The media love conflict. After all, when you’re in the audience-grabbing business, there’s nothing better than a good fight to draw a crowd. The merits of the argument don’t matter much as long as there is plenty of shouting.
For proof, look no further than the jousting between Sen. John McCain and Chuck Hagel at Hagel’s confirmation hearing, or the on-air cage-match between Bill Ackman and Carl Icahn during their recent appearance on CNBC.
Both events featured plenty of bluster and bile, which was good for television, but none of the protagonists really shined. But there is a way to win a public fight – and look good in the process.
Neither the Hagel confirmation hearing nor the Ackman-Icahn broadcast brawl settled much. Worse, everyone’s performance was awful. They resorted to personal attacks, aired old grudges, and made repeated interruptions. These are accomplished, intelligent men, and they looked small and mean. Hagel was unprepared. McCain was agitated and petty. And Ackman and Icahn sounded like two rich kids arguing over a bad trade in baseball cards.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCZRk1lL90Q
Of course none of this matters to the media. Both events generated lots of coverage, from news articles and video broadcasts to blog posts and tweets. But if you’re a public official or a corporate executive, how you handle yourself in a fight matters a lot.
Here are some rules to help win such battles, both in terms of substance and appearance:
Have a simple narrative. It’s easy to get pulled around by emotion during a fight, responding to every jab or throwing punches wildly. But flailing rarely wins. It’s better to have a strong, simple narrative, bolstered with facts and delivered with skill. Machiavelli said it best: “In war, discipline can do more than fury.”
Use facts. Facts are powerful things in a conflict. Think of them as ammunition. On their own, they’re inert and useless. Deploy them skillfully in an argument and they are lethal. The best facts are those that are verifiable and come from an independent source.
Practice your delivery. They’re called knockout blows for a reason: Once delivered, there is no comeback. The most memorable lines are always prepared in advance. Who can forget Lloyd Bentsen saying to Dan Quayle, “Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.” Devastating. For further study, watch the debates in the UK’s House of Parliament. No one slices up an adversary quite like a British politician.
Appeal to a higher purpose. Your argument will be stronger if it appeals to universal values – fairness, integrity, loyalty, trust. These are things people want to support. If they see your issue is aligned with these things, they are more likely to be on your side.