Swing and a Miss: A PR Lesson From the MLB

Here at Turn Two, our love of baseball played a part in landing on our company’s name, so today we head to the ballpark for some insights on avoiding a PR strikeout.

Recently, the Los Angeles Angels designated future hall of famer Albert Pujols for assignment, which is the baseball way of saying they fired him. The move in itself is not entirely surprising – Pujols’ performance has declined considerably as he has entered the twilight of his remarkable career.

But what is both troubling and instructive is how the Angels mishandled the process of announcing the decision by blindsiding players, treating the news like any routine announcement, and seemingly showing a lack of respect and consideration for Pujols himself. Players, fans, and the media were unanimous in their disgust with how the announcement went down.

We all have times when we have to make an unpopular decision – and we all are in the business of treating people well. How we handle those tough decisions – and the people they involve – matters.

Here are three steps the Angels could have taken to make this announcement in a more humane way – and avoided a PR blowback.

1. Anticipate reactions: Not all announcements provide this luxury, but in the Angels’ case there is no doubt they had ample time to consider this decision, and its potential ramifications. Clearly, they did not take fully into account the potential backlash from all corners. Or maybe they simply didn’t care. Either way, it was a swing and a miss. If you have a big announcement, put yourself in the shoes of all key audiences, anticipate how they might react, and then lay out a plan for what you can do to soften the blow.

2. Inform key stakeholders before the news makes headlines: Pujols has been a mentor to the Angels’ Mike Trout, who is likely the best player in the sport. Yet Trout learned of his teammate’s release like everyone else – through the media. Prior to the public announcement, the Angels could have pulled the team together for a quick meeting to share the news and the thinking behind it. While some players would have surely disagreed with the decision, they at least would respect management for looping them in.

Because they failed to take this step, the team potentially alienated its top player.

In the immediate aftermath of the announcement, he’s lapsed into one of the biggest slumps of his career, which creates headaches for the Angels (and for my fantasy baseball team). Similar declines in morale or performance could happen at any organization that blindsides the people who matter to them most.

3. If appropriate, offer a graceful exit or positive spin: Some news – particularly the really bad stuff -- doesn’t warrant any sugar coating of fanfare.

Yet if the announcement isn’t driven by egregious, unethical or illegal behavior, look for ways to pivot to the positive. In the Angels’ case, there are a range of ways they could have rolled out the announcement that would have acknowledged and honored Pujols massive contributions to their organization and the game of baseball.

To be fair, we don’t know what the conversations were behind the scenes – Pujols could have told them to he didn’t want any part in appropriate farewell. But even so, a more thoughtful and tactful approach could have limited the damage they are now dealing with.

Yes, baseball is a business in which tough decisions need to be made. But there is a right way to run a business, and that includes having your act together on the PR front.