We Need a Speech…

You would think that CEOs would get it by now. That we live in an MTV-CNN’d world, where people get their news in short sound bites or from Larry King. Where rumour is taken for truth, and perception for reality. Think Nixon. Think Clinton. The two Garys - Hart and Condit. This article appeared in the March 2002 issue of the “Speechwriter’s Newsletter. [www.ragan.com] But the lesson from today’s scandals apply equally well.

It’s about truth telling.

What got them all in trouble? Their actions certainly. But it got so much worse when they considered the truth and chose obfuscation, spin doctoring or outright lying as an alternative. The irony is that if they had taken a proactive role and responsibility for their part in the scandals, the public would have been much more forgiving. Instead, they had lawyers and spin doctors tell their stories.

The result was that they had to tell those stories over and over again, and by the time the truth came out, and it usually did, the truth did them in. Because it was forced upon them. With the cover-up becoming the story.

Those who choose the truth as the shortest path to redemption usually discover it to be their path to salvation. They find they only have to tell the story once.

The Enron/Andersen debacle changes by the minute. A senior ex-executive of Enron commits suicide. The fired Andersen employee has taken the Fifth, and Andersen’s lawyers appear to be doing all the talking. Why isn’t their CEO getting out in front of the story-telling the truth-and telling his shareholders the truth. (See the Andersen chief’s comments before Congress, page 4-Ed.) Fear of massive lawsuits is the likely story. Now they are left with an angry congressional investigation, fearful politicians and stories going on endlessly every night on CNN. Stories that feed rumor, gossip, conjecture, perception-everything but the truth. And so it goes.

A few weeks ago, in Canada, the premier of Alberta got into trouble for drinking too much, somewhat inebriated he showed up at a homeless shelter in the early hours of the morning and reportedly got into an argument with them, throwing money and profanities along the way. The press jumped all over the story, and it looked like he was in big trouble. So what does he do? Almost immediately he goes on television, apologizes for his action, and confesses to a long-term problem with alcohol. He then said he was getting help for his problem, but he couldn’t promise that alcohol wouldn’t get him in trouble again. In one stroke he pre-empts the media from future shock stories about his drinking problem, and his admission improved his political ratings.

It’s all speech writing/PR 101. The old clichés apply. Tell the truth. Take responsibility for your (and your employees’) actions. Acknowledge the legitimate and even the illegitimate anger of your audience. Say, “I’m sorry. We will fix it.” Say “We were wrong.” “It’s our fault.” “We screwed up.” “We need to do better.”

Naive? Can’t do that you say? The truth is not an option? A now deceased ex-president was forced to resign. Another was impeached. A senator was forced from a presidential pursuit. And a congressman’s future is in doubt. Ask them if they had to do it all over again, whether the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth might not have been a better option.

Is it too late for Andersen to save itself? Someone better start talking, and fast.

February 5th, 2008
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