A friend of mine started a blog a few years ago (not this blog). He had useful insights to share, but included some kind of caveat in most of his posts.
“I’m no expert, but…”
“Then again, what do I know?”
“Of course, you may disagree.”
No shit.
They’re your words, opinions and statements. Own them. You wouldn’t be sharing them if you didn’t want them to be understood and turned into action.
When you attach a draft statement. No need to remind your higher headquarters that you’re just a subordinate PAO who’s only looking at one slice of pie–or leave blanks for them to fill in. You’ve got the keys to the information bus. You’ve connected your operational understanding to the higher headquarters’ top lines—no one knows better than you what needs to be said. Besides, they don’t need your permission to change your talking points, so why bother planting the seed that they might need changing?
When you key the microphone and share information or perspective with your staff. “I know I’m just the PAO here, but …” Give us a break: you’re a leader, a valuable member of the organization, a trained and experienced strategic thinker, and the commander’s communication advisor. Try this: “What’s up everybody, I’m the PAO so listen to me.”
When helping leaders connect with their audiences. Have them speak from a position of authority. This is different from coming across as pompous or closed-minded; their public comments must represent an unapologetic belief in your organization’s culture and values.
When your organization faces crisis. It sucks when bad things happen, but crisis shouldn’t shatter your unit’s strength and confidence. In the face of disaster, reinforce the importance of your mission and resilience of your people. Don’t hide behind or defer to the investigations and decisions happening at higher levels: publicly and aggressively own the things your organization believes in, and the things your organization are doing within its span of control.
If you’re so worried about being wrong that you need to add a caveat, maybe you don’t have anything worth saying in the first place. Or maybe you’ve really got a question for your team instead of a statement.
Never apologize for having something to say. Having something to say is part of your job.
