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Oh, hi!
Here’s a leadership truth we do not talk about enough.
The most important engagement work often happens when no one is watching.
Michelle Obama said something (well a lot of things) on the Call Her Daddy podcast that stopped me cold:
We worked hard at the grassroots and understood that we’d have to meet people in their homes and in their communities. I never had a written speech. I would usually talk from my heart and talk about us.”
No spotlight.
No script.
No perfectly timed rollout.
And yet, that is where trust was built.
That philosophy is the foundation of my work and the heart of Oh, hi! Communications.
Meeting people where they are. It is the job.
And this is the exact muscle cities need right now.
Three things you should know:
1️⃣ Visibility is not the same as trust. Posting more does not mean people feel seen. Trust is built long before the big moment.
2️⃣ Scripts create distance. When every word feels approved or rehearsed, residents hear process, not people.
3️⃣ Grassroots work scales later. The quiet conversations you have early are what carry you through conflict, change, and crises.
This part really matters:
If you only show up once you are on the screen, after the plan is baked or the decision is made, or just at formal public meetings, engagement feels transactional. Showing up early, informally, and human is what turns residents into partners instead of critics.
What This Looked Like in Gilbert, Arizona:
When I worked in Gilbert, Arizona, as the Chief Digital Officer, the most effective engagement did not start with a presentation, a press release, or a formal meeting.
It started with showing up where residents were living their lives. Telling stories in ways people wanted to hear them.
On Nextdoor, on social media, through video, or at ice cream shops where they were taking their kids after school.
This approach became the foundation of what I now call CityCX: treating residents like customers, designing engagement around their lives, and building trust.
What you can do:
Show up where residents already are. Online. In schools. At local events. In the community. Do not wait for them to come to city hall. Don’t send fliers in the mail.
Drop the script once a week. Pick one engagement moment where your only goal is to listen. Not explain. Not defend. Not present.
Engage before you need it. If the first time people hear from you is during a controversy, an emergency, or when there is a problem, you are already behind.
Talk about “us,” not the process. Michelle’s line matters here. People do not connect to workflows. They connect to shared outcomes. And they connect to other people.
Cities do not lose trust because they are invisible. They lose it because they wait too long to be human.
Where does your city do its best listening today?
Hit reply and tell me:
What are some new ways you could build community by meeting people where they are?
From the heart,
—Dana
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🎤 Want me to speak at your next event?
From virtual keynotes to in-person workshops, I partner with city teams, associations, and organizations to talk about what’s next in digital engagement, citizen experience, and government storytelling.
