First let me say that eventhough we are both from Brooklyn, I have not met Joe Lockhart, but I have followed his career both on the pollical side and when he was at the top communications spot at the NFL. Like many who are so deep into the political world I may not always agree with someone’s point of view, but as communications professionals I have great admiration, and a great wont to learn, from those who have built businesses on being smart, trusted advisors in any field. I will also say that I have listened, learned and even spent time with people in senior communications roles on both sides of the political aisle, and no matter who they work for, the smartest ones find ways to share best practices and grow a profession, one tied to storytelling and message delivering, elements which are essential to any successful business, and perhaps now more than ever before.
In our class at Columbia this fall we have been lucky to have had a host of people join us to discuss the growing value of communication and even more importantly, how those trusted advisors to companies, media properties, Universities, teams, leagues, brands, individuals, you name it, can help not just deliver an agenda, but can help a great deal in creating accurate and informed opinions and guiding whomever it is through the toughest of times. Still there are parts of an industry where communications officials become house organs…driving, sometimes smugly…an agenda not based on accuracy or fact in the hopes of pushing an agenda, or a story, that may be short term successful but can be very detrimental to a brand. We have seen it in sports with any number of scandals or crisis, as well as in business, and it doesn’t make sense to really single out one or two. They are not hard to find because usually they are outed for what they are by media, or by the public, who are inquisitive and curious enough to question and find facts.
The position of the trusted advisor is not an easy one but for those entities looking to drive business, it is more invaluable today than ever before, and those who serve in those positions…the ones who can build consensus, raise and answer tough questions, find the right time to enter a conversation or not, and provide counsel while keeping ones head about them…are people to learn from and admire.
I raise this all because of a piece I read on Sunday authored by Lockhart on the tenuous role of White House Press Secretary…where it was, where it is today…and where is can be. Now I am not here to balance the political points about the four most recent people who have served in the position that are raised in the piece. When you are not “In The Room Where It Happens” it is very difficult to actually pass judgement on the how and the why and the what that occurs. Lockhart has been in that role so he can say, but that’s not my call. I have been in some similar positions and know that what you want to say may differ from the POV of the person at the top, but there are always ways to make things work, and keep credibility without challenging loyalty. It is a fine balance.
What I found interesting and worthwhile regardless of political affiliation were the reminders of what the role of trusted advisor should be in any organization. Two key points below.
The ability to be a trusted messenger for the President needs to be earned. And it’s earned by telling the truth even when it’s difficult and damaging to your team’s interests.
This point is perhaps the most difficult for people to grasp sometimes. That the spokesperson is not just there to deliver the party line. He or she has spent much more time behind the scenes helping form policy and POV than just walking to a podium and reading a piece of paper. He or she is an opinion former, someone who asks tough questions and makes sure all are prepared. That is how in the best organizations strategy for communications is delivered and built. Consensus is achieved, and facts and a POV are presented. It is not always easy, but it is a role which is invaluable.
Then there is the role of dissemination and making sure that the trusted advisor and spokesperson is clear, and accurate with information. In short…don’t lie.
But there is a long tradition of telling the truth from the White House podium. For some 90 years press secretaries have done their best to promote the agenda of their president but have also clung steadfastly to telling the truth. Why? To retain their credibility and keep the country informed. Those who strayed from that practice, Richard Nixon’s press secretary Ron Ziegler, for example, were punished not only by the reporters who covered him and openly doubted his word, but also by history.
In short, credibility shapes careers in communications. That credibility, and the ability to balance a message, is a skill earned…much like that trusted advisor role.
Now maybe some will say that the spokesperson role has changed and this POV is outdated. Sadly we do see some in senior communications roles whose job is more protector and person whose answer is “no” than someone who works and develops relationships, listens and helps build consensus, proactively shapes a point of view, and most importantly has a seat at the decision making table from day one.
However in difficult times, and we are certainly in some dark days for millions of people and thousands of businesses, that trusted advisor, that person who understands history and can help determine if the tree is on fire or is it the entire forest, is really important to have, and in many evolving businesses, it is central to success and to the growing culture of an organization. The trusted advisor role can shape the path forward like few other roles.
Is it difficult to be in that spot, one where your POV is valued but may not always be used? Of course, it is. That is why the senior role is such a valuable spot…it is one that shapes the face of the organization to the outside world whether the sun is shining, or it is pouring down rain.
No matter where you are in your personal or professional life, trust of those around you is something that is earned and valued. It is not given to you because of a title you have, and its value can be everlasting depending on how you use, not abuse it, political opinions aside.
