If you make a mistake, don't run away, don't disappear. Solve! – Photo: Shutterstock
I enjoyed watching the Argentine film Granizo, which tells the (fictional) story of pop star meteorologist Miguel Flores, recognized as “infallible” by his legion of fans. Studious, charismatic and vain, he walks the streets receiving compliments and praise from passers-by, so sure of what he has to say that he closes his TV weather forecasts with the catchphrase “I guarantee it”.
Until, one day, just at the premiere of his show Show do Tempo on TV, the house collapsed. Miguel had “guaranteed” that the night would have open skies and mild temperatures, but an unexpected hailstorm hit Buenos Aires, causing damage to the unsuspecting population and undermining the reputation of the weatherman. Miguel was cancelled, harassed and removed from his job.
This is where I want to go: 20 years of success, which gave the professional credibility and admiration, are not enough for him to be forgiven for his first mistake. Not even to prevent him from seeing his world crumble overnight.
Does it seem unfair? Yes. Does it happen outside of fiction? All the time. So what can we do to avoid or better prepare for when, or if, this happens to us?
First, let's understand correctly this crisis that Miguel Flores is going through. Although the negative repercussions are justified by the public due to their losses, what we see reaching Miguel is hurt, a feeling of betrayal and revolt.
That is, we are not talking about a crisis caused by rational issues (losses), but emotional ones. It is the breach of trust, so present in image and reputation crises, that generates the avalanche of criticism, cancellation and the desire for revenge. To make matters worse, social networks enhance the herd effect: even those who didn't suffer, didn't watch the wrong weather forecast or didn't even know Miguel, become part of the chorus against him.
The truth is that the greater the admiration you earn along your journey, the greater the risk of betraying your audience's trust, even if unintentionally.
Some basic (and often difficult) assumptions can avoid or minimize the accident:
1. Don't promise or guarantee anything you can't actually deliver.
2. Do not underestimate the consequences of any oversights, failures or errors
in your everyday life.
3. Beware of vanity, it can distort your vision.
4. If you make a mistake, don't run away, don't hide, don't disappear under any circumstances. Assume, apologize, resolve (if possible) and tell people what you are going to do to prevent the error from happening again.
5. And finally, don't close in on yourself with arrogance. Listen, learn, give back and be grateful.
By the way, about arrogance: it's not uncommon to happen as a side effect of a five-star reputation. You get used to praise, to victories, to recognition. Thinks the game is won, goes on autopilot, gets distracted, takes too long to notice the approaching storm. Careful! Staying at the top is much more challenging than getting there.
The film is simple, cartoonish and unpretentious, a good option to relax, but it makes you think and leaves lessons learned until the last minutes. Miguel, after so much contempt, gets an unexpected and very risky second chance. You are at a crossroads (which lasts for seconds and can go unnoticed) and you need to decide whether to go ahead or not.
I won't give spoilers, but I'll leave you with my reading of the final message: when you really put your audience's interest first, when you listen and give credit to each other, when you work as a team and for a true purpose, the chances of winning people's hearts and building long-term legacies are much bigger and more consistent. And now, I ask: how this hailstorm can inspire your life.
Anik Suzuki is CEO of ANK Reputation
anik@ankreputation.com.br
*Article published in HSM Management on May 27, 2022
