adoption is an important part of growing economies.  Infrastructure must be improved, but also communication that fully engages the citizen.

Societies that places greater emhasis on communicaing shared values and standards, often achieve and maintain thise values. Helping citizens adopt new standards and improvements takes time and good communication.  Learning and education are fascilitated by good communications strategies.  States seeking to improve standards and ensure adoption must employ more than just system change or prohibition.
In societies that do not place a premium on creating shared values of a functioning society, standards often remain at the most basic level and adoption may nevwr occur.

Communication should be used to strengthen societies and create shared values that make the overall experience better for everyone.  For instance, societies seeking tidier common spaces must do more than communicate prohibition of litering.  The tragedy of the commons is not simply that there is no central ownership, but that the society also has not inculcated the value of the commons within the average citizen.  There is no innate reckognition that thw conditions of thw common is a reflection of the citizen.  This is most accutely seen in thise sho always blame leaderahip for failures, but go right on following those same leaders.

Travels to many developing countries often reveal aspects of this communication gap.  It is more than that citizens are not participating, it is likely that the do not fully understand what is lost or gained by their support.  The tragedy of the commons is a particularly evident failing for  some developing countries.  And this does not just refwr to the state of their comm9n areas, but the quality of life afforded.  It is not clear whether this malaise arises from a collective lack of self esteem or a failure to undertand the benefit of order, standards and processes to achieve them.

Nations who wish better standards within their nation must do more than create prohibition, but peoole-centered values surrounding that desired change.  Tbis can onky happen by strategic communication in tandem with execution.  For instance, new rules should be explained and adequate outreach achieved to before rollout to create real change and adoption.  Such values should be reinforced in such a way that citizens begin to take pride in the concept.  Strategic communications and outreach accomplishes this with an astute communications expert.

A brief visit to a gated suburb will reveal people of like values, proud of the quality of their surroundings.  Conversly, many developing nations and underserved  commynities present the exact oppositedue to communication and oureach shortfalls.  These gaps do not permit enough positive reinforcement to move a process or rule to a value with shared benefits. Many in underdeveloped regions or nations struggle taking pride in the commons. Infact, exclusion is a grand part of strategies to keep out those who do not possess such values in developing counties.  While this can be effective, other better means are available to transform societies seeking improvement.

Nations must be invested in creating shared values around standards of living, behavior and engagement that benefit the common good.  The act of prohibition along only creates the barbarians at the gate phenomenon in cities and growing metropolis.  Rather, societies would do better to create comprehensive long term plans that communicate the importance of values that benefit the community and reinforve behaviors that lify the standard.

Nigeria for instance is seeking to roll out its new digital currrency and the result has been chaotic.  Many people have complained for a lack of available cash and ither resulting maladies.   The strains we see in that state could have been avoided with a  communication strategy and a tiered rollout.  While humans can be irrational in groups, plans for careful rollout of new processes can make transition easier.  Honoring citizens and communicating the value of honoringis essential for societies in transition.

China for instance has been allowing its citizens to gradually buy-in to its digital currency by offering it as an alternative and providing perks and discounts for citizens who use the digital currency for purchases.  A careful plan coupled with a dynamic communication strategy is vital.  Not only can a plan be created, it can be formulated to take into account cultural and regional norms.

A great part of the developing worlds maladies can be solved by resolving the disorganization of process and creating frameworks that put people first.  The honor and respect for people, time and productivitycould solve a host of “third world” probkems if careful plans and cimmunicaation strategies were implemented over a period.

A brief vistit to most African countries reveal that many of its most pressing problems could be solved with a small bit of attention to detail and order.  Generally, the abundant chaos, lack of protocol and even person-to-person respect erodes the experience of many ordinary people who are longing for efficient systems that work. Much of the immigration at the Mediterreanean could be eleviated if people could live i. Functional societies.  And societies do not become functional by rules and enforcement alone
Credible, strategic communications enable and facilitate adoption.

Getting to a working society is the goal.  Typically when we look at decadent societies, we see that chaos and uncertainty increases.  This happens because of increasing disorder and entropy which leads to decreases in standards of living.  Even when citizens participate in the disorder, it still errodes their trust in government, society and even self actualization.  It is hard to see what is possible for the future and growth when people don’t follow any road rules or practice common courtesy in every day affairs.

Developling economies put far less emphasis on communicating with their populations.  This is a mistake because without proper communication and strategy there can be no buy-in and moral is never improved. In fact, advancement of the society depends on how well those values can be communicated, unculcated implemented with the least amount of restriction and penalization.

This is where societies with greater appreciation for learning and producing tangible benefits for their populace will thrive. Without attempts to create real transformative communication and policies that create stability and order, nations will remain suspended at the most basic level of national development.  The nation’s people must develop along with its roads, transportation and infrastructure.  Development is more than infrastructure, it requires continued communication and improvement of the citizen as well.

Contact me for strategic communications for impact.