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December 26, 2005
Sweat The Small Stuff!
We often hear we shouldn't sweat the small stuff. But if we truly value our reputations, we should always sweat the small stuff. Why?
Because if we can’t be trusted with the small stuff, why would we think people should trust us with the big stuff? The small stuff includes the dozens of daily decisions we make, some of them habitual and some of them more random. A few examples include how we treat fellow human beings when we’re late for work, whether we take a hard day at work out on our spouses or families and whether we choose the T.V. over a conversation with a loved one to end our day.
The world famous NYPD uses the same philosophy today to reduce crime in New York City, which used to be crime ridden and is now one of the safest large cities in the world. The philosophy dictates that if a criminal can’t be trusted with the small stuff, like jumping a turnstile in a subway instead of paying for a $2 ride, the criminal probably couldn’t be trusted with the big stuff like breaking, entering and stealing from an apartment or robbing from a bank.
In media interviews, I am often asked, “Where does the slippery slope begin for a reputation in crisis?” My answer always includes the following response, “The slippery slope starts in the small stuff and builds until you are no longer walking on the path to truth because you are now drowning in a pool of deceit and immoral decision making.”
A recent article in the Christian Science Monitor discussed integrity as the most looked up word in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary in 2005. The definition of INTEGRITY: in·teg·ri·ty
Pronunciation: in-'te-gr&-tE
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English integrite, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French integrité, from Latin integritat-, integritas, from integr-, integer entire
1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : INCORRUPTIBILITY
2 : an unimpaired condition : SOUNDNESS
3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : COMPLETENESS
synonym see HONESTY
I think it is sad that in 2005 we still need to look up the word integrity instead of living it consistently and proudly. However, I also think it is a good thing that even though many of us are weak and fail in the area of integrity in our lives we are still interested in learning more about it. So let’s remember a few tips to help us along the way:
• Sweat the small stuff.
• If we make poor decisions with the small stuff, we are probably making poor decisions with the big stuff.
• When at the fork in the road, chose the path of truth and integrity every time.
• Don’t only understand what integrity means by looking it up in the dictionary, live lives of integrity and morality consistently and proudly each day.
About Mike Paul
Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located online at www.TheReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV, ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding leaders, celebrities, corporations and other organizations with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches or business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500.
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December 20, 2005
The Reputation Doctor's Top 10 Reputations in Crisis for 2005
Mike Paul Launches www.TheReputationDoctor.com
Under Nickname Given by Clients
NEW YORK - The following is the Reputation Doctor's 2005 Top 10 List of Reputations in Crisis compiled and under the opinion of global reputation management expert Mike Paul, also known as the Reputation Doctor:
- The U.S.A. - the U.S.A.'s overall reputation took a big hit this year (with the war in Iraq and other important issues) not only nationally, but globally. President Bush and his entire team are working hard to try to change this perception. I also believe the citizens of the U.S.A. can play an active role, especially as we travel the world and meet new people.
- Michael Jackson - I predicted Michael Jackson would suffer more in the court of public opinion then the court of law. This is proof that both courts are equally important. Even though Jackson was found not guilty, he has literally moved out of the country (to Bahrain in the Middle East) to avoid the public with a reputation still in crisis. Message to Michael: running from a crisis won't repair it.
- F.E.M.A. - the federal agency's response to Hurricane Katrina put it into a national crisis. Although the agency works now to improve its reputation, it continues to be in crisis today.
- Bernie Ebbers - the former WorldCom CEO currently has his name attached to the largest corporate fraud (some say the total is over $11 billion) in U.S. history as he sits in a prison cell with a 25-year conviction on all counts. He sobbed like a baby when he was sentenced.
- Major League Baseball - the steroid hearings in Washington, D.C. made pro baseball a laughing stock with Americans. Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and other players seemed by many to be lying and avoiding the truth. As a result, the entire baseball league took a major reputational hit. The baseball union and the Commissioner's office didn't help by not acting quickly with severe penalties for all taking steroids.
- Hank Greenberg - the former CEO of insurance giant AIG knew his reputation was in crisis, but still thought he was powerful enough to avoid being let go. Sadly, he and his ego learned the hard way that people always choose their reputation over another - each and every time, including board members.
- Carly Fiorina - the former HP CEO was a woman on a mission, but others didn't follow her lead. She found out the hard way that when your message isn't resonating, you better change your message and overall strategy or get thrown out with the shredded paper. Sadly, that is exactly what happened to Carly and she didn't seem to see it coming.
- Tom Cruise - the famous actor turned a couch jumping act on Oprah into a reputation in crisis by beating the drum about his love for actress Katie Holmes. To make things even worse, his strong beliefs in Scientology have burned even more bridges with former fans. He fired his sister as his PR consultant and hired an expert. Smart move, but too bad his new PR consultant is not an expert in crisis PR. Tom Cruise will need crisis PR to turn his reputation around.
- Martha Stewart - although Martha came out of prison with big promises, her reputation landed in crisis again with a cancelled Apprentice T.V. show, advertising revenue taking another dive and, most importantly, a lack of humility, which is needed to best rehabilitate her reputation. Isn't prison supposed to properly rehabilitate convicted felons?
- Kobe Bryant - the Los Angeles Lakers star is also proof that a not guilty conviction is no promise of a stellar reputation, even 2 years later. Even though Bryant is playing pro basketball better than ever, research released in 2005 demonstrated about 48% of those asked said they still viewed Kobe Bryant negatively. That is not a good thing for current and potential sponsors, as Kobe's sponsorships dried up in 2005, except his long-term deal with Nike.
About Mike Paul
Mike Paul is president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. Mr. Paul is also a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding leaders, celebrities, corporations and other organizations with reputations in crisis. He appears regularly on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV, ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others. His new blog at www.TheReputationDoctor.com is called The Reputation Doctor, a nickname given to him by various clients. For interview requests, speeches or business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500.
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