After the press conference simulation this past weekend, I have a greater appreciation for school leaders who can maintain their composure and professionalism in even the most stressful situations. While I felt Scott and I handled ourselves well, there is no way to diminish how intimidating even a pretend scenario can be. What is the most terrifying concept to me is that a person's credibility could be completely destroyed if he or she mishandled a significant situation. For example, losing control of one's emotions and firing back when others verbally attack would certainly impact the public's perception. Then to try and recover from an emotional "hiccup" would be an incredibly daunting task.
The reality is, we will all encounter such situations at some point in our careers. Some of us will have to thicken our skin. Some might need to learn to hold their tongues and suppress their emotions. Others may need to stop, think, and even anticipate before responding to media pressures. While I actually enjoyed the pressure of the mock press conference, I know my brain was swirling the entire time. It is important to remember the message, to not be tricked by strategic - and sometimes repeated - questioning, and to not let the situation become personal. If we can all learn to follow those "rules of survival", then we should be able to reduce the likelihood of misrepresentation by media.
The other solution would be to work in a district that contains its own PR department. =)
Until next time...
No comments:
Post a Comment