Reputare has been silent for a while as I was very pre-occupied with getting our new home up and running after a disaster called a ‘goofy sub-contractor’ hit us. That’s now settled. Thank God. Thank you for your patience.

Well I am back and there can be no better time than this to learn from the “Great Kalmadi Show.”

Let me say up front, that I support the Games. I support them in-spite of the mess, the corruption, et all because it IS after all, about the athletes and their moment of glory. Can we afford to boycott them? This is the recognition, they work so hard for to achieve, rising above the system that is designed to discourage not encourage. So, I support the games because I care for our athletes.

I remember the song; we used to sing in school. “We shall overcome/ Ham honge kamyab ek din.” This is their moment, so lets cheer them to win for India.

Now to Mr. Kalmadi, a little birdie informed me that he has now hired another consultant to manage his public image and has already gone through two before that. Does he not realize that changing consultants is not going to change his image? A very wise and learned man once said to me. “Good PR cannot be a substitute for a BAD product.”

This how the issue was unfolded in the media as I understand it.

Times Now, Navika Kumar broke the story about rampant corruption and mis-management at the baton relay and put the Chairman, OC, CWG in the center of it. Mr. Suresh Kalmadi comes out gun blazing at a press conference but soon his bravado and threat to sue the channel disappeared for want of substantial evidence contrary to the claims of the news channel and he was seen doing rounds of various channels, trying to defend himself and making unsuccessful attempts to find scapegoats in the High Commission. Good Try but it did not work as the high commission and the MEA quickly got their act together and put a wet blanket on this before it could find any legs.

Anyway that did not seem to shift the mood of the press, so he did the next best things: set up an “enquiry committee” to find the real culprits. Soon a certain Mr. Darbari, who was a supposedly his chief aide was ‘suspended’ pending investigation. Finally a scapegoat! In an interview with Arnab Goswami, his most quoted phrase I remember was “we have instituted an enquiry committee; wait for its findings.” Perhaps his media managers asked him to stick only to that as his “Key Message” because anything else and the deck was stacked heavily against him. Wonder whether people actually believed that? Don’t think so, with so many voices demanding his resignation.

So what’s the point I am making?

I am reminded of a saying by Aristotle. “Endeavour to be what you want the world to see you as.”

Sadly, many individuals in public office or corporations tend to forget history or learn from it.

Today, the public perception is weighed heavily against Mr. Kalmadi and in-spite of his many appearances on TV, interviews on print and constant effort to deflect media attention to softer aspects of the games, the mud continues to stick. Just type “Kalmadi + CWG” on Google and see for your self.

This episode should serve as a reminder to corporations that they hold the trust of their stakeholders and if they abuse it, their misdeeds will be revealed rather quickly and when that happens, there will be nowhere to run!

Today corporations have no choice but to conduct their “business with responsibility” or face the consequences of public wrath in full media glare.

Do we remember the story of the Emperor and his clothes?

Think about it.

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Tags: common wealth games. common wealth games 2010, Corporate Reputation, corporate responsibility, CWG 10, CWG 2010, Kalmadi, Public Relations, suresh kalmadi, The common wealth games