2THREE15

A practical guide to convey strategies

Oscar Gómez Cruz

• Publisher: IEXE Editorial
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9786078571062
• Edition: 3
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Meetings & Presentations
• Index: Business

2THREE15 shows communication tools that will be very useful for the decision maker, public work in the public or private sector, the elements to communicate ideas in a clear and practical way.Having a good idea is no longer enough, now it is necessary to learn to communicate and base a practical strategy. The great contribution of the author is the creation of the communication tool 2THREE15, the quality has the purpose of identifying and selecting the means and the optimal channels so that the ideas adapt to the understandable form. It is an ideal book for the desire to convey an idea in a powerful and convincing way.

chapter 1

the mistakes on
presentations

In the illuminated and well-furnished boarding room of a governmental institution, Miguel Angel, an approximately 27-year young man, connects the cables of a projector to his computer. He makes sure everything goes well; his information is backed up on cd’s, usb’s, and even on a web site in case of failure.

He wears his best suite, the same he wore on his cum lauded graduation on Public Administration, back two years. The same suite he wore too two weeks earlier on the occasion of his phd graduation on Public Policies: “The suit and tie are the least important”, keeps repeating to himself while checking his showing doesn’t have spelling mistakes, the colors of the graphics won’t be distorted by the projector lent by the Secretary to such an important event of his life.

For a 27-year old man it’s quite an event to have the opportunity of showing a proposal to a Secretary of State. To reach the appointment required a lot of effort and a bit of luck. Nicolas, a close collaborator to the Secretary, was his classmate at School; they spent a lot of time together on scholar team working. More than once, Nicolas met Miguel Angel at his office in order to work on themes related to economics, public policies, politics science, evaluation of projects and policy marketing, in the middle of ringing telephones and people who came in and out the office.

Nicolas always showed a natural ability to interact with people. He is the charming kind of person, with an incredibly strategic mind that seems to have visions about what is to come in the future, which has granted him to be secretary to one of the most powerful men in Government, and to coordinate more than 35 persons belonging to the closest circle of the General Secretary of State Ricardo Cabrera, named “the President’s natural dolphin” by the media.

Miguel Angel has always been a “brain”. A books devourer, he absorbs math or political science just the same. He has usually been academic first place, what has led him to become academic adviser to many companions that asked for him to explain how to solving econometric problems or Robert Dahl’s vision about power.

To Miguel Angel, this day means his great opportunity. To Nicolas, just another working day, and the occasion to give back his best friend his two-year support while they studied the master’s degree. Besides, Nicolas knows that if his friend’s proposal goes ahead, not only the work at the Secretary will improve, but his own influence amongst the group of power aspiring to rule the state will increase as well.

The appointment is at nine am; the people begin to entering the boarding room where Miguel Angel waits more than an hour ago. The first comer is a 35-year old thin woman, impeccably dressed, in very modern black glasses. Rapt on her cell phone, she barley wave Miguel Angel. She sits off the headboard chair, always reserved for the boss in governmental circles.

Right immediately, enters Nicolas accompanied by other four people. He kindly approaches Miguel Angel, greets him in a hug, and says:

—Allow me to introduce miss Alejandra Rodarte, undersecretary of strategic analysis. And this is doctor Eduardo Garcia, coordinator of advisers. And here is Arturo Aguirre, adviser to the Secretary, and José Luis Jaramillo, general director of information technologies, and doctor Julio Almazan, general director of evaluation.

—Pleased to meet you—says Miguel Angel, and the first signs of nervousness catch him with a legs tingling. He knew the meeting was a high level one, and with Cabrera Secretary’s “locked” group, so such an amount of big names began to cause him nervousness.

Miguel Angel was aware about the governmental habit of giving complex and very long names to positions, more as symbol of power than as reflection of the post’s operation and functions. He felt particularly stressed about the presence of two persons: Arturo Aguirre, adviser to the Secretary, and miss Rodarte, reputed of being harsh and implacable, the power behind the throne and Secretary Cabrera’s alter ego.

Those who are familiarized with the government’s bureaucratic culture know that an adviser usually fulfills one of two functions: either nothing at all, earning a juicy income product of political compromises, or being someone highly scholar, reliable to men/women in power, and that due to diverse impediments to be put on a high responsibility post, he/she is given with the position of adviser in order he/she can involve in every organization matters. This last was the case of Aguirre, a bright scholar young man who assisted strategic and individual matters for Secretary Cabrera; it was even said that he was already organizing the Secretary’s pre-campaign.

Undersecretary Rodarte kept cell chatting alien to anything else. At certain moment, she looked her watch and said:

—How long will the meeting last? I have many items to assist to. Is the secretary coming, or can we begin?

—The Secretary is coming any time. He is in a meeting with the governor – answered Nicolas, knowing it wasn’t true, but that’s the usual pretext for politics when arriving late to meetings, what happens very often.

