What Happened
The University of Delaware pulled the plug on its scheduled political debates, a decision that has sparked significant criticism from students, faculty, and outside observers. The university offered no compelling public rationale that satisfied its critics. What started as an institutional decision quickly became a story about who gets to speak, and who gets to decide.
This is exactly the kind of scenario I break down in Say It Right Every Time. The chapter on institutional voice gives you a framework for communicating difficult decisions in a way that preserves trust instead of destroying it. The core idea is that your audience does not need to agree with your decision. They need to believe you made it honestly. Those are two completely different goals, and most organizations only aim for the first one.
Never Be Lost
for Words Again
Get word‑for‑word scripts for the conversations that shape your life, from job interviews and negotiations to difficult talks with family and partners, so you always know exactly what to say and how to say it.
Never Be Lost
for Words Again
Get word‑for‑word scripts for the conversations that shape your life, from job interviews and negotiations to difficult talks with family and partners, so you always know exactly what to say and how to say it.
Key Takeaway
Before your organization cancels, postpones, or shuts down any public-facing conversation, write one sentence that completes this prompt: "We are doing this because (specific reason), and here is what we are doing instead (specific alternative)." If you cannot complete both halves of that sentence honestly, you are not ready to make the decision public. Go back and do the work first.
