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April 3, 2010
Mike Paul Gives Tiger Reputation Advice For Augusta
PHOTO: Tiger Woods' PR Mess
DEAR TIGER:
As you know, I have helped many clients in situations like yours over my 20 years of experience counseling clients in crisis. Here's some advice from a seasoned veteran in crisis and reputation management:
FOLLOW MY 6 REPUTATION BRICKS FOR AN EXCELLENT REPUTATION
As you prepare to talk to the press for the first time in many months without restrictions, you need to use my 6 bricks for building an excellent reputation now more than ever! These reputation bricks include truth, honesty, humility, transparency, accountability and consistency. Sadly, you are failing in all 6 areas right now.
CUT THE ROOT OR THE WEED WILL CONTINUE TO GROW!
Tiger, it is very important to remember the root of your crisis does NOT focus on your ability to play golf. The root of your crisis is ALL about your hurtful and adulterous affairs with more than a dozen different women while married to your wife, Elin and while father to your two beautiful, young children. The more you try to run from it or avoid it, the more the crisis will continue to grow like an wild weed! Remember that rumor and innuendo can always be replaced by your proactive communication. And like a child, we always value the truth coming from your lips first rather than someone else.
ONLY CRISIS AND REP MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS ARE EXPERTS IN REHABBING YOUR REP!
Those inexperienced commentators in the media who say winning the Masters or another tournament will instantly solve your crisis don't understand crisis PR and reputation management, especially when the crisis is external to playing your sport and growing like a weed! Sports and golf analysts are not the experts here. Sponsorship and marketing professionals are also not the experts here. And Tiger please understand that your agent and attorneys are certainly NOT the experts in how to best repair your reputation for both the short and long term!! In my opinion, they have failed miserably in the public relations specialties of crisis management, reputation management and media relations. In fact, this is a time for you to re-evaluate ALL the people who work with you! If they are thinking money first and not truly concerned about you and your family's well-being with a new honest, moral and holistic approach to change the way you did business in the past, they need to go! Why? Because if this is not the goal, then they are just enablers and an addict in treatment learns early how dangerous enablers are in your life. Right?
PHOTO: Tiger, Elin and Family in Happier Times
WHAT DOES ELIN WANT YOU TO DO?
Tiger, Elin wants you to walk the talk. Stop taking credit for going through 50 days of therapy. You learned your cheating and hurtful behavior over a lifetime! No one is impressed by you saying you have been in therapy for several weeks, especially after the damage you have done to so many people with your behavior. Be much more humble in the way you talk, and with your actions. You must also be more transparent and accountable than you've ever been before in your life. These changes will be a huge help in your relationship with your wife. She, of course, is extremely hurt by your adulterous actions and by the recent words of the women you had sex with. It only put salt in her unhealed wounds. Putting your focus first on golf and not on your family sends a strong message to her and the world that golf will ALWAYS come first! Is that the message you want her to hear? Consistently doing the little things to show her and your children love right now will be very, very important to save your marriage. Take the time to push out of your comfort zone and do those things every, single day!!
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO DURING YOUR PRESS CONFERENCE?
Be willing to answer many more of the tough questions with humility. Tiger, tell us exactly what you are going to therapy for! How will that hurt you? It will only help you! Be vulnerable. In your vulnerability you regain our trust. And we need to trust you to forgive you! Tell us your wife deserves to be angry and tentative with your relationship today because of your actions. Be honest and tell us your staff, agent and friends were enablers in your adulterous behavior and you have new rules of accountability in your life now to make sure they are not enabling you in the future. And also discuss the women you had affairs with directly and honestly. Ask them to please stop hurting your wife and family by seeking their fifteen minutes of fame by releasing details of what happened with each one of them. Take full responsibility for your actions and apologize to them too for the damage you brought into their lives for having inappropriate sex with them while you were married. Ask them to end the damage today by refusing to share any more information in the press, if they care at all about his family and especially his children. Seek to turn the tide of public opinion against them for their actions. After clearing the air on all, make clear you will now only discuss golf during the rest of the tournament out of respect for the PGA, Augusta, your follow golfers, sponsors and golf fans.
WHAT SHOULD YOUR BEHAVIOR BE LIKE ON THE GOLF COURSE AT AUGUSTA?
Again, be more humble with the crowd and your fellow golfers now more than ever before. Realize you must earn back their trust because you made big mistakes and brought doubt upon yourself and many others. When you play well, don't be afraid to celebrate. When you play poorly, control your emotions. Do NOT throw your club or yell or lose your cool. Your father taught you better! Go back to the basics. You have wandered off the path to truth for too many years. The slippery slope is deep and you need to be reminded of your old habits when you first came into the PGA. Relive those old habits your father and others taught you. Again, humble yourself. Be vulnerable, for in your vulnerability you will gain the reward you are after: to again be respected as not only the best golfer, but the best man - period.
I still have faith in you Tiger and so do many others. You can do the right thing! Take one step at a time and surround yourself with the right people. If you put the same effort into your marriage and family that you put into golf, you can save your marriage. Are you willing to do so? You and I know your Dad did not do so. You will need to blaze a new path of trust and love for your family. I have faith in you! God Bless.
PHOTO: Can Tiger Handle the Pressure at Augusta?
Remember, do the right thing when your reputation is in crisis and seek the counsel of an experienced crisis PR and reputation management expert. It will be a major challenge, but ultimately the rewards of repairing your reputation will be great. Why? Because Your Reputation Is Everything!™
About Mike Paul
Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by a global client years ago. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Channel, TruTV (formerly Court TV), ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mike is also interviewed often by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Washington Post, NY Daily News, NY Post, Business Week, Sports Illustrated, Newsweek and others. 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, keynote speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, please call 212-595-8500 or email mpaul@mgppr.com.
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