Strategically Speaking: A Blog by Denha Media Group
Many celebrities have bounced back from tarnished images and Mel Gibson, I would guess, hopes to be one of them — if he can just manage to get his communication under control.
Many actors have been linked to audio or video scandals, but Gibson seems to have taken it to whole new level. His vicious rants on tape depict an angry and perhaps troubled man. Gibson appears to be an equal opportunity offender in his voicemail message to his girlfriend Oksana — he managed to offend just about every race, origin, and religion in a few sentences. America’ s obsession with celebrities enables the household names to rebound quicker than someone who was thrust into the media due to a scandal, such as Monica Lewinsky. Her fifteen minutes of fame following her presidential indiscretions didn’t allow much time to repent and re-brand her public image, despite her many appearances in the media, including on The View where she was pedaling her purse line.
Repeat offenders like Gibson run the risk of crossing the line to the point of no return. The public may soon decide they have had enough of Gibson’s unacceptable conduct.
How we communicate both verbally and non-verbally makes a major impact on how the world views us. It doesn’t matter whether you are a celebrity or an average guy living in a small town-we all have some level of a public image.
Once your public persona has been tarnished due to your bad behavior, certain steps need to be taken — immediately.
- Apologize: Admit your mistake publicly and privately to those you offended and ask for forgiveness.
- Watch the Clock: Don’t wait too long to acknowledge you made a mistake. Tiger Woods could of rebounded quicker if he was more responsive. Ignoring the media camped outside of his home was not the most effective strategy for a man concerned about his public image. Scandals don’t just go away.
- Be Truthful: Don’t cover a lie with another lie. People want honesty and sincerity. No matter how ugly the truth is, you are better of telling it yourself then having someone else uncover it.
- Find your inner voice: Use this time to meditate and think about your behavior patterns and what truly causes you to behave badly. Take time out to communicate with yourself –honestly – be truthful. Look in the mirror and be honest with yourself about what you see and what needs to change. If you can’t tell yourself the truth, how will you be able to admit it others?
- Get help: You may need therapy, anger management or communication consulting. Whatever it is that plagues you, find an expert to help you work through it. Find ways to improve.
- Pay it Forward: For every bad thing you have said or done, volunteer your time to help someone else in need. Make a positive impact on the lives of others. Use your status, talent and time to do good.
- Teach others: Use your troubled past to educate others. Write a book or go on the public speaking circuit. Use this as an opportunity to heal by sharing your mistakes with others who can learn from them. None of us live long enough to learn from every mistake we can possibly make. We need to learn from others.
Vanessa Denha Garmo is founder of Denha Media Group.
