Strategic Communication Archives - Sunoor VermaSunoor Verma

Leadership communication skills are essential for any leader who wants to be successful. They involve the ability to speak clearly and concisely, to connect with an
audience, and to persuade them to your point of view. By analyzing speeches broadcast on audio-visual mediums, we can gain insights into how leaders communicate and use their communication skills to persuade and connect with others. This can be helpful for anyone who wants to improve their #leadershipcommunication skills.

India’s Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, delivered a master class in political #LeadershipCommunication in parliament on August 10, 2023, when a no-confidence resolution was presented against his administration. Mr Modi accused the opposition of having no faith in India, believing those who mocked the country, and being arrogant and incompetent. He also stated that the more they tried to stop him, the more successful he became.

Here is my analysis of Mr Modi’s masterclass.

A combo of leadership & strategic communication

Mr Modi’s speech was effective in several ways. First, Timing: First and foremost, it was well-timed. The no-confidence resolution was introduced two days after Mr Modi’s party, the BJP won the municipal by-elections in Gujarat. This allowed Mr Modi to capitalize on the BJP’s momentum and depict the opposition as out of touch with the country’s spirit. As a result, this speech can also be classified under #StrategicCommunication.

Second, Arguments: Mr Modi’s speech was well-thought-out. He emphasized the government’s accomplishments in the economy, infrastructure, and social welfare sectors. He also accused the opposition of being to blame for many of the country’s problems, such as corruption and communalism.

Third, Delivery: Mr Modi addressed his remarks with passion and conviction. He addressed the people personally and stated unequivocally that he would not back down from the opposition’s challenges. This added urgency and enthusiasm to his address, which helped energize his followers.

How He Used Rhetorical Devices to Connect with the Audience

Mr Modi utilized a variety of rhetorical tactics in his speech. Here are some concrete examples:

Ethos: Mr Modi appealed to the audience’s patriotism by discussing India’s accomplishments and accusing the opposition of being unpatriotic.
Pathos: Mr Modi played on the audience’s emotions by speaking about the difficulties that regular people endure and blaming the opposition of being to blame for these difficulties.
Logos: Mr Modi used facts and data to support his statements about the government’s accomplishments.

Mr Modi also used other rhetorical tactics in his address, including humour, repetition, and contrast. He effectively employed these techniques to connect with the audience and present his point of view.

Modi’s Hindi Skills Gave Him an Advantage in the No-Confidence Motion

Mr Modi’s grasp of Hindi was a significant asset in the no-confidence vote. Despite being a non-native speaker, he could communicate with his audience in Hindi fluently and confidently. In contrast, his opponents were not fluent in Hindi and frequently made errors. This enhanced Mr Modi’s credibility and intelligence, giving him an advantage in the argument.

How He Synced His Body Language with His Verbal Messages

Mr Modi’s body language, in addition to his rhetorical abilities, contributed to the effectiveness of his speech. He conveyed confidence, authority, and determination through various nonverbal cues.

Eye contact: Mr Modi made intense eye contact with the audience throughout his speech. This showed that he was confident and in control.
Posture: Mr Modi stood tall and upright throughout his speech. This gave the impression of strength and power.
Gestures: Mr Modi used several gestures to emphasize his points. For example, he would often point his finger to make a point or spread his arms wide to show his confidence.
Facial expressions: Mr Modi smiled often and looked friendly and approachable. This made him seem more relatable to the audience.

Mr Modi’s body language matched his spoken statement, resulting in a dramatic and compelling effect. His determination and confidence were contagious, and they rallied his parliamentary group.

Here are some specific examples of how Mr Modi’s body language worked in his favour:

When he talked about India’s accomplishments, he would proudly lift his palms in the air and smile. This demonstrated his pride in India’s success and optimism about its future.
When he accused the opposition of being unpatriotic, he would shake his head and point his finger at them. This demonstrated that he was angry with them and did not trust them.
He would drop his voice and sound worried when discussing the difficulties that everyday people experience. This demonstrated that he was sympathetic to their situation and determined to assist them.

How He Used His Attire to Project an Image of Power and Confidence

Mr Modi’s outfit also contributed to his image of power and confidence. The white kurta-pyjama represents purity, but the Nehru jacket represents power and authority. This confluence of symbols aided Mr Modi in projecting an image of a strong and capable leader who was in touch with the people. His formal dress made him appear more powerful and in charge when he accused the opposition of being out of touch with the people. Similarly, as he discussed India’s accomplishments, his immaculate dress made him appear proud and confident. On the other hand, his projected opponent wore a white half-sleeve shirt that conveyed informality and casualness.

How He Played on the Weaknesses of His Opponents

In addition to Mr Modi’s own rhetorical abilities and body language, his opponents’ poorly constructed speeches also aided him in defeating the no-confidence motion. The opposition leaders spoke in a rambling and nonsensical style, making them appear weak and ineffective. They did not attempt to engage with Mr Modi’s views. This gave their speeches the appearance of rage, undermining their credibility and making Mr Modi’s speech appear more persuasive.

The reason why Mr Modi’s speech in the Indian parliament on August 10, 2023, was a masterclass in political #leadershipcommunication is because ultimately the proof is in the pudding- Mr Modi defeated the no-confidence motion with a compelling margin.

Dr Sunoor Verma is an expert in advocacy and strategic leadership communication. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Sunoor provided in-person crisis, risk, and leadership communication training to over 300 Nepalese parliamentarians on behalf of WHO. He also coached four Ministers of Health and four Ministry of Health spokespersons in strategic and crisis communication.

