Illinois Department of Transportation's
Rocky Road Through Public Hearings
Is Put on More Solid Footing

By DAN MacLEAN, Senior Associate, Communispond, Inc.

The Illinois Department of Transportation, a forward-thinking state agency, wanted to project the quality of sincerity, coupled with professionalism in the way it communicated with the public, and help citizens understand not only its projects, but its-point of view. Their presentation format was a rocky road: public hearings.

As the state agency responsible for maintenance of every thoroughfare from elegant shopping avenues to busy freeways to country roads, plus bridges and interchanges, IDOT reaches and serves every resident in the state.

Whenever they propose a change or a new project (widening a road, creating an underpass), the benefits for some may be offset by the negative affect on others through more traffic, congestion or accidents. These concerns are aired in public hearings which resemble "town hall meetings."

IDOT sets the agenda and leads the discussion then gives the public a chance to respond and dialogue with the agency. People who are often angry and upset, there because they have a thorn in their side, are often the ones who attend. And the officials know through experience that a governmental agency can inspire uncaring, negative images.

As a communications training and consulting company, our objective was to counter the perceptions (government doesn't care), convey a sense of rapport (government employees are affected like everyone else), present a professional but non-bureaucratic style (talk in terms the public understands), establish a dialogue (rather than a confrontation) and move the meeting to a conclusion where everyone comes out a winner.

Meetings are generally attended by several hundred people, often in the evening when the audience members are tired and resentful of giving up their free time. The one- to two-hour presentations are exhausting.

We observed several public hearings where IDOT personnel presented plans in depth and answered in great detail questions of environmental impact, effects on wildlife, or any other ramifications of the transportation project.

Communispond assured IDOT that they didn't have to cover the overwhelming amount of information they had available — that they could cut down on the number of charts, maps and graphs on which they relied heavily and used extensively. If people had specific questions, the visuals could be brought out to support or clarify answers. We also helped them avoid "talking to the visuals" so their eyes could be directed to the audience. Eye contact gets and holds interest, even in large groups.

In addition, IDOT was shown how to survey the audience before they speak; pick out individuals in various segments of the auditorium or hall to focus on; then, as they speak, to look at those chosen and talk directly to them. Speakers convey the fact that they are being straight-forward, honest and non-confrontational. It helps them gain the cooperation of the people who have come to the meeting expecting bad news and looking for any evidence the agency is hiding something from them.

January 1990 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 17

We suggested that, although they are very knowledgeable, IDOT should leave the technical terms the public doesn't understand back at the office. Terms like "signalized intersection" became a "corner with a stoplight." "Channelize a stream" became "straighten a curving creek." At a meeting, IDOT used the term "receptor," to indicate a person which caused one audience member to jump up remind IDOT in no uncertain terms that he was "a person, not a 'receptor!'"

We placed heavy emphasis on handling audience questions, particularly emotion-laden ones regarding personal safety, noise, displacement and property values. IDOT staff practiced responses that would be both professional and humane. The hostility might not always be eliminated, but the response to that hostility can bridge the gap between big government and human beings.

The IDOT team learned to "buy thinking time" by restating questions the way IDOT wanted them heard and then answering the questions in a way that reinforced the concept or information they wanted the public to understand. They saw that a properly phrased answer can provide evidence of the benefit of the project.

Almost 100 IDOT personnel received presentation skills training, starting with each of the nine district engineers, who are the top executives of the agency, followed by their bureau chiefs. At the completion of the program, those who were trained then took the concepts to other IDOT spokespersons with additional skills learned in Communispond's "Train the Trainer" program. •

Page 18 / Illinois Municipal Review / January 1990