The undersecretary words felt like cold water to Miguel Angel, for to showing his theme was crucial, and because of the technique contents he had prepared was to last one hour at least. Miss Rodarte’s rush and restlessness increased drastically his nervousness: he knew that without the approval of such an important official he would hardly sell his proposal.

It was nine thirty and the Secretary didn’t appear. Diverse ideas passed throughout Miguel Angel’s mind. On one hand, he was upset because of the Secretary’s unpunctuality; on the other, he disliked the arrogant attitude of the undersecretary, who kept calling and chatting along the half hour they had shared in the boardroom. To Miguel Angel, that kind of attitudes was the main cause of politicians’ bad image before those who are not involved in power, and of the lack of results of governments. He was firmly convinced that corruption itself was the product of that behavior assumed by some politicians who believe that everything is possible within power, even robbing without any consequences.

Half an hour waiting for the Secretary to come, and to feel ignored by de powerful undersecretary made Miguel Angel to begin arguing with himself about the many reasons of having studying along his professional life the imperious need to count on more efficient, closer to people governments. “Because of things like this we are so bad”, said to himself.

The wait became endless to the young expositor, while on the table the other talked passionately about football, the next elections, or this and that about work matters. Suddenly, the door communicating the next office’s dooropened abruptly and the powerful Secretary Cabrera came in. Dressed in a dark stripped blue Brioni suite to measure, Hermes tie, white starched collar shirt, cufflinks Patek Philippe matching with his Calatrava white gold watch, and shiny black Bostonian shoes.

Cabrera, 45 years approximately, was an admirable man who transmitted power by just entering a room. His way of speaking denoted someone cultivated and scholar but gentile, not presumptuous despite the opposite message of his clothes. He was convinced that the government could do things better; he was not a man who talked the double language that makes policy such a dirty, complicated thing to understand.

The Secretary’s passion towards the State issues dates back to his childhood, when he attentively listened to his grandfather speak passionately about the corruption and lack of professionalism of many public servants who go from one post to another without more merit than being friends of a man in power. He kept in mind his grandfather’s words saying that you only need three things to be a good governor: training, sensitivity and character.

With that in mind, Ricardo Cabrera had been trained in the best world universities, thanks to several scholarships he obtained, and whenever he could he made communitarian work, which allowed him to link reality with books. He began his career as analyst of social programs, and he went on climbing positions to finally become the most powerful regime secretary, with plenty of possibilities to succeed his boss as State governor.

Practically in synchrony, all presents stood up the instant Secretary Cabrera came in the room, an almost ceremonial action in governmental circles whenever an officer arrives to a meeting. The Secretary approached the assistants to greet them. He tapped his good friend Arturo Aguirre’s shoulder, and asked him: “What time did you leave yesterday?”

—Early— Aguirre said.

That detail wasn’t unnoticed either to Miguel Angel, nor the rest of the assistants. Such showings of affection, trustfulness and friendship are power symbols longed by any public man with political aspirations or authority yearnings on a governmental organization.

When greeting the only woman at the table, the Secretary kissed her chick. –Good morning, Ale, how goes what I asked you? —he said.

—Very well, Mr. Secretary, on my way of solving it; I´ll give you my report at noon –solemnly answered her.

—Perfect. It’s quite urgent all of that to be ready because the governor is restless –stressed the powerful Secretary. The undersecretary nodded.

—Alright, gentlemen, what do we have for today? –the Secretary asked, kindly but firmly, while opening the bottle of water in front of him.

Standing near the Secretary, holding some folders at hand, Nicolás answered:

—Mister Secretary, as I mentioned you before, Miguel Angel Tapia has brought a proposal to implement a control panel for immediate access to information related to decision making, both technical and political.

Right away, Nicolas briefly mentioned Miguel Angel’s resume, highlighting his academic achievements and phd’s acknowledgements. He also commented in brief about some of his publications in specialized magazines, and his present work as independent adviser.

The Secretary showed pleased; he felt some way identified with the young man in front of him, who appeared to be in control of his own future. His resume was that of a young man who hasn’t wasted time, something that was worthy to Cabrera for his working team was full of people like that. It was common to see by the corridors many enthusiastic youngsters carrying papers, computers or folders. It was said that the work environment was very pleasant for the duties were filled by a true team that combined experience and youth, what has made the office a good place to learn and grow within the public administration.

—Go ahead –kindly said Cabrera, turning off his cellular phone.

Miguel Angel breathed, took a sip of water, and began hesitantly.

—Good morning, mister Secretary. Thanks for giving me some of your time. I know you’re a very busy man, so to me it’s honor being received by ...

Table of contents

• Introduction
• CHAPTER 1
• CHAPTER 2
• CHAPTER 3
• CHAPTER 4
• CHAPTER 5
• Conclusions
• Bibliography