Woods His Own Worst Enemy

The Tiger Woods “press conference” today proved why it was roundly criticized as an inadvisable approach for a first step in re-establishing his public image.

Woods may be applauded for finally facing the media and confronting a very embarrassing personal situation. That could not have been easy. But he failed today for two reasons: He spoke in a format that perpetuated the very same elitism he claimed to have shed, and he scolded the media for a situation he created.

If you’re going to speak to the media, preventing them from asking questions and then chastising them for doing what they do is usually not a wise strategy.

To the first point, reading from a prepared script made him appear stiff and robotic, though that’s nothing new for Woods. He said all the right words (congratulations to his speech writer) but the setting and format undermined the impact of those words.

A more effective strategy would have included a brief opening statement that conveyed the same carefully chosen words of contrition and humility, followed by a limited question-and-answer session. While the Q&A format would have surrendered control to the media, with preparation and practice Woods could have fielded those questions effectively and in the process conveyed the type of human qualities he needed to win over the public. By catering to one of the media’s most fundamental demands he would have shown respect for their jobs and received far less ridicule.

Woods said his mistake was allowing himself to feel entitled and special, and giving in to temptations because he rationalized that he could. But every element of today’s rigid format conveyed entitlement, and that he didn’t have to do things the way everyone else does. Again, the issue is control, and because he was unwilling to give any to the media, they will continue to doubt him and challenge him at every opportunity.

To the latter point, it is never an effective strategy to take others to task and cast blame when claiming to take responsibility and learn from mistakes. In this case, the entire reason for the press conference is to address lifestyle choices that Tiger Woods made. He repeated several times that he knows he created this problem and he was the one responsible for it. But he is also responsible for creating the situation in which he criticized media, or “paparazzi” as he said, for following members of his family. Woods was indignant and downright perturbed in describing his daughter being followed to school.

I don’t blame Woods for wanting to protect his family. Any reasonable person would agree that the scrutiny should only fall on Tiger Woods and that his family was off-limits. But he created that demand by disappearing from public view and hiding from his responsibility.

By not addressing it sooner Woods allowed the pressure to build. He made the point several times today that he alone was responsible and thus he alone—not his family—should be scrutinized.

Absolutely. But he didn’t choose to step up and own this in a timely manner, and for that he allowed his entire family to suffer the collective scrutiny of the “Tiger Watch.”

By chastising the media Tiger Woods devalued the carefully crafted words he spoke and sabotaged the genuine effect those words were designed to achieve. It is difficult to convince people you are remorseful and take responsibility when you cast blame on others in the process.

--Paul Kirk/ProLink Sports
www.prolinksports.net
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