Silence Can be Golden
Mark Batchelor
CEO/CMO/MD | FCIM Chartered Marketer | Senior Team Leadership | Sustainability | Transformation | Marketing & Engagement | Interim Management | Consultancy | Advisory + Board Direction
The Tremeloes famously reached the top of the UK single charts with ‘Silence is Golden’ back in 1967, and as any experienced communications professional will tell you that sometimes keeping a dignified silence is the best stance to take and not immediately react or directly respond to an antagonistic voice, especially within a public forum.
Remaining ‘tight-lipped’ can be deemed by some as being a rather outmoded way of reacting to criticism, however as anyone responsible with managing reputation will know maintaining credibility often demands restraint and diplomacy, coupled with a wider and longer-term perspective that looks beyond the immediate incoming assault and weighs up how best to respond.
The quandary of ‘should or shouldn’t you say something’ when coming under fire has been discussed widely on several broadcast and media channels in recent weeks, following the release of Prince Harry’s book ‘Spare’ and the preceding Netflix outpourings from Harry and his wife. Interestingly, what has surfaced is a growing respect for the Royal Family who have not responded directly to these events but have continued with their duties, engaging positively with the people and organisations they support, and the causes they espouse. The outcome of which has been an ever-increasing show of favour for those within the Royal Household including many who were either ambivalent or ‘lukewarm’ towards ‘The Royals’, while patience and empathy for the protagonists appears to be running out.
Airing private and personal thoughts, showcasing your highs, lows and challenges on a public platform became the new grist-to-the-mill of social media channels in those early days. It was accompanied with the calls by new influencers to ‘speak your truth’ and ‘own ?your narrative’, as part of the new age of ‘empowering your personal brand’, all of which was designed to leverage better opportunities and greater prosperity for the individual through an extended network of contacts and followers. In part it worked and ushered in new paradigms which needed to be understood and managed. However, giving everyone a ‘loud-hailer’ and inviting them to ‘pull back the curtain’ on their lives as well as share their thoughts on anything with thousands of unknown people in an instant, has predictably led to a chat room on steroids where almost anything goes and people can emerge wounded, affronted, or plain bruised, distraught, and even destroyed. The reality being that the World has always been inhabited by people of all persuasions, morals, and standards and not all enter the public media forums with the best of intentions or are suitably equipped with the tools to conduct themselves so they can appropriately respond to conversation exchanges. The potential for brickbats being thrown and false trails being laid down with accompanying indignation, triggers being used to ignite controversy and open up vulnerabilities, while stepping into traditional ‘no go areas’ of privacy - this is ripe for manipulation and can destabilise long held beliefs, relationships, or even the status quo within families and communities.
With this backdrop, many are rediscovering the benefit of silence and winding back from full personal disclosure. Learning to pause, not to ‘knee-jerk’ react but to consider their long-term wellbeing surveying their future and the wider horizons of impact, is an essential discipline for a public communicator. Noting that once uploaded and thrown into the public digital realm, commentary and content will be forever crystallised in the ether and that it may reappear, trawled by others who can reshare or critique out of context, or leverage for some (unintended) new purpose. Being hoisted by your own words at some indeterminate time in the future is something that even the most seasoned writer can overlook, and one needs to be ever mindful of and watchful over – just ask Jeremy Clarkson! (ref. his recent comments about Meghan Markle).
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Over the past few decades, we’ve seen how communicators have evolved with the myriad of digital channels and social platforms, while traditional media have had to readjust to a digitally connected and diverse landscape. Communications professionals have had to reshape the culture within business and organisations to ensure the old ‘command and control‘ of PR and media relations has morphed into a more responsive two-way conversation led approach. That the domain of the corporate external relations team, where the rigours of responsible briefing and releases used to flow outward through a few approved channels (to equally professional journalists within established media owners) has now widened to encompass individual employees inside and outside of the communications teams managing public conversations through a plethora of social platforms.
I never cease to be impressed by the resilience and commitment shown by those who have to manage the array of channels and conversations that maintain the reputation of an organisation, while responding to the variety of needs and reassurance demanded by the diversity of their stakeholders and the wider public.
As we stand at the beginning of 2023, it’s worth reflecting on the following;