By now, everyone has had the opportunity to view and give commentary on the viral video of the First Lady of the United States setting a heckler straight during a recent fund raising effort. What has been surprising is how both Republicans and Democrats alike have agreed that First Lady Michelle Obama was in fact within her rights. Beyond her iconic status as the first African American first lady, style maven and all around phenomenon, Michelle Obama seems to be a caring wife and mother. Who could have thought the only thing to cause a bipartisan agreement across party lines is a feisty mom who took control of an uncomfortable situation
From her days in Chicago as a community affairs director for a prominent local hospital, Mrs. Obama had gained a reputation for being straight forward and not taking junk. Her colleagues and even some rivals have said her mannerisms and professionalism is something they would never question. Whether you like her personally or not, most seemed to have a respect for her dedication to her community, husband and especially her children.
What FLOTUS Can Teach Us About Handling Unruly People
• Separate the person from their tirade: Often we are unsuccessful in defusing someone because we take it too personally. People do what they do for their own apparent reasons. To deal with them, you have to separate the two. It is usually safe to say the ‘Hurt people…hurt people’.
• Do not wait for someone else’s solutions, create your own: Mrs. Obama came up with an instant remedy for the situation. She said I can talk and you listen, or I can leave you with the floor to speak. She was not rude or ruffled. She made the decision to take herself out of the equation.
• Remember that a heckler can never take your place: The next time someone snaps on you, whether publicly or in private, do yourself a favor and remember your place of authority. Just because you have a critic, does not mean they can remove you from your position. Know your own self-worth and power.
Fast forward a few years and national campaigns, and Mrs. Obama is one of the world’s most recognizable people. In fact, Time magazine has voted her the fourth most influential woman on the planet. As she stood to deliver her support at a fund raising effort for the DNC, an activist for gay and lesbian rights began shouting her frustrations. What is ironic is her husband President Obama has weathered much flack for his open support for gay and lesbian equality in the workplace, the military and marital status. It is evident our 44th president will go down in history as the most supportive president for gay and lesbian rights.
As the heckler became more heated (watch video below), Mrs. Obama made it clear she was not going to deal with being interrupted. She is quoted as saying, “One thing I do not do well is this.” What she was referring to was being interrupted during an obviously inappropriate time. All politicians and their spouses are fully aware of how to deal with hostility when they are on the campaign trail. What was unexpected about this whole ordeal was this was a friendly fund raiser.
The political pundits across the networks have unanimously declared Mrs. Obama was right in responding. She offered to leave the event if the heckler absolutely needed the platform. But she again made it known that she was not going to attempt to talk over a rude person. With the crowd squarely behind her, the heckler was escorted out and the first lady was free to finish her speech. Now that’s class!
© 2013, Cherese L. Jackson. All rights reserved.
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