What to Say When Things Get Tough: Business Communication Strategies for Winning People Over When They're Angry, Worried and Suspicious of

Chapter 4

REAL RISK VS. PERCEIVED RISK, OR WHY WE DRIVE

The risks that kill people and the risks that upset people are completely different.

—PETER SANDMAN,RISK COMMUNICATION EXPERT

 

In October 2002, a sniper terrorized the Washington, D.C., area for three frightening weeks. The sniper (and, as it turned out, his teenage accomplice) shot 13 people. Ten died, and three others survived critical wounds.

I lived in Washington at the time, as I still do. The attacks changed the behavior of almost everyone who lived in the area. I personally witnessed a family sprint from the entrance of a mall to their car, serpentining the whole way in an attempt to offer a less-promising target. Four of the shootings took place at gas stations, so many people, ...