Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

How To Handle Past Problems

Posted by jgreene41 on 3/18/2013 at 2:35 AM ET 125 Points
I have the opportunity to lead a program that will result in me having a national profile within my profession. I have no doubts about my ability to do the job well. But in the past, I did not always perform up to professional standards. It is now clear that I was suffering from undiagnosed depression and then, once it was diagnosed, undertreated depression. This was all more than 10 years ago. I am fine now. But I would not be at all surprised if one way or another these problems from the past came up once I appear on the national stage. As a result, I could foresee the program suffering because people hold back from participation based on my past, not to mention personal attacks. I do not think I should bypass this opportunity because of my past. After all none of us is perfect, not that that would stop anybody from attacking me.
So my question is how should I handle the past? Should I make some kind of preemptive disclosure, and if so how, in what way? Do I simply state a summary of the facts or do I need to go into detail as to everything that went wrong back then? And while the depression is true, it might also be perceived as me making excuses, which is not my intent. I know that I did not live up to my obligations back then, and I have made amends as much as possible.
Or do I say nothing, hope it does not become an issue and if it does, have some sort of prepared response? What would this prepared response be? How would it differ in substance from a preemptive disclosure?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Moriarty on 3/18/2013 at 3:52 AM Member
    We are all human. I am 50, female and come without any qualifications. That in itself is a big negative even on this site! Only for my customers it doesn't seem to matter. Which is fine by me.

    The same applies to you. You had depression. Fine, so do many other people and not all of them kick it in as effective a manner as you obviously did. To me this isn't a downside of your character - it's a plus.

    In my email autoresponder series I present this darker side of myself on the third email. If someone unsubscribes at that point, I know it wasn't going to work anyway. I would rather them going away now than having wasted both our time and effort - and being disappointed because I couldn't do the things they wanted.

    As to how to present it yourself, you need to speak to some of your more trusted clients. What feedback do they give you? How would they like to see it presented? Do they even know???



  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 3/18/2013 at 8:57 AM Member
    If your past "issues" were to adversely affect the perception of the program today, then you have a fiduciary responsibility to talk with your employer/client. Be clear about the past, the issues, and show how you've taken care of everything - and have the history to back you up. Then, if someone were to attack you, you know that your employer/client is already "on your side", supports & trusts you, and can help you with any "perception problems".
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 3/18/2013 at 5:41 PM Member
    Don't "handle" the past: learn from it. Then forget it.
  • Posted by jgreene41 on 3/19/2013 at 9:33 AM Author
    Look, I recognize that this is a free service, and I don’t wish to offend anyone, but can I get an answer to the question I asked? The person who is giving me this opportunity knows my background. There is no issue here of fiduciary duty or self confidence. It is not about empty cliches like forgetting and learning. This is about a potential controversy and the best way to deal with it. Specifically, it is about timing, whether to be proactive or reactive, whether to tell all like a gossip magazine or give a measured response that might come across as not transparent?
    I am assuming, and maybe I’m wrong here, that there is some evidence based, objective wisdom in the PR community about handling issues like this. After all, they happen all the time. Just ask any politician.
  • Posted by Moriarty on 3/19/2013 at 9:48 AM Member
    If you read the comment I put with the care with which it was written you might have gotten something from it. As for the other commenters I cannot speak, they have their own consciences.

    I wanted to put my personal failings as an example of how one person deals with a situation that has parallels with yours. If that is not good enough, I apologize for I can do no more. Each situation is unique, and you must understand that. That is how I do business, and I do not lean on precedent because it doesn't always work out as planned.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 3/19/2013 at 10:11 AM Accepted
    For the best advice for dealing with (or preparing to deal with) your "controversy", I suggest you read: Masters of Disaster (by Christopher Lehane, Mark Fabiani, and Bill Guttentag). They'll give you the road map you need if/when a problem were to arise and how to avoid the problem in the first place.
  • Posted by cookmarketing@gmail. on 3/19/2013 at 11:57 AM Member
    m/m Greene...the only advice needed at this point is inside you...cease the self incrimination and go forth...seems everyone (boss and customers) are aware...deal with it when asked and premise your answer to anyone...How detailed to you wish to know?
  • Posted by cookmarketing@gmail. on 3/19/2013 at 11:57 AM Member
    m/m Greene...the only advice needed at this point is inside you...cease the self incrimination and go forth...seems everyone (boss and customers) are aware...deal with it when asked and premise your answer to anyone...How detailed to you wish to know?
  • Posted by jgreene41 on 3/19/2013 at 6:15 PM Author
    Jay,
    Thank you. THIS is the kind of help I was looking for, and I would never have found it without you. I've already reserved a copy from the library.
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