Abstract
In the short period of two or perhaps three days of training, you can become aware of and practice the skills
required to incorporate risk communications into your management philosophy. Risk communications training, to be
effective, must incorporate roleβplaying and include the following: effective listening; a stress on
nonverbal communications; conflict handling modes; trust and credibility; dialogue; and
positional and principled negotiation.
Learning by doing is the best axiom in developing these oral communications skills. And while these skills
are related to public relations, they are very different from public affairs skills you may have been exposed to
such as dealing with media βsound bites.β Besides, most public relations are handled by the public
affairs office. Risk communications is for when you're on your own.
Seek out this training for yourself or even your entire environmental staff so that your effectiveness as an
environmental manager is enhanced. You will never be able to win emotionally charged activists over to your
position. However, by employing risk communication skills in addressing their opposition in public meetings, you
will have a positive impact on openβminded, undecided individuals who witness this exchange.
You will most likely win them over to your position and thereby incrementally increase those who support a
reasoned, balanced, and environmentally sound decision. Β© 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.