Lots of words are being spent, and will continue to be over the next several days and weeks, about the surprising results of the presidential election. Amid all the analysis I’ve seen so far, though, one thing has really impressed me.
A few of the pundits who predicted it would not only turn out differently, but handily so, have apologized for being so wildly wrong.
That’s almost as shocking as Donald Trump’s victory.
Genuine apology is rare commodity in public discourse these days, as I’ve discussed elsewhere. But I’ve heard/read at least three pollsters/analysts — Frank Luntz, Larry Sabato and Mike Murphy — straight up say they were wrong. They blew it. No hemming. No hawing. No blaming. Just raising their hands and saying, “I messed up. You relied on me for information, and I didn’t give you the goods.”
It bears repeating why this is important in the credibility game that is the essence of effective public relations: Owning up to a mistake, especially when everybody clearly knows you made it, allows you to fight another day. Most people will trust you again, appreciate the honesty and integrity, sympathize with you, even, because they’ve made mistakes, too.
But if you deny, or divert, or obfuscate, or muster nothing better than a Janet Jackson apology, on the mistaken belief that apology is weakness, you’ll not just be embarrassed, you’ll be marginalized.
Always remember: It’s easier to earn back trust after an error than after an untruth.
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