“I’d be a great PAO, I’m really nice and love to talk to people.”
-Someone I probably won’t hire.
We all know this guy, right?
Mr. or Mrs. Personality, who can’t wait to get out in front of the camera with a fat smile on their face, hamming it up for the world at full speed.
We get it, you’re nice. Go be nice on your own time, I need PAOs who can keep it measured.
I first met Mr. Nice Guy in 2009, he was a fellow signal lieutenant who watched me move into our command’s PAO team and wanted to follow along. As a help desk dude, he could handle customers and helped get them what they needed, and I guess that translated well to an external engagement role.
It didn’t last long and wasn’t meant to be. A little too eager to help whomever picked up the phone, he said more than he should’ve to reporters and let stray voltage drive his agenda rather than command priorities.
I guess some folks forget Public Affairs isn’t customer service business; it’s command service business. America service.
Build a team of professional folks, capable of niceness, dickishness, and whichever emotions our nation needs, in service to the mission.
No more Mr. Nice Guys.
(Photo by Spc. Marcus Fichtl, DVIDS)
