The Dangers of Over Confidence

When it comes to interviews and even public appearances in general, all of us are wise to take some time to prepare. Even the most seasoned veterans should give thought to what points they wish to emphasize as well as what questions or topics might be raised. Even though being ill-prepared is something all agree is important to avoid, it is amazing how many times persons go into press encounters "on the fly" as often they do. How many times have any of us witnessed spokespeople struggle as a result of not giving much thought to what they want to say? For myself, I would say, "far too often."

In those circumstances, my sense is being over-confident is one of the big reasons for this. Professionals reason because they have done many interviews before, then another one should be easy enough. Such an attitude, though understandable, is dangerous. Such a mindset is not unlike "playing with fire." Things can go wrong quickly. The interviewer, for instance, can ask an unexpected question or raise an issue from the past. This can knock the so-called seasoned communicator off balance. When this happens, then often it is "look out below!" They end up embarrassing themselves and doing harm to their client.

One of the marks of a solid professional is they make each interaction with a reporter seem like the first. They are able to inject a sense of freshness into the interview that gives it energy. Confident communicators do this. Over-confident ones do not. Being and behaving in a confident manner is the result of being prepared. Being over-confident crosses a line into arrogance and disrespect toward the reporter and the topic itself. Confident communicators approach each interview with a sense of humility that helps them better serve the topic and client. Bottom line: being confident is good and over-confident is not.