Getting Your Message Across in an Age of Uncertainty

Happy Canada Day!

Hello from wonderful Nova Scotia!

Is there anything more Canadian than enjoying a delicious lobster boil, singing songs of Newfoundland & Labrador, and Cape Breton with a wonderful group of Maritimers and a few ‘wanna-bes’ like me? It really was a ceilidh and it couldn’t have been more fun!

Yes, politics and the state of the world occasionally popped up. How could it not with writers/authors such as the amazing Stephen Maher, a city councillor from a nearby Nova Scotia town, our host, long-time friend and author, Sarah Filbee and others from a shipbuilder to an architect to well…that’s the Maritimes for ya! Yours truly was, of course, from the farthest east island of all - Ireland!

However, we didn’t let subjects dominate or ruin our Canada Day! I, of course, needed to wear something red so my “Canada-not for sale” hat came out and on my head. It kind of followed the ’elbows up’ theme of the evening with songs like “Song for the Mira” and ‘Sonny’s Dream’ being sung and played with the emotion that underpins those Atlantic Canadian songs of love, longing and appreciation.

So what are people feeling about Canada, political leaders and our American ‘partners’, ‘friends’, and their leader south of the 49th parallel? (Although something like 1/3 of American actually lies north of it) but I digress.

First of all, the latest news was that after Donald Trump announced he was walking away from the negotiating table on the tariffs and trade talks, unless Canada scraps the Digital Services Tax (DST) on the streaming giants like Netflix®, Amazon Prime® and others. That was scheduled to deliver $3 billion and more in revenue to help the Canadian media productions. However, Prime Minister Mark Carney decided “that was not a hill to die on” which was already out of my mouth the moment Trump threatened to derail the entire trade talks, throwing virtually all of Canada’s export sectors and products into chaos or bankruptcy. The consensus was that Carney was right. This legislation was not by far a universally supported tax by Canadians and it wasn’t one that the Carney administration had brought before Parliament; it was of course the Trudeau government. So that was. a quick and easy threat and distraction to remove. A number expressed concern as it is a key plank in Canada’s cultural sector to enable the producers and artists to develop content and productions sharing Canada’s stories to each other and the world.

Secondly, the lack of trust in anything Mr. Trump says or even puts his name to (such as his much ballyhooed ‘CUSMA’ Free Trade Deal that he signed in his first term) was put out to the garbage dump within hours of becoming President in his second term. So even if we give him what he wants in this threat, could he be trusted not to pick another commodity or issue and repeat his “I’ll take all my marbles and go home” threat on another product or service? No guarantees for sure that it wouldn’t happen, but I expressed the view that what he signs or agrees to on July 21st, is a critical building block to get hold of the tariff explosions and put in place a solid foundation to build on for the future. Without it, the economies of both Canada and the United States will be mortally wounded. So Mr. Carney was right. This was not a hill to die on.

Thirdly, the breaking news of the U.S. Senate passing the ‘big beautiful bill’ of $3 trillion debt, massive cuts to Medicare, environmental, health and other issues adds significantly to the uncertainty about the entire three branches of the United States government being able to withstand the undermining of individual and civil rights that had been a beacon to the world of its leadership in democratic principles and guarantees. The House may water down one or two provisions with the new bill that is back before them, but it seems highly unlikely that much will be changed.

Welcome to the world of Uncertainty! Laura Peck and I had just conducted on Saturday a one-day seminar, entitled, ‘Getting Your Message Across in an Age of Uncertainty’ with over 100 participants - both in person and virtually. All of them were concerned about a world filled with fear, anxiety, disinformation, misinformation and chaos of all kinds and how do we go about strategically responding to it and framing a message to ‘debunk’ all of the falsehoods that surround these hugely significant disruptions, destabilizations and loss of faith in organizations and leaders? Laura and I were thrilled with the enthusiastic response from the participants and the support of the Shannon School of Business at Cape Breton University.

We are also now into the pre-launch phase of our first brand-new pocket tips book of the next-generation Communicate with Power® series of books, prior to its release at the end of September, as follows:

Communicate with Power® presents…Getting Your Message Across in an Age of Uncertainty, by Barry J. McLoughlin, Leadership Communications Consultant

A practical guide to framing, defending, and delivering messages that withstand the age of distortion, doubt, denial and disinformation.

We live in a time of accelerating complexity—where information is everywhere, but trust is fragile. The world is noisy, distracted, filled with anxiety and fear. For leaders, managers, supervisors, communicators, and professionals alike, the challenge has never been greater:

How do you get your message across when no one is quite sure who or what to believe?

After four decades of coaching CEOs, public servants, elected leaders, and senior executives, I’ve seen one truth rise above all:

In uncertain times, clarity, credibility, and connection are not optional—they're essential.

This pocket tips book is the first in the brand-new Communicate with Power® series and it offers practical tools to help you cut through the clutter and reach people where it matters most.

🪜 Bonus Tool: The Communicate with Power Persuasion Ladder®

The Persuasion Ladder® is a practical tool to move others from doubt to action.

📘 COMING THIS FALL

Pre-Launch is now underway for release by September 30th, 2025!

Regular price: $28 CDN + HST (13%) + S+H. $22 USD + $10 S+H

Special pre-launch price: 20%: discount

$22.13 CDN 20% + $2.87 HST (13%) = $25.00. S+H $5 Total: $30 CDN.

$18 USD + $10.00 S+H Total: $28.00 USD.

Email mclomedia@msn.com for payment instructions.

Getting Your Message Across in an Age of Uncertainty

Pocket Tips Book #1 in the Communicate with Power® Series

🗓️ Mark Your Calendar! Special bonus for pre-launch buyers!

FREE Webinar, ‘Getting Your Message Across in an Age of Uncertainty’ For those who have purchased the book, you are invited to participate in a complimentary Zoom® webinar. Your choice of: Thursday, August 14^th, 2025 12:00 – 1:00 pm EST; Wednesday, Sept. 17^th, 2025 12:00 – 1:00 pm EST

See you next time!