False Idol

Communicators beware. There is a false idol in our midst. It is called control. Do not laugh. People in all walks of life throughout time have been taking this monster lightly and underestimating its power. Inevitably, some have paid a terrible price for it. Sometimes with their pocket. Sometimes in prestige. Sometimes in human blood. The examples - big and small - are as plentiful as the stars in the sky. A family plans for a fun picnic. Packs the blankets, cooks the food, loads up the car and heads off to their favorite park. Halfway there it rains. Bye bye picnic. A United States president and his administration decide to invade Iraq as they are certain it will lead to ticker tape parades and the rapid spread of democracy throughout the entire Middle East. What could go wrong? A public relations executive urges their famous client to issue a statement of apology for betraying his wife. Sponsors and the public, the client is assured, will stick with him. Or maybe not.

There are several key points here. No matter how well written, crafted, staged or even carried out a communique is, communicators should never ever guarantee it will work or be effective. Communicators are foolish to assume or claim their efforts will succeed and generate the results their clients wishes. Not only are unexpected twists and wrong turns a regular hazard in public relations, they are a constant presence in life itself. Do not guarantee success. Instead, promise a strong, professional and comprehensive effort. Anything beyond that is wishful thinking and hubris. Is there any one who does not know there are no guarantees in life? The same holds true for communication.

The life of a communicator is one of living on ever-shifting sand. That in itself immediately takes control on any one's part out of the mix. As a result, it is as real as Sasquatch and unicorns. Nevertheless, this reality does not seem to stop some from thinking they can control others or generate specific results. We can only make a good faith and honorable effort and remember that reality is found in the unexpected and the imperfect. Thinking we control anything may make us feel good or help others have faith is us, but at the end of the day those feelings are doomed to disappear unless we refuse to pay homage to the false idol called control.