Dr Sunoor has advised WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNDP, ECMI, and their leaders in developing sophisticated coalitions, successfully communicating, and inventing out-of-the-box solutions in development and humanitarian settings. He has also collaborated on international relations, global health, and conflict resolution programmes with Boston University, the University of Geneva, and Cambridge University. Dr Verma coaches and advises elected officials and technocrats in practical science and crisis communication as part of his leadership communication practice.

Over-communicating health- can it ever be counterproductive?

We seem to be over-communicating health in the aftermath of COVID-19 and now run the risk of making our communication ineffective the next time a health emergency arises. The miracle of antibiotics, when prescribed appropriately, is best known to the patient whose condition starts improving quickly. However, this does not mean antibiotics are the solution to every illness. If given indiscriminately, the damage can be vast and irreversible. Similar is the case with health communication.

The risk of communication fatigue

While the pandemic showed the necessity of public health communication, it may now be causing communication fatigue among the public. It is essential to review the frequency and volume of health communication. COVID-19 taught governments, health organisations, and public health professionals how to communicate complicated scientific knowledge to the public in an understandable and actionable manner.

In the public interest, centre stage was provided to the World Health Organisation (WHO) to be the lead UN spokesperson on COVID-19. The UN Secretary-General showed admirable discipline in ensuring that Dr Tedros, the Director General of the WHO, leads the UN in critical communication during the pandemic. Health has been at the heart of every important policy debate over the last two years. The audience’s attention gained on the importance of human and animal health can be easily lost if strategic choices are now not made on how much to communicate and what to communicate on health.

In 2020, WHO coined the word Infodemic to describe an outbreak of information, disinformation, rumours, and fake news. Now it seems critical that international health actors do not turn into perpetrators of Infodemics, especially in the context of countries.

Endless marking of health days- risk of losing public trust and credibility

In February, health agencies marked World Cancer Day, International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, International Day of Women and Girls in Science, International Epilepsy Day, and Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day. Similarly, in March, the impressive line-up is International Women’s Day, World Kidney Day, World Oral Health Day, and World Tuberculosis (TB) Day. And in April, we will mark World Health Day, World Malaria Day, World Immunization Week and World Day for Safety and Health at Work.

The point is that for each of these special days, we see events being organised with elaborate ceremonies, the printing of banners, posters, selfie stands, speeches, t-shirts, standees and most troubling- an avalanche of social media posts with reminders on the importance of whatever is being celebrated. This country level health-Infodemic which I call “HelDemic”, is not limited to the digital space but is also sucking up the valuable time of policymakers and health workers and generating tons of plastic waste.

A lack of interest and compliance is one of the critical concerns of communication fatigue in public health communication. When people are continually bombarded with a lot of information and messaging, they may get desensitised and tune it out. This might lead to a lack of incentive to adopt healthy behaviours or follow public health norms, perhaps increasing disease spread.

Corrective action and celebration triage is needed urgently!

Disease burden and national strategic plans should guide the choice of three to five health days to mark in a year. An uninterrupted barrage of visuals of inaugurations, closing ceremonies and speechmakers on social media is not the best health communication investment and risks reducing the credibility of those seen engaging in this. Effective communication strategies, such as using a variety of communication channels and formats, can help prevent communication fatigue and promote healthy behaviours. Choosing to tone down communication and spacing is also a wise strategy.

Between the devil and the deep sea- tough choices for the poor

This is easier said than done, especially in countries that rely heavily on foreign aid to fund critical services like healthcare. Public employees in these countries are often needed to attend meetings and such events with international donors to seek financing, manage projects, and report on progress. While working with international donors is vital to get funding and promote development programs, there are significant risks involved with public officials becoming overly focused and exposed to ceremonial roles and not being seen in critical policymaking.

Post-COVID-19, the way countries have rolled back special measures like mandatory mask usage, pre-departure forms, and media briefings, it is time to tone down public health communication. The audience needs a breather. There is an urgent need to shift to strategic health communication to achieve focused public health objectives. This approach requires a deep understanding of the local context, the target audience, and the social, cultural, and economic factors that impact health behaviours. Unfortunately, most international health actors are in shortage of talent with the capacity to do this. Worse is the fear that they may not see this need until the next health emergency knocks at our doors.

Time to cut down the noise and deliver solid results!

The globe is falling short of meeting the targets for the health-related Sustainable Development Goals 2030. However, if governments are to meet these targets, they must prioritize policies and execution while reducing general health communication surrounding health days, events, and celebrations. It’s time to turn down the volume and avoid health communication burnout!

Published in The Himalayan Times, Thursday, 16th March 2023. Page 4.

About the Author

Dr Sunoor Verma is a global health practitioner. He has advised WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR, HUG-Geneva and Cambridge University on Strategy, Leadership Communication, Advocacy and Resource Mobilization. He is credited with setting up WHO’s communication portfolio from scratch in Nepal in the midst of COVID-19. He has set up and led the country and regional operations for the European Centre for Minority Issues in the Balkans. He has supported track two peace processes in Macedonia, Kosovo and Sri Lanka and emergency response to the Tsunami, Avian Influenza and COVID-19. He has taught Global Health at Boston University. He has curated partnership initiatives with Macedonia, Kosovo, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, and Nepal parliamentarians. He divides his time between the foothills of the Jura Mountains in France and Buddhanilkantha in Nepal.

Tag Archives: Strategic Communication

PM Modi’s Masterclass in Leadership Communication

Health communication fatigue looms large