Terrell Owens: Doing the Right Thing

Tonight my roommates and I were having a discussion about Terrell Owens and his situation with the Cincinnati Bengals.  As my roommate discussed the situation, he said,  “Terrell Owens said that he was basically playing for free.  That‘s nothing but drama.”

At first his comment disturbed me, mainly because I’m a huge T.O. fan.  After I calmed down from my initial reaction, I realized that his comment illustrates the importance of establishing your brand and building credibility. It also shows the effect that your reputation has on people’s perception of  you.

Owens has the reputation of being selfish, egotistic and drama-filled.  Owens' talent on the field is often overshadowed by his public persona and by his actions on and off that field that harm his reputation and at times hurt his team.  Skip Bayless, ESPN analyst,  gave him the nickname “Team Obliterator” because of how his actions often hurts his team’s chemistry.

In James Hoggan’s  book “Do the Right Thing” Hoggan discusses how important it is to do the right thing in order to gain credibility and establish a good reputation. “Sometimes, you will need help - testimonials from credible people who are willing to speak up on your behalf.  But remember this too: In order to win that validation - in order to attract reputable leaders who are willing to confirm your credibility - you need to be doing the right thing.(p.20)”

Hoggans "golden rule" theory can be applied to the Owens situation.  Owens' selfish actions and lack of consideration for how those actions might affect his teammates caused him to lose credibility and not to attract reputable leaders in the NFL as well as the media to speak on his behalf.  Because of his actions, his statement, “I am basically playing [football] for free,” is thought to be only another ego-inspired comment instead of one that shows his love for the game.

Doing the Right Thing in Life Not Just PR.

  James Hoggan’s book “Do the Right Thing” offers advice and wisdom for fighting mistrust and unethical practices from public relations professionals.  I believe that people can apply the advice that Hoggan gives in everyday life.
Hoggan defines public relations as “the art and science of earning credibility and building goodwill among all those who are important to your business.  Good public relations is about ensuring that as you develop your reputation, you do so for the right reason. (pp.5,6)”
  Public relations is used everyday by everyone.  For example when you speak assertively and be on your best behavior when you first meet your friends parents, when you act like the perfect gentlemen to impress her on the first date,  when you spend hours in the mirror making sure you look flawless before going to the club.  When you  decide to buy the $100 G shock watch or $90 high heels, instead of giving your professor $15 for your required reading in your Public relations research and strategies class.  We make decisions based on our personal experiences to build credibility and develop our reputation.  Life is our business and the people that we meet are important to our business.
Hoggan’s golden rule can be applied when making decisions in your life. Hoggan begins with doing the right thing.  He says “A good reputation comes from doing the right thing all the time. (p.9)”  If you want to have the reputation of being an excellent student then you should submit excellent work not just the first week of class but all semester.  If you want to have a reputation of being a gentlemen then you should act as one not just on the first date but on every date with every woman you take out.
Secondly, you should be seen doing the right thing.  For example when you consistently act like a lady everyone will confirm that you are one.  When you turn in “A” work all semester your professor will confirm that you are a excellent student.  It the people who are persuaded by your actions that will confirm your credibility and help develop your reputation.
Lastly, Don’t get #1 and #2 mixed up.  Hoggan says “if you do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do, people will respect you for it. But if you forget yourself in a flurry of PR tactics and strategies…things can easily go wrong. (p.12)”  If you are gentlemen only because you want something in return at the end of your date then  its possible that all credibility that you could have had will be lost.
These are all examples of how what we do in our lives can directly relate to public relations.  Being that we do practice public relations everyday , the advice that Hoggan’s offers in his book can be beneficial to not only public relations practitioners but everyone.