Greg Hardy Has Not Learned His Lesson

Before deciding to provide my two-cents as a PR and #Crisis professional - I paused to process what appears to be the next page/chapter of the Greg Hardy domestic violence ordeal being his recent @ESPN interview. When I saw the teases of what was discussed, I was in awe. My first moment of shock occurred when I saw,, what he had on. I call this the "visual voice". You mean to tell me that the first, real time, you decide to sit down (and, I will give my opinion on the timing of it all shortly) to discuss this serious issue, you believe wearing a skull cap, sweatpants and sneakers is appropriate? Mr. Hardy, I am beyond shocked that your reps, counsel, anyone, did not advise and/or force you to dress appropriately - a suit and tie. Your "visual voice" showed the lack of seriousness you had/have for a situation that has possibly ended your @NFL career.

After getting pass his "visual voice", I actually paid attention to the words coming out of his mouth. Not once in this interview or any previous mentions concerning this situation have I heard or seen sincere remorse. Not once has he, I guess now, without incriminating himself, expressed personal responsibility for how things ended that night with his then-girlfriend, Ms. Holder. Not to my knowledge has he acknowledged that the ordeal has made him take a serious look in the mirror for personal growth and improvement.

It's great that you are about to graduate college. I applaud you and any other professional athlete, who left school early to pursue their professional athletic dreams, that decides to return to complete their college education. However, that doesn't help you to learn/heal/grow from and, even teach from what has you where you are right now. Unemployed.

So, Mr. Hardy, what have you done to take a very serious moment in your life and have it become a teachable one for yourself as well as other men and women? Have you done any volunteer work for a domestic violence organization? Have you apologized to your former-girlfriend for what you did do to her that evening? Have you spoken to young men, those aspiring to become a professional athlete or not about learning from your mistakes? Have you spoken to young girls/women on what behavior they should and should not accept from young boys/men? I have said and continue to say, you don't have to learn a lesson first hand. Pay attention to the mistakes made by others and learn their lesson with them. Allow this situation to provide a platform for you to teach from.

Lastly, the timing of the interview...Hardy has only now sat down to speak, trying to reshape his image after becoming a free agent and with no known bites from any NFL team. All of this speaks volumes.

Hardy ESPN Interview

Managing the Ripples in a Crisis by MWPR, Inc.

Just like when a pebble thrown in a pond creates ripples, within any major crisis there is a ripple affect. There is more than one area of focus and more than one area needing a #strategic plan to address the impact the major #crisis created.

Regardless if the main headline is involving a person, political figure, product, property or performance, more times than not, there are layers to the crisis and they are guaranteed to impact a multitude of areas, associations and affiliations. The ripple affects will also need to be addressed. 

Ok, the crisis hits! The primary target has responded and is managing their story in an effort to lessen the blow and restore trust. 

But, what about the ripples, those who are directly or indirectly impacted by the primary's crisis? Directly or indirectly, each ripple created by the primary (pebble) requires special attention, strategic action, specific answers and subsequent adjustments so they are able to eventual move pass the crisis and prepare for future progress and productivity.

Special Attention:

When the crisis creates the ripples, pay close attention to the initial reports, details and responses given through the media and through the primary target. Listening and learning what has happened and what is being said will help in creating a specific strategic plan directly speaks to your need and position.

Strategic Action:

Based on what has been learned through paying special attention and determining if the primary hit directly or indirectly impacted you, a plan of action must be created that will help draw a distinction between the primary hit and you, the ripple, while also restoring confidence within your immediate and extended touch points (constituents and audiences).

Specific Answers:

Here is where you unpack your story, clear up confusion related to your connection to the primary hit and provide space for questions to be asked and answered, portraying a level of transparency and trust.

Subsequent Adjustments:

Within the management of the ripple affect from another's crisis, due diligence is needed in determining what can be learned by what the primary hit went through. Also, an assessment for areas of weakness, vulnerability, flaws and blind spots that could one day take you from being the ripple to being the primary is needed. 

The best way to prepare for any crisis is to be prepared before the crisis. You don't have to always learn a lesson firsthand. Take the lesson another's mistake creates and adjust accordingly. Go through scenarios identifying possible crises that could occur, or pay attention to your competition, partners, industry leaders, etc. and learn from their past problems. Remember, there is no such thing as a cookie-cutter template crisis plan. So, once you've gathered your research, create an overall crisis plan that speaks to your needs and feel somewhat confident that if/when the time comes you will be ready to stop, drop and roll with the punch.

The bottom-line is no major crisis is a one off. It will create ripples. Having a direct or indirect association with the primary hit calls for you to take the necessary steps to correct and protect your brand, message or business.

#MWPRTips