“There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.”
~ Bit of wisdom on stairway outside a high-intensity gym
Life ain’t easy. Neither is a job. That’s why they call it work.
It’s true of every aspect of personal life and every profession. Hurdles exist all around us. What’s the best way to overcome them?
The best of us make it look easy — even though it really isn’t. The athlete who is at the peak of his game. The trial lawyer who always knows the right thing to say because he’s so good at reading the judge and jury. The businessman who knows just how hard to push in negotiations because he can tell when the other side will blink.
The most important trick is composure.
When you have it, you exude confidence and competence. That gives you the upper hand.
The opposite is also true. If you lose composure, you put yourself and your credibility at risk. Never let them see you sweat because that betrays nervousness and loss of control. If this happens, the result will be undesirable.
There’s an old caveat: Never buy a used car (or anything else) from a man who’s out of breath. Beware of anyone who seems too anxious.
Composure is especially critical in Crisis & Reputation Management. The calmest voice in the room carries the greatest weight. It is cool, analytical, devoid of emotion.
Some other rules you need to remember in untangling sensitive situations:
Complexity Doesn’t Work.
People lack patience and have short attention spans. Keep it simple. Keep your narrative moving quickly and seamlessly. Your message will be better understood and more persuasive.
A good rule of thumb: If you’re lucky, you have 30 seconds to make your case. More accurately, you have 5 seconds to capture a listener’s attention — and the next 25 to persuade. Go longer and you risk falling on deaf ears.
Be Fast. Not Hasty.
In a crisis, you must react quickly. Hesitation or equivocation makes you seem uncertain and untrustworthy. But haste can make things worse.
These seemingly contradictory concepts offer a two-pronged caution: The sooner and more decisively you confront a problem, the sooner you’ll regain control of it. (That’s good.) But be certain of your footing. A misstep can cause severe damage — and recovering from it will be difficult. (That’s bad.)
Lost in Translation
You know what you said and what you meant. How can anyone misinterpret it? Easy. Happens all the time.
Are words clumsily chosen? Do they conjure different imagery than you intend? Does your body language send conflicting messages? Is your tone too formal when a situation requires sensitivity or empathy?
So many shoals. You must avoid them all. And you must make it look effortless (not orchestrated). Seems more sincere.
The Last Word
The media always gets the last word because they buy their ink by the gigabyte.
Today, “media” is amorphous. It can be as big as a sprawling news organization, or as small as one person with an internet account and too much time on his hands.
In the end, what matters is whether you’re heard — and whether what you say is compelling.
Pollyanna Was Wrong
No matter how bad things are now, they could be worse. Beware of wishful thinking.
Don’t sugarcoat your options. If you do and you’re wrong, you will fall hard. Better to assume the worst than to be relieved if it doesn’t happen. Life usually works out happier that way.
A Final Thought
Forrest Gump was right: “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” It’s up to you to make the best of it. Or, as Kermit the Frog put it, “Life’s like a movie. Write your own ending.”
You can reach Roger Gillott and Eden Gillott directly at 310-396-8696.
Also, check out A Board Member’s Guide to Crisis PR and A Lawyer’s Guide to Crisis PR (Second Edition) on Amazon.
Gillott Communications is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm that specializes in high-stakes Crisis & Reputation Management with more than 50 years of expertise in strategic communications, corporate public relations, and working with the media.
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