Page Annual Glossary: 6 New Terms from Half Moon Bay

When people come together and share, bond, laugh and learn as much as members did at the 2024 Page Annual Conference, they leave with a sort of vernacular specific to their time. Inside jokes, insights or interesting concepts, we have put together a little glossary of the terms that we keep thinking about. Submit your favorite 2024 Page Annual terms for the glossary!

Prismatic Messaging

Microsoft’s Frank X. Shaw shared how perceptions are increasingly prismatic, with the message shifting through the lenses of both audience and channel. While this is not necessarily a new phenomenon, it intensifies as the media ecosystem fragments, and people create their own information echo chambers. He reiterates how important it is to understand both the audience you are communicating to, and the channel you are communicating through, lest your message shifts to an unflattering light within these echo chambers.

AQ

Ambiguity Quotient (AQ) - the ability to adapt to difficult or ambiguous situations. This skill is crucial in our current environment, where continuous learning and iterative change are needed. Microsoft's transformation under CEO Satya Nadella exemplifies this shift, evolving the organization from a "know-it-all" to a "learn-it-all" culture. By modeling a growth mindset and implementing targeted training programs, Microsoft has become more agile and innovative.

Climate Credibility

Sustainability efforts that were once seen as viable options, like carbon offsets, are now viewed with increasing skepticism, highlighting the need for robust, agile communications teams that can flag these sentiment changes. This will make sure that leadership maintains credibility as it sets ambitious yet achievable goals, especially seeing as many industries still require significant innovation and investments to meet their 2050 goals.

“New Reform Era”

Political Strategist Bruce Mehlman shed light on how declining institutional trust fuels populism. Addressing this issue requires more than improved storytelling; it demands meaningful, strategic changes to counter public disillusionment. He called for a new reform era, in which we identify meaningful ways to improve our institutions to regain the trust of our stakeholders.

Permacrisis

Throughout the conference, we revisited the concept of a “permacrisis”; a prolonged period of instability in the operating environment, that forces leaders to consistently adapt and react to issues. The reason this is the case is because of the interconnectivity of these persistent issues; for example, it is impossible to separate natural disasters from their economic implications, which then carry the risk of exacerbating geopolitical issues.  Communicators can help alleviate the permacrisis by building new proactive listening capabilities and having consistent, 2-way dialogues with your key stakeholders, to address their concerns about urgent issues.

V.I.B.E

As Co-Chair Linda Rutherford explained,“There is just a tremendous vibe from some of our longtime members, some of our new members who had the opportunity to be here… this is a Very Important, Badass Event (V.I.B.E). And you all have been here to be a part of it, so thank you.”