First things first. While I have spent enough time on the inside of some very difficult public decisions, I know there are always two sides to every story, and the facts sometimes get a bit distorted as the court of public opinion plays out. I have no firsthand knowledge and don’t know the people well who have come into play this week with the Houston Astros.
That being said, as we just updated our book (which will be out in February), there was a key piece of advice that rings true, and there is also a bit of a misstep as a third option that was pointed out, as the week ended this week with regard to statements made by the Astros in how they could have reacted in the situation that started following their American League Championship Series win over the New York Yankees last weekend.
You draw your own opinions as to how and where things were handled, (read a good roundup here by Scott Miller in Bleacher Report), and use it as a teachable moment going forward.
First:
“When a story comes out that is negative, you have two choices,” (GM Jeff) Luhnow said. “You either respond immediately if you think it’s potentially not true, or you wait and figure out what the facts are and then respond. And we made the wrong decision.”
Actually there is option three, used all the time by smart communicators who realize they need to gather before they speak. Use a holding statement to gather the information, talk to the right people, LISTEN to public opinion, and then speak as one. There is often a rush to react, but a calming moment can save lots and lots of headaches. And if it’s POTENTIALLY not true, why aren’t you pausing. Case in point is Adam Silver during the Donald Sterling Clippers debacle. Silver and his team paused, gathered the facts, kept people abreast of a timeline and then spoke definitively. It was handled well and smartly. There was a way to give people the ability to see you were studying and reacting and then go from there.
Second, right from the book…
Don’t Lie
We constantly see how a crisis gets elevated because those involved have the opinion that the facts may be hidden, or that they will be able to provide an alternative ending to a story that may be ambiguous. Then they are shocked to see video from a cell phone, an audio recording, or other information shared that confirms an actual incident. They are caught in a lie. We are in a world today where everything is on the record; where surveillance videos capture footage unknowingly, and where conversations somehow end up in public record. We are also in an environment where contriteness, authenticity and honesty can still win out in the long run if the facts are presented and the news cycle is managed. It’s a simple rule: don’t lie. Now we are not advocating spilling all information or speaking when not spoken to. Cathartic soul cleansing is not necessary. Sticking to the facts and careful wording is. The facts will come out; distorting them creates problems.
Now I’m not saying that the Astros lied in their initial statement. However their attack of the writer and the outlet and the words used were certainly misleading and were pretty close to accusations made by “the media.”
That being said, it is pretty close to being a lie. We constantly see people put in positions of authority, at the highest level, not try to spin something, but try to change facts and hope that the situation goes away. It just doesn’t work. We are a forgiving society, we have seen countless people admit fault and recover, people do get that. What makes it worse is lying and denying out of the box. It kills credibility and authenticity.
The last thought on this whole issue is a cautionary one for all of us. Empathy. I am sure most of the Astros organization, from the top down, have great regrets about the way things have played out. I’m also pretty sure that journalist Stephanie Apstein wanted no part of being involved in this whole scenario and she too will be forever associated with what went on. Remember we are dealing with people who make mistakes every day and that collateral damage is devastating. I gave seen it, been a part of it, and certainly know I’m nowhere near perfect at any minute.
Hopefully there are teachable moments for all involved here, and another best practice rises from the ashes.
