7/28/2019 Meeting Report December 5th- Gary Hogman

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RotaryClubofEastGrinsteadMeridian

December5thSpeaker:GaryHogman

EvolutionofCommunications

Doctorwalksuptoanotherdoctorandasks,

"HowamI?"

Sorryiftheopeningjokeisabittame,butIhavejustlookedupGaryHogman's

backgroundandnoticedhementionsworkinginthethirdsector-atwhichpointjokes

becomeabitdodgy.Anintroductorypreamblemighthelpatthispoint-particularlyfor

thosestillwanderingroundwonderingwhathappenedonWednesdaynightand

complaining"thenicemangavemeaniPadbuttookitbackagain".

AsGordonBrownsaidin2007intheprefacetoTheFutureRoleoftheThirdSectorin

SocialandEconomicRegeneration:FinalReport:"Ibelievethatthereisnoprobleminthiscountrythatcan'tbesolvedbythepeopleofthis

country.Millionsofpeoplechoosetobringaboutsocialchangeandtosolvetheproblemswe

facethroughthethirdsector.

Ineverypartofoursocietyvoluntaryorganisations,communitygroupsandsocial

enterprisesaremakingpeople'slivesbetter,arefightinginequalityandarecreatinga

betterenvironmentforustolivein."Amongstmanyothers,thisreportsolicitedtheviewsofEqualitiesgroups-thosegroups

whodefinethemselvesasrepresentingmarginalisedcommunities,includingwomens

groups,blackandminorityethnicgroups,lesbian,gay,bisexualandtransgender

communities,disabilitygroupsandrefugeeandasylumseekergroups.

Doesn'tmentionguyswithbeards,sothere'sstillanoutsidepossibilityofajokewithout

goingtojail.

AsGordonandfamilywanderedoffmutteringin2010,alongcameDaveandturnedthe

ThirdSectorintotheBigSociety."..creatingacountryinwhichpeopleareincontrol.Peoplegivingtime,

money,assets,skillsandknowledgealldrivesocialactionandhelpmakelifebetter

forall.Wethinkgovernmentcanalsohaveanewrole,bringingpeopletogethertofindnew

waystosupportcharitableandvoluntaryactionandhighlightingtheexcellentwork

thatishappeningalready."

ThiswasdescribedatthetimebytheArchbishopofCanterburyas"aspirational

waffledesignedtoconcealadeeplydamagingwithdrawalofthestatefromits

responsibilitiestothemostvulnerable."Sonothingreallychangedwiththepoliticalmusicalchairs,exceptourspeaker,Gary,

switchedfrompromotinghismanagementofcommunicationandresilience(i.e.coping

withlife?orillegitiminoncarborundum ,tojoininwiththeevening'stechnicalbanter)

withintheDepartmentforhealthandnowsellsittotheprivatesectorthroughtheManagementAdvisoryService .Backtotheevening.

http://www.mas.org.uk/

7/28/2019 Meeting Report December 5th- Gary Hogman

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IshouldhavementionedthatGaryisapsychologist.PresidentChrisrangtheRotarybell

andGarystartedhandingoutquestionnaires-anovelpsychologist'svariationonPavlov

andhisdogs.ForthoseunfamiliarwithPavlov,hereisahelpfullinkto EddieIzzardand

Pavlov'scats(onlydownloadifyoucanlivewithonecommonexpletive).

Themembersjoinedinenthusiasticallyasever-"me,sir,-mesir,sir!"-althoughsitting

closetoRogerandDesdiddistortthisreveriealittle.

ChrisranghisbellagainandGarylefttheroomwhileweheldashortClubMeeting-reportedonseparately.

Garyreturnedandwentintohistalkonhumancommunicationandhowitstayedmuch

thesameforthousandsofyears-peopletalkingtoeachotherandwritingtheoddletter-

untiltheinternetandtextmessaging(1995)camealongandchangedeverything.Itis

nowsomucheasiertopassamessagebyemailortextthatmanypeoplehaveactually

stoppedtalkingtoeachother.Unfortunately,itisveryeasytomisunderstandanemail

andfireoffavitriolicresponsewhennooffencewasintended.(Mustrememberthatbit).

Garyalsoexplainedsomeoftheotherinterestingfacetsofcommunication-includingthe

non-verbalones.

Ifsomeonesays"Iloveyou",therecipientinterpretsthemeaning:7% bythewords;

38% byhowitissaid(vocalising);and

50% fromthefacialexpressionandpostureofthespeaker.GarydemonstratedonKenanditsoundedandlookedutterlyconvincing;althoughwitha

salesmanandapsychologist,whocouldtell?

Thenwegotintoallsortsofbuzz-words;Haptics-touchy-feely-notaspopularnowasitwasinthe60s;

Kinesics-facialexpressionsandgestures;

Paralinguistics-vocalandnon-vocalinflection(shouting,whining,sobbing,beggingand

othermeanstoanend);andfinally

Chronemics-timingbetweenwords,phrasingAndthatwastheendofamostilluminatingtalk.Hopefully,itwasalsohelpfulforGary,

whowasgoingtoanalysetheresultsofourcompletedquestionnairesandtheresponses

duringtheeveningtorefinehisresilienceadviceforthefuture.Hisnextdissertationwill

probablybeonhowagroupdecideswhattowearforaChristmaspartywithoutresortingtohair-pullingandname-calling-nottomentiontheoddbarbedemail.Therestofuswilljusthavetogetalongwitheachother-andwithouttheiPadwhich

Garypassedroundtotheamazementanddistrustofsomemembers-movingpictureson

atablet-thinkwhatMosescouldhavedonewithoneofthose!Blow-abitofajoke

sneakedoutrightattheend.

Manythanksandaknowingglance(kinesics,remember)werepassedontoGarybyKen

beforefearofwifelyrecriminationsandpainfulhapticscausedsomememberstohot-foot

ittoDunning'sMilltotaxitheirbelovedshomefromtheir carousing.Gottogo-gettingupearlyinthemorningtointeractwithSainsbury'sshoppersand

persuadethemtogivemoneytoRotary...andonTHATBOMBSHELL

.GOODNIGHT!

http://youtu.be/whwiMrBNWCAhttp://youtu.be/whwiMrBNWCA