Goofed In Public? Here's What to Do...

As you increase your level of visibility, you need to have a plan in case you say or do something in public that gets misunderstood, misinterpreted, or was simply a stupid thing to say.

Last Friday I wrote a blog post describing a letter I wrote to Inc Magazine...  a letter that didn't exactly work in my favor once it was published. A lot of things went through my mind when I read the magazine, and I was concerned about how it would impact me.

If my peers and colleagues didn't read Inc Magazine, I wouldn't be alarmed. But since I opened my mouth publicly in a magazine that tracks my industry, I had cause for concern.

I needed to regain my footing and I chose to do so without dragging the bickering on any further.

Here are my 5 tips for what to do when you stir up the pot and don't like the taste of what you've created:

    1.    Adjust Your Attitude

    Before you go on the offensive, the defensive, or the defeated, take some time to adjust your attitude. For me it required lots of prayer and meditation, for others it may be a long walk or a talk with a friend.

    It's important to get yourself OUT of reaction mode because that will only make things worse. Get yourself in a good place before you try to get yourself out of a PR jam.

    2.    Call on Your Counsel

    Talk to people you trust who can give you varying perspectives on how to proceed next. Each person is going to give you a piece of the puzzle.

    For instance, I was advised (on a spiritual level) to become humble, look for the lessons in the situation, and to put the whole thing in a "will this impact 7 generations to come" perspective.

    A friend in publicity gave me concrete steps for turning things around and cleaning up with a public statement. I took both person's advice and felt good about the steps I took.

    3.    Enlist Your Supporters

    Honestly and humbly enlist the support of your followers, friends, and fans.

    Tell them what happened and ask for their support. This can be through an email, a blog post, Tweets, or a Facebook note. You can pick up the phone and call influential friends who can vouch for your credibility.

    If you've worked on building great rapport with your followers, then this step can actually endear you more to them. People want to help, and if they like you and your work, they'll be happy to tell the world how awesome you are.

    I sent out an email and over 75 people left their comments of love, support, and admiration. I wasn't fishing for compliments, but it sure felt good to read them!

    4.    Be Transparent

    If you goofed, admit it. If you were misquoted, explain the context you meant without turning it into a Rosie O'Donnell -vs- Donald Trump fiasco.

    I have yet to see a public mudslinging match that allows a participant to walk away clean. On the other hand, don't roll over and  play dead. Use your creativity and your inner strength to hold your head up high.

    5.    If You Can Find Humor in the Situation, Then Use It!

    Nothing defuses a situation better than the right touch of humor. Think of the TV show "Seinfeld". In every episode somebody did something dumb- the entire show was built around the hilarity of everyday blunders.

    Get honest and find something to laugh about... starting with yourself. You'd be amazed how much easier it will ease the sting of not-so-great publicity.

    I decided to have a field day with myself which was both therapeutic for me and entertaining for my readers. Find your way to see the light side and go with it.