Image for Good Taste PR Sign of Leadership

Saying What’s Appropriate and Required in a Moment Is a Leadership Skill

In public relations, good taste is never out of style, even when surrounded by bad taste on social media and in political discourse.

Good taste in PR means comments that are appropriate to an occasion. A personal triumph in sports or science calls for positive PR. A disaster or tragedy requires sympathetic PR.

PR good taste doesn’t just apply to PR professionals. It applies to anyone of any station in the role of spokesperson. Even the President of the United States, who is often called upon to be the Griever-in-Chief for the nation.

Knowing what’s appropriate to an occasion is not always obvious and may require research or consultation. Discovering what not to say may be as important as discovering what to say. The point of good taste is to connect with an audience that is joyous or grieving, to revel in their joy and to respect their grief.

PR as a profession is frequently conflated with advertising or marketing. There are commonalities but PR is its own unique form of communication. A simple way to describe the difference is that advertising and marketing seek to generate sales; public relations seeks to earn trust.

PR Good Taste and Leadership
Good taste in PR is associated with leadership. Leaders are expected to know what to say that’s appropriate to an occasion, especially delivering had news. When they don’t meet that expectation, leaders risk losing confidence from their followers – or even their jobs.

The spark for this blog was President Trump’s press conference to mourn the loss of life after a commercial airliner and a military helicopter crashed and plunged into the Potomac River with no survivors. The press conference began on an appropriate note before pivoting to a political rant that was out of tune with the moment – and current information about the cause of the crash.

Trump’s rant was aimed at diversity and inclusionary policies put in place by Presidents Obama and Biden. Trump’s rant suggested that air controllers with physical or mental disabilities were responsible for the fatal collision. When he made his remarks, the black boxes for both aircraft remained underwater in the Potomac. When a reporter asked him directly about blaming controllers with disabilities for the crash, Trump said, “It could have been.”

Trump’s newly installed leaders at the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense made no reference to air traffic controllers or personnel policies as they promised a timely investigation with a finding in 30 days. Instead of lampooning disabled persons, that’s what Trump should have reiterated after expressing the nation’s condolences.

The good taste of his initial remarks were blotted out by the bad taste of his political rant. Maybe his most rabid supporters don’t care. They should. For most people, bad taste is hard to swallow.

Worse than bad taste, Trump’s unsubstantiated jabs at air traffic controllers with some form of disability is is how rumors, conspiracy theories and misinformation get started.

Bad Taste Lingers
Whether or not Trump knows better, the lesson here for everyone else is that little good comes from bad taste. His remarks should have stayed focused on the suffering of the victims’ families and friends. That was his job, as it often is for spokespersons who speak into a microphone to ease the anguish of those left behind.

Regrettably, off-key comments are too common when leaders choose to be their own spokesperson without counsel or practice. For example, it’s the CEO’s job to announce layoffs or pay cuts. It’s a challenging assignment to say something meaningful to both those leaving and those staying.

PR professionals, business executives, nonprofit leaders and public officials shouldn’t assume they know how to meet a challenging moment with words and deeds. Good taste isn’t an inborn skill for most people. Collective thinking and professional advice can help avoid a PR blunder.

The President of the United States has a large staff to assist him or her. Most people thrust into challenging circumstances have to find reliable sources of advice. Getting help is not a sign of weakness. Words matter, so they should be chosen wisely to reflect what you mean to say and what needs to be said.

Good Taste Is a Skill
Seth Godin, a well-known author who helped create TED Talks, describes good taste as a skill. “It’s a skill that comes from domain knowledge, from persistence and from caring about your audience and the impact of your work.”

Godin says good taste has a magical quality. “It’s a form of leadership. It gives you the leverage to help define the culture, to lead our understanding of what’s important and what’s next.”

Not everyone may recognize good taste in communication. But bad taste in communication is hard to miss. It’s like an offkey note in a concert that’s hard to unhear. Some occasions, especially those soothing people affected by tragedy, are too important to botch.

Or as Buddha observed, “Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates: Is it true” Is it necessary? Is it kind?”