Workshop urges child‑services communicators to 'lead with the positive'

Ben Tanzer, a leadership trainer with the Montana Institute, led a workshop for Resilient Tennessee attendees on using the "science of the positive" to shape public communications about children and families.

Tanzer asked participants to frame public messages around what communities are doing well rather than relying on fear or deficit language. "If you want health, you must promote health," he said, urging attendees to highlight protective practices and the share of people not experiencing a problem as an entry point for constructive conversation.

His 'green arrow' framework asks communicators to identify the positive they hope to grow, pair that hope with honest concerns and use actionable data to respond to pushback. When confronting misperceptions, Tanzer recommended a four‑step HEAR approach: Hear (listen), Explain (present evidence), Ask (questions to understand), and Respond (offer next steps).

The session included table exercises and role plays in which attendees practiced reframing messages: one group revised a negative national park anti‑litter message into a positive community appeal; another rewrote public health language about youth substance use to focus on the majority of youth who are not using.

Tanzer and introducer Rob Burke emphasized that positive framing does not mean ignoring problems: "When we focus on hope, we don't run from the concern," Tanzer said. Participants said the exercises helped them practice short, repeatable messages that could be used in press releases, funder pitches and community conversations.

Organizers said slide decks and suggested scripts would be shared after the summit so attendees can use the communication tools in their local work.