Ever heard of “revenge tourism”? It’s the idea that, “The pandemic is over, and I want to visit the Parthenon or Italy or someplace else.” One corollary I’ve noticed is “revenge conferences and trade shows” because, where we usually travel to a couple of fall events, lately it’s been seven or eight in the space of a couple of months.
Despite the usual headaches of air travel and the cost of cat-sitting, I try to attend as many events as I can because going out, meeting people, and taking the initiative find stories and original content is still light years more productive than hoping for substantive answers and input to emerge organically.
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Granted, most potential sources are unwilling or too timid to speak up in the first place, and I don’t blame anyone for not having the time or simply preferring not to be interviewed. However, most of those who are willing usually seem to be stuck in a broken-record/TikTok loop of advertising-speak and self-promotion. Unfortunately, most sources, like most people, seem to be hopelessly focused on the basic tasks and goals they and their organizations are trying to accomplish, which sadly distracts them from being aware of and responding to the perspectives and priorities of the very same customers, clients and partners they most want to engage with.
For instance, almost every time I receive written responses to my questions for articles, they consist of vague talk about trends and someone-should-do suggestions, rather than the specific experiences, lessons learned, best practices and advice that Control’s readers have always indicated they prefer.
“Saying everything is rigged sounds better than admitting we’re too lazy to participate.”
These nebulous responses are like the unrelated, party-line responses that politicians spout during debates, rather than the straight-up answers, they should provide. This is the reason I try to secure in-person, on-the-phone or video-streaming interviews because I can immediately point out, “You’re not really answering the question,” or ask, “Do you have specific examples of what we’re talking about and how others can do the same?”
I don’t actually tackle sources by their ankles, but I come pretty close. I was told early on that it never hurts to ask. Since then, I’ve concluded it’s OK to be aggressive in pursuing information, as long as I’m polite—and willing to take no for an answer, which I often do.
Beyond reporting, I believe this procedure is equally beneficial in many professional and personal situations. The odds of finding helpful people and useful information are far better if you go look for them, and gather their experiences and advice, instead of waiting for input that’s unlikely to show up independently.
The same goes for our local organizations and communities—and even our companies and families, which can be even harder to approach. Voting is always crucial, of course, but it only happens once or twice a year at most, while the terms of elected officials are typically a couple of years or longer. However, their regular administrative and budget-related meetings usually occur every few weeks, and it’s always useful to show up, listen closely, and ask a few civil questions.
At the very least, all of the elected officials and their legal and administrative staffs sit up straighter, follow procedure more closely, and are more careful about with expenditures. I know because I’ve seen it happen at every municipal, county, school district, library, zoning and other meeting I ever covered.
However, the benefits are even greater for the audience because they learn their government is really theirs and isn’t some outside entity doing things to them. Showing up, asking specific questions, and maybe even volunteering or serving at some point resolves the traditional us-vs-them mentality of those who stay at home and bellyache. Of course, saying everything is rigged sounds better than admitting we’re too lazy to participate.
