Public Sniping

Ladies, please.

That’s what I’d love to say to both Star Jones Reynolds and Barbara Walters. It’s bad enough they couldn’t get along well enough to work together – do we really need to be subjected to their public sniping?

Things done wrong: Jones Reynolds chose to “surprise” her bosses on-air with her announcement that she was leaving the show; Walters took it personally; Walters chose to comment publicly about Jones Reynolds behavior, labeling it as less than professional, and bringing herself down to the same level in the process; and the media circus being fed by both sides with personality issues run amok.

For what it’s worth, I don’t care that these two both have egos the size of small countries. That should never be a factor when one is working. And that’s the whole issue for me – neither of these professionals chose to back away from this situation without comment. Both wanted to prove they were right. That Jones Reynolds chose to make her announcement two days ahead of schedule smacks of someone trying to gain control. That Walters found it necessary to chastise Jones Reynolds’ actions on the air smacks of someone trying to get even. It’s embarrassing to both the public and to the profession.

If you don’t think your demeanor makes any difference, take a lesson from this debacle. If you connect your ego with your work, you will undoubtedly display unwanted emotional responses when things get tough. This is your job – it’s work. It’s not personal. If you can’t keep the emotions out, then you need to rethink your approach before you embarrass yourself and before your demeanor becomes a sticking point with current and future clients.