Slide 1

Know your facts Double and triple check them The sky probably isnt falling The sky is falling!! The sky is falling Slide 2 Slide 3 Labels contain much of the information needed to begin to understand the products being used Much more on labels during this training Slide 4 Labeling includes MSDSs & other technical data sheets Very useful in understanding the products and their potential behavior Slide 5 Lots and lots of other supporting material And, Much of it on your Districts bookshelves Slide 6 Always check your assumptions!! Slide 7 Always remember When I ASSUME I generally make an ASS of U and ME Slide 8 Safe vs. Low Risk Slide 9 Many people question the safety of foraged items How can you tell them anything about these items? Three primary ways -- Slide 10 Know what you are using Maintain a current chemical inventory Slide 11 Maintain records of what you are doing and what is going on in your pesticide program, and Slide 12 Carefully maintain official project records on FS.2100-1 as required by the FSH Slide 13 Carefully kept records allow you to honestly answer questions without relying on, sometimes selective, memory Slide 14 True Story Time The Forest Service was accused of POISONING a farmers tomato crop We had treated in the area Project 2100-1, however, showed a slight wind away from the tomatoes and a relatively cool day (Mid 70s) Slide 15 True Story Time (Cont.) The site the F.S. had treated was downhill from the farm, so there was no chance for subsurface flow or runoff On further questioning it was learned that the farmers son had recently edged the driveway using a highly volatile herbicide The point: good records forced both the F.S. and the farmer to look beyond the obvious Slide 16 Be sure to have the proper tools for the job at hand Tree removal the hard way Slide 17 Appropriate Tools of Communication Accurate information and Appropriate language Slide 18 Be sure to bring the whole tool Or at least enough of it to make it effective Slide 19 Be sure that you know how to use the tools you have Slide 20 Remember that tools (and words) often have more than one use Slide 21 Other Uses Try to avoid mis-communicating Figure out what words or gestures may cause miscommunication Preplan to avoid communication problems Slide 22 Let communication find its own working level Slide 23 ?Habla Espanol? Be sure you are talking the appropriate language Slide 24 Avoid Jargon !! Slide 25 Jargon Sometimes it is clear Slide 26 Jargon Often it is very misleading Slide 27 Jargon But sometimes it gives unexpected precision Slide 28 Language Alert Be careful of language vs meaning train wrecks Watch out for the times when the obvious isnt correct Slide 29 We all know that billions are bigger than millions -- BUT One part per billion is smaller than one part per million (1,000 times smaller) And, one billionth is smaller than one millionth Language Alert (Cont.) Slide 30 Avoid Factor Loaded words, if at all possible Slide 31 POISON has a very specific meaning when applied to pesticides (LD 50Slide 32 POISON Is a regulatory word with a specific toxicological meaning Virtually none of the pesticides currently in use in R-8 fit the definition The word itself is misleading and inflammatory when used inappropriately Slide 33 Current signs have eliminated the word POISON and are still 100% accurate Slide 34 The pesticide Umbrella Slide 35 The use of BIODEGRADABLE here better communicates our message than did our previous sign which didnt include the word Slide 36 Often there is more than one accurate description of an action Slide 37 Miscommunication Source Requiring our interpretation of an action Failure to recognize a differing interpretation of that action Slide 38 Where can we effectively communicate with the public? Slide 39 WHERE AND WHO Often the most effective places for communication are the places where you normally meet people - the country store, the grocery, your church,... this means that technicians and temporaries are often doing the talking keep them up to speed on projects Slide 40 Timing and circumstances are critical to the outcome Bomb squad (im)practical joker Slide 41 Timing can be positive, negative or even neutral Slide 42 Having reasonable control of the site can have a positive effect on the outcome Slide 43 Always try to know your audience Slide 44 Avoid stupid mistakes whenever possible Check and recheck your assumptions Economy Computer Repair Service Slide 45 As a F.S. employee you dont have the No brains No service option Slide 46 Dont prejudice yourself based on labels There are almost always surprises Fastest horse in town Nuclear scientist Town miser Slide 47 Many of the people you deal with will be self-taught Slide 48 Self-taught This often means that a formal structure an overarching order may be lacking in the comments made Be extremely careful not to mistake this for a lack of knowledge Slide 49 Good communication requires that sufficient accurate information be given Slide 50 Accurate and Sufficient Most recognize the need for accurate information but There must also be enough information given In the previous slide experimenting simply is not enough information Slide 51 DONT !!! Slide 52 Be honest about negative information Attempting to conceal it builds problems for later Slide 53 Be sure that you are selling the right product But its a great peg Slide 54 Remember that many things which are good for us are unappealing Slide 55 Dont promulgate or patronize Slide 56 Dont promise things that you cant deliver I WANT A SPRAY THAT KILLS EVERYTHING BUT ISNT DANGEROUS. Slide 57 You generally wont be allowed to have it more than one way Slide 58 Always remember appearance affects credibility Slide 59 Actions, also, clearly affect your credibility Slide 60 Have a feedback loop to insure that an accurate message is received Slide 61 Feedback - again Slide 62 Nonverbal clues are important but use them cautiously Love or indigestion? Slide 63 The one you dont ask! There is only one stupid question Slide 64 As in many other things Perspective is everything Greys Same or Different? Slide 65 To reemphasize the previous slide Perspective is everything in communication Boy! Is this a great view! Slide 66 Different people, different dreams Slide 67 Realize that some deliberate self-delusion exists in the real world ME! Slide 68 Deliberate misuse of words (or pumpkins) can yield humor Slide 69 Word Misuse But, be cautious of the use of humor in a serious context it can create problems including miscommunication confusion as to meaning confusion as to seriousness of the subject matter Slide 70 Always check the source of the information there may be a hidden (or not so hidden) agenda at work Look at all that gold! Slide 71 To reemphasize - remember that information received may be the result of a deliberate agenda 10 Heavily Timbered Forest Acres Slide 72 Slide 73 Combating Disinformation The only hope is a history of prior honesty and credibility And even that is not enough if someone is seriously trying to poison communications Slide 74 Plan for and try to avoid predictable potential negative consequences Slide 75 Think before acting When attempting to communicate think before speaking Slide 76 Try to think things all of the way through before starting Slide 77 Be careful of new and glitzy tools They may work too well and have unexpected consequences Slide 78 What You Are Up Against (A graphic example) Understanding MoreLess ControlControl More Slide 79 W here you want to be Understanding ControlControl Good understanding Reasonable control Slide 80 W here you find yourself when discussing pesticides in public Understanding ControlControl Poor audience understanding General feeling that you have no control Slide 81 This Often Leads To: Missed communication Frustration for the audience Confrontation over ideas Bad feelings and a failed meeting Slide 82 What To Do: Be prepared; know your material Listen carefully Keep your cool Keep the level of discussion appropriate to the audience and, everything else we have said in this talk But, most of all, USE COMMON SENSE! Slide 83 Some meetings simply go bad and you feel like you are the sacrifice! NEPA EXPLAINED (Human Sacrifices) 8:00 pm Slide 84 At times it appears to be hopeless Continue trying for a Win-Win resolution (not this Lose-Lose scenario) Slide 85 Sometimes sorry just isnt good enough Slide 86 Most important KEEP TRYING! Eventually you are bound to get it right!!