#137 Anat Shenker-Osorio

Words matter. We rely on them every day to express our thoughts and connect with others. And when our intent is to use our words to move people, in policy and political campaigns, how we construct them to create winning messages, is profoundly important. It obliges us to do more than echo out the urgency we feel based in years of work on issues from housing to immigration to health care, or for a candidate whose election we see as crucial. What resonates for us may have a distinctly different and unintended impact on those we want to influence. This is where Anat Shenker-Osorio comes in, fortified with social science research and significant experience in testing messages. She walks us through what nonprofits and campaigns get wrong and, thankfully, provides guidance about how to do better. It starts with ordering. Leading with a message of shared values enables the persuadable middle to be open to hearing more and to seeing policy solutions as common sense. Anat’s podcast, Words to Win By, explores how saying what you are for, not what you are against, makes bold, transformational change possible.