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The biggest lesson may be that any of us at any time could find ourselves making a terrible decision or using really bad judgment and then find ourselves in really hot water. Fortunately for most of us, when this happens it doesn’t play out on such a public stage. But regardless of what arena you are in, the rules for communicating in a crisis are pretty much the same. Finally, while we are all complex human beings, no one can succeed if there is such a dramatic disconnect between the person we are at the core and the person we purport to be in public or professional life. Of course, we all have secrets—embarrassing things we have done or said, and would be hurt if anyone else found out. Ironically, maybe the only chance Jim McGreevey had to succeed in public life was to proactively tell his own story, but tell it a lot sooner instead of when his back was against the wall and he was allegedly being blackmailed by Golan Cipel and his attorney. McGreevey spent his entire public career trying to tell people what he thought they wanted to hear.Interestingly,what he needed to tell us most was the truth, as painful as that may have been. He opted for a different communication strategy and paid the ultimate price. Chapter 84 MARTHA WHIPS UP REAL THIN IMAGE SPIN At the time that Martha Stewart was convicted and sent to jail in 2004, beyond all the legal and criminal issues facing the domestic diva, she had a huge challenge ahead of her in the effort to restore her reputation and gain the public’s trust. She embarked on an aggressive media and communication strategy in which she portrayed herself as a victim who had done nothing wrong. Said Stewart,“After more than a year, the government has decided to bring charges against me for matters that are personal and entirely unrelated to the business of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. I want you to know that I am innocent—and that I will fight to clear my name.” 180 MAKE THE CONNECTION I’ve got to believe this proactive communication strategy has the approval of her lawyers as well as her high-powered public relations experts . Yet, while going on the offensive does make some sense, there are several flaws in this strategy. The biggest problem is that Martha Stewart ’s message is not especially believable or credible. Remember when Martha Stewart went on the CBS Morning Show right after the scandal broke? She insisted on chopping lettuce for some sort of Fourth of July salad, stating,“I think this will all be resolved in the near future and I will be exonerated from this ridiculousness. . . . We are going to make salad.” The image of Stewart chopping lettuce while insisting that she was innocent created a really weird picture. The messages sent were confusing at best. Her nonverbal communication was saying, “I’m really uncomfortable with all this, but I’m trying to keep up a strong front.” Months later, Stewart apparently still didn’t get it. When Stewart was lead away from a federal courthouse, she was surrounded by a team of lawyers and bodyguards immediately after her indictment. This communicates not only that you are embarrassed, but you might have something to hide. What Stewart should have done was hold a press briefing where she made a clear and confident statement looking right into the cameras directly to her audience watching at home. However, when it comes to communicating any message, the first and most important criteria is this: Is the message credible or believable? If the answer is no, virtually nothing else matters. It doesn’t matter how much money you spend to get the message out or how many times you repeat the message. If you and the message are not seen as truthful, you might as well forget it. That’s Martha Stewart’s biggest problem. Most people don’t believe her story that she just happened to sell her ImClone stock the day before a very negative FDA report about one of ImClone’s drugs became public. Assuming you are willing to acknowledge that you made some mistake or did something wrong, here are a few ways to communicate that message: • Communicate quickly before others expose your wrongdoings . Every day you wait to admit you were wrong reduces the chance of any public understanding or empathy. Communicating withStrength in Tough...

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