Description

1) Disaster Risk Tolerance and the Resilience Paradox
Ronda Nowak, CFM, CEM, Michael Baker International, ronda.nowak@mbakerintl.com
Co-presenters: None

Abstract: Flood risk communication often focuses on changing risk perception, with the goal of increasing disaster resilience. But are we solving the right problem? Resilience itself is a paradox, since people and communities are also resilient when they weather a storm without changing. Our goal as risk communicators is to empower adaptation or transformation—we understand the urgency of reducing risk in the face of changing future conditions. This presentation will present disaster risk tolerance as a more effective lens with which to view the decisions that people and communities are making about risk, and possibly a better tool with which to improve those decisions.

2) Right Brain Storytelling for Left Brain Thinkers
Skye King, MS, MPH, EQCC, Ogilvy, skye.king@ogilvy.com
Co-presenters: Kristen M Kirst, kristen.kirst@ogilvy.com

Abstract: I vividly remember my first biostatistics professor walking into the room and yelling, “Show me the data!” in his best Jerry Maguire impression. Over that next semester we learned about the power and promise of what data could tell us about reality and behavior—what was working and what wasn’t with our interventions. This was our language. But, it was sometimes difficult to translate my excitement behind a correlation coefficient or a p-value to my mom during our weekend check-in. A bit later, GIS was my jam—showing where rates of lead poisoning overlapped with older housing and lower SES and being able to identify where we could focus our environmental justice and advocacy efforts. While I understood the data, I struggled to connect that information to the impact stories we needed to share in grants and during discussions with policy makers and the community members we worked with. They needed stories. They needed to see what was happening to act and advocate differently. I think we all inherently know that storytelling can be a powerful tool to help inspire and empower audiences to act. But many of us, as sometimes technical thinkers, may still dream in complicated data and facts. How do we translate all the information that data reveals to us in a way that those outside our “dataphile bubble” can still understand? I know this session is near the end of the conference, but I’m hoping the enticement of becoming an even more effective storyteller will bring many of you through the door. This interactive session will share:

• Techniques to help you use real-life examples to create personal and relatable narratives that resonate with any type of audience
• A self-assessment to help you identify your core storytelling strengths (everyone has them!)
• Space to practice a few skills to help next-level your storytelling game