One of the best ways to find out what the public thinks,  the attitudes of employees, clients' requirements or what association members want is to conduct a survey.

For communities needing decision-oriented information, surveys also provide an excellent way of checking the pulse of the community and getting specific information from a cross-section of residents quickly.

But here's the rub:  how you plan to use the information once gathered should inform the decisions you make in designing, conducting, and analyzing the survey, as well as presenting its findings.

I have found that too little time is spent on this critical first step.  In other words, the remaining elements of conducting a survey build from this initial action. So, my recommendation to you is to to seriously spend time on this crucial element.

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No matter what sector you work in, long-standing success won't come without the support of an informed public.

I have more than three decades of experience dealing with the media - local, regional, national and international.  I have stood with the news media at accident sites and been behind the podium "live" in countless challenging situations around the globe.   I've participated in the 24 hour news cycle (which we thought was very short in the 1980s),  to the instant information age of today where we often have requirements to update the media nearly every 24 seconds.

The news media may have changed in form, i.e. a movement toward a more robust internet presence via web and social media outlets (facebook, twitter, smart phones, etc.) but the function and methods for gathering and reporting news have stood the test of time.

Here are some of the lessons I learned over the years that will assist you in your engagement with the media.  And, if  you think you don't need to worry about standing in front of a camera...just check  the news today!  See how many  CEO's, educational leaders, government organizations, non-profits, advocacy leaders are finding themselves on the front pages.

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http://www.findwoodlandpark.com/

Celebrating the official launch today, December 15, is one of the most comprehensive, user friendly community websites I  have ever come across.  You have to check this site out!  Easy to navigate.  Loads quickly.  You really want to  visit this community after searching the site.  The calendar is a "wow".  Well done to the group of volunteers who developed this attractive portal to a mountain community.