Tennis star Serena Williams certainly learned a string of valuable lessons in
the wake of her outburst at the 2009 US Open.
One such lesson (we hope she learnt) is that taking full responsibility for your actions and apologising is the only road to redemption.
I’ve blogged about this exact topic before.
The fact Williams and her PR agency released a statement the day after the incident with no apology is mind boggling. The backlash was so severe, that Williams was forced to release a second statement a day later, this time apologising.
When I saw the first statement, I thought William’s PR agency might be protecting her from legal action. Admitting guilt in a press release is dangerous territory in the sue me sue you world of the USA. However, if legal protection was the first priority then the statement would have read so much differently. So I know that wasn’t the case.
So the question then, is why didn’t the original statement include an apology? Did the PR agency think the issue would wash over? Did they believe Williams strong supporter base would overpower the negative criticism? Or was Williams just too stubborn to approve quotes apologising for her actions?
If Williams’ stubborn behaviour was to blame, then her PR agency should be harpooned for not having the backbone to override their star athlete. See my blog about The Yes Men.
We have seen the world over that a beloved athlete can commit blue murder but get away with it if handled correctly. To do this, the athlete must understand the process. And that is to take responsibility for their actions, genuinely apologise and demonstrate they are making themselves a better person from the experience.
There are no short cuts and no easy options but to face the mess you have created and clean it up. The media and public don’t care what you did, they care how you react, how you respond and how you’re going to fix it. Show them that and they are quick to move on.