Communications coaching is a two-way street, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly should be advised. What you say and How you say it.
Photo Courtesy of Infowars.com
Seems Mr. Kelly coached President Trump on what to say to the grieving widow of a fallen soldier. A 4-Star general and a father who’d lost his soldier son in Afghanistan expressed in somber words and tone, “your husband was where he wanted to be, he knew what he signed up for.” It was a far cry from the cold, dispassionate, insensitive, “joking” President Trump’s uttering of the same words: he knew what he signed up for!
To the press, Mr. Kelly attempted to explain the President’s style, “In his way, he tried to express the opinion that Sergeant Johnson was ‘a brave man, a fallen hero, doing exactly what he wanted to do when he was killed. He knew what he was getting into, what the possibilities were, because we’re at war.’ Mr. Kelly said. ‘And when he died, he was surrounded by the best men on this earth, his friends.’ That’s what the president tried to say to four families the other day.”
That might have been more comforting to Sergeant Johnson’s wife and mother.
As Los Angeles-based media coaches for over 35 years, we’ve learned that audiences consider the source of the message and listen to how it’s presented.
The ensuing criticism is a case of shooting the messenger and the coach, who failed to consider the spokesperson and his personal style.
John Kelly should make the calls.