‘Mess up, fess up, dress up,’ properly done

Opinion

It’s a phrase that is likely familiar to anyone who has worked in the corporate world and undergone media/communications training: “Mess up, fess up, dress up.”

The succinct six-word slogan is an encapsulation of what needs to be done to restore public confidence after a major mistake or transgression has taken place. If followed swiftly and directly, it’s strategy that can mitigate damage, reset intentions and allow for the error/misdeed to be left behind while still ensuring its implications are neither forgotten nor ignored.

During the past week, NDP MLA Nahanni Fontaine (St. Johns), the provincial government’s minister of families and minister responsible for accessibility, has delivered an absolute clinic on the application of “mess up, fess up, dress up.” It’s an example politicians of all stripes would do well to observe and, should the need ever arise, emulate.

Here’s how it breaks down:

Mess up: the mistake has been made. In Fontaine’s well-documented case, while speaking at a June 26 graduation ceremony for Indigenous women, the minister was caught complaining about having to share limited space onstage with an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter. The unfortunate and ill-considered “hot mic” comments were captured and later broadcast by the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), resulting in immediate backlash, including demands from the deaf community for government action to combat audism — discrimination against people who are deaf or hard of hearing — and calls from the Opposition Progressive Conservatives for Fontaine’s removal from cabinet.

Fess up: own up to the mistake. Upon the release of the recording of her comments, Fontaine issued numerous apologies, both verbal and written, directly to the affected parties and to the public at large. She also told the Free Press her office was reaching out to community organizations to listen and learn.

(The process of limiting damage and repairing relationships was almost derailed by the revelation that APTN journalists had been blocked from following Fontaine on social media in the wake of the broadcast of her comments; to her credit, however, upon learning of social-media snub, the minister immediately directed her staff to reverse the decision).

Dress up: declare publicly what will be done to correct the mistake and ensure no such wrongdoing occurs in the future. Last Sunday, Fontaine followed her earlier apologies with a social-media post announcing she and her staff will undergo deaf and deaf culture training “to deepen our understanding, confront gaps and ensure our actions reflect true respect and inclusion, not just intention.”

The statement, delivered alongside an ASL interpreter, also included a pledge to appoint a deaf or hard of hearing “matriarch” to join the Matriarch Circle of advisers, hire a dedicated ASL interpreter for all government departments and introduce amendments to the Accessibility for Manitobans Act to enhance protections for the deaf and hard of hearing community.

“I take full responsibility for my words, full stop,” she said in the social-media post. “I’m human. I made a mistake, but I will do better and I will keep showing up and continue the work of building a truly inclusive Manitoba for everyone.”

By promptly following the “mess up” with what appears to be a sincere effort to fess up and dress up, Fontaine has effectively put a lid on what otherwise could have developed into a controversy with the potential to damage the NDP government.

While it remains to be seen how fully the minister follows through on her promises, she has laid the groundwork for a positive outcome after an unfortunate and unnecessary misstep.

And in so doing, Fontaine has provided a teachable moment for politicians everywhere.