Job security – that’s what I’m all about as I run my firm, which specializes in crisis and reputation management. I am frequently called to assist in or, like everyone else, just watch in horror as yet another poorly managed issue that while awful at its core is mangled further by how it has been handled. The NFL and the Secret Service by their very existence are expected to know about protection, yet the body blows they are feeling from public disgust and the media frenzy continue to chip away and damage both organizations. I remain stunned when I see such high-profile, experienced and supposedly media savvy organizations flail, dodge and weave in circumstances that while excruciatingly bad can be managed.
You can’t succeed using deception to block the intellectual tackles from reporters asking reasonable questions as appears to be the case with both NFL and Secret Service controversies. Both organizations have failed in their operations and further contributed to their failures by trying to deflect through obfuscation and being less than truthful. That never works. The self-imposed damage has been done. Credibility and integrity associated with both organizations is non-existent.
It’s fortunate that no one died in either of these scandals that have captured our attention at the moment. But as these controversies progress, it is always interesting to see who survives.