Anger as a strategy

There's nothing quite like sending a message that smacks of secession to get the attention of people in high places.

That's what happened when Danny Williams, the Premier of the tiny, downtrodden Canadian province of Newfoundland & Labrador took the bold step of ordering the removal of the Canadian flag from all provincial buildings just before Christmas.

His beef? It seems that Williams recalled Prime Minister Paul Martin promising that Newfoundland & Labrador could keep 100 percent of any revenue from off-shore drilling operations. Said promise had yet to turn into 100 percent of the dollars being pumped up from the sea floor and, according to Williams, the Prime Minister hadn't even had the courtesy to return his phone calls.

So, down came the Maple Leaf in late December, with Williams going on television to proclaim it would stay down until Newfoundland & Labrador got what they were promised.

Why take such a dramatic step? Desperation.

It seems that the economy in Williams' province used to rely on revenue from fishing. But, the federal government apparently started handing out fishing permits like Halloween candy a few years back and, as such, the area quickly became "fished out." The last processing plant in the province closed in the mid 1990s.

With this source of revenue gone, Williams was counting on oil bucks to fill in the gaps and help his government provide basic services. Martin and the folks in Ottawa, however, had higher priority items and - to hear them tell it - just hadn't gotten around to dealing with this issue.

Enough, said Williams, and down came the flags from outdoor poles, while those inside were stowed in closets (with television cameras rolling, of course).

Over the next two weeks, pundits from across the country weighed in on the matter. Not everyone supported the stunt; in fact, a columnist at The Globe and Mail in Toronto wrote a story with the headline "Pipe down, Danny boy." But Williams managed to stir the pot and put his problem front and center on the country's agenda.

After about two weeks, Martin replied, "Put the flag back up, and we'll talk." The flag is once again flying and those conversations are set to begin once the Prime Minister returns from a trip to Asia.

Whether he was being angry or strategic, he got at least part of what he wanted through his public cry for help. You might not be responsible for the fate of 517,000 people, but there's a lot to be learned from the "flag flap."

• Be bold. Williams had tried the traditionally reserved Canadian approach, and had gotten nowhere. By pulling the flag, he made it clear that he saw this as an issue of survival, and that time was of the essence.

• Be clear and consistent. Newfoundland & Labrador are barely a blip on the radar screen in Canada. To raise such a stink, Williams had to clearly and repeatedly state the issue - and position it around "fairness," a value which Canadians hold dear - to get the attention of his countrymen and women thousands of miles away.

• Be prepared. Anticipate, as best you can, the reaction from all sides. Be ready with a consistent, unemotional response to those that deserve it.

The message? When things go awry, channel your anger into a strategy that will make your need a news item among those audiences that matter.