If you talk to enough PR people, eventually one of them will complain about how difficult lawyers can be to deal if you have a mutual client involved in a PR crisis. Lawyers tend to advise their clients to “say nothing.” To a PR counselor, of course, saying nothing is anathema. When a client is in controversy, silence tends to suggest guilt or, at best, uncaring. A PR counselor will tell you that no matter how difficult the situation, a client can and should, at a minimum, express regret for the circumstances, commitment to solving the problem, and empathy for the victims (if any). One can do this without compromising any future legal defense. I’ve had this conversation with lawyers many times over the years.
That said, sometimes zipping the lip can be the best strategy. General Stanley McChrystal must be thinking that today, as he is called to the princi—I mean, President’s—office to explain why the General and his staff trashed Obama’s senior people in a Rolling Stone interview. Note to General McChrystal: you might think a senior administration official is “a clown,” but that doesn’t mean you should say it. Media coverage of this dust up suggests that some of these remarks were made during unguarded moments with the reporter in bars and restaurants.
Two points to take away. One—when the media is around, you should never be unguarded. It’s one of the oldest media tricks in the book, once the cameras are off and the pad’s been put away, for the reporter to ask the subject: “so what do you really think about…” Just because a reporter is not taking notes does not mean that he or she’s not listening carefully and gathering information. That’s their job.
Two—when entering a media encounter, one should always have one’s key messages learned by heart and practiced in delivery. These are the messages you want the media, and by extension the public, to hear and understand. Sometimes other questions or topics will arise, and when they do, it’s best to ask yourself—how can my response to this question advance my key messages? Any response that doesn’t advance your agenda is best not shared with the reporter. There are techniques for answering off-topic questions in a way that will help you rather than hurt you. Maybe Gen. McChrystal was out that day.
Or perhaps Gen. McChrystal wanted to send the message that he thinks Obama’s team is full of idiots. If so, Mission Accomplished. Assuming he understands it's not such a great career move to trash your boss in public, however, it seems more likely that McChrystal forgot that sometimes, as any lawyer will tell you, no response can be the best response of all.
