(308) 324-2386

Dawson Public Power District General Manager Gwen Kautz.

Dawson Public Power District General Manager Gwen Kautz.


By Gwen Kautz
General Manager
308-324-2386
gkautz(at)dawsonpower.com
Have you ever read a newspaper/online headline and scratched your head while saying “huh?” Headlines are actually hooks. Grandiose headlines get you interested so you’ll go read the story. Online advertisers pay news sources to “hook” readers by paying the creator for each “online click” the headline got. It’s how a lot of fake news gets propagated. It’s so easy to publish online without incurring big expenses. Remember, this is a competition. Online advertisers have but a few seconds to grab you.
Some examples of “scratch your head” headlines:

  • “Homicide victims rarely talk to police”
  • “Federal agents raid gun shop, find weapons”
  • “City unsure why the sewer smells”
  • “Cash in on black market organ sales”

Writing catchy headlines is really an art. They use emotional adjectives that we identify with or they make an audacious promise. Headlines work because we are inherently lazy readers. Often, the whole article negates the headline if we bothered to read it all. There are even studies that determine the optimum number of words that a headline can contain.
Here at Dawson PPD, our headlines are not designed to hook you. We are straightforward and transparent. We might intentionally use a play on words which would be appropriate for the article. We do not try to mislead our readers in any way. If something you read from us doesn’t make sense, or isn’t clear, we hope you’ll call or email us. That includes our newsletters, our press releases or even other stories in the news.
The recent rate increase announcement resulted in a few customers emailing me directly. I was happy to answer their questions and concerns. At times like these, it might become necessary to “agree to disagree.” CEOs are subject to challenges from frustrated customers, and I believe those are wonderful opportunities for me to see your side of things and for you to see ours.
Are my columns read? Do they help or hinder our customers? What benefit do these columns provide? People have enough on their plates without me vying for their attention. My mom reads my columns, and saves them – because, well, she’s my mom (she’s also a customer). I guess what I’m trying to say here is this…my job is to run this organization and I do not do it alone. I have help from the board of directors, department managers, employees, from other public power districts and even our customers. We are in this together. That’s the value behind public power.
We want to hear from our customers – good and bad. Social media has been a good way to hear from you and not all comments we receive are good. We view it as an opportunity to tell our side. Either way, your voice matters. We don’t always get it right. Sometimes our customers rise to our defense, which we appreciate. However, if we are wrong, we will take responsibility.
A few years ago, I had a saying cut in vinyl letters for the wall in our board room. It says, “Every voice in the board room matters, especially if it differs from mine.” I believe we should approach all conversations just like that.
 
April 2020

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