VW boss Müller needs two interview attempts VW boss under statement stress at American radio station NPR

VW CEO Under Statement Stress at American Radio Station NPR Michael Müller, the VW savior in the white vest, is currently on a "Mea Culpa" tour in the USA. Much is at stake for the beleaguered German flagship automaker. The reputation is already in the basement, and the feared wave of lawsuits in the USA could also economically relegate the company to the back seats. Michael Müller had also embarked on his trip with the promise to regain consumer trust in VW. Even his official appearances at the Detroit Auto Show were only moderately suited for this. But afterwards, Müller pours oil on the fire and worsens the damage to the reputation. After the appearance at the Auto Show, Sonari Glinton, a journalist at the American radio station NPR, ad hoc asks the VW CEO a few questions. Microphone under the nose, here we go. Nothing extraordinary or unexpected. Moreover, the first question is actually the perfect template for another admission of guilt. But Michael Müller is obviously unfocused, under enormous stress, and just wants to get out of there. And fails twice: he goes into defense mode and he lies: no, it was primarily a technical, not an ethical problem..., and why the journalist would ask that... Months after the company has already admitted its ethical misconduct multiple times, Müller backpedals! Especially in the USA, where repentant sinners are loved even more than in Europe... No one should underestimate or downplay the stress of ad hoc questions—especially after a public appearance. Particularly the manager species of the "angry white men" ("I can do everything, I manage everything, no one can beat me, whoever disagrees gets fired") tends to... Surely not every single interview situation can be trained in advance and every question anticipated. However, how someone reacts under stress can be tested and corresponding conversational behavior trained. The time investment is small compared to the "long tail" that Müller triggers with his statement: Müller's PR team intervenes and states that it was far too loud during the interview, everyone was shouting, and therefore Müller could hardly understand the questions because of the microphone and camera forest. Maybe the interview again...? NPR complies with the request, Müller can conduct the interview again the next morning. (Which PR miracle or pressure tactic led to this is unknown but would be highly revealing and could find a place in PR textbooks). The station then publishes both versions of the conversation on its website: www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/11/462682378/we-didnt-lie-volkswagen-ceo-says-of-emissions-scandal The German media (which are already watching the trip of the VW CEO with eagle eyes) widely pick up this fact and bring a "story within the story": the corrective interview, (excerpted links to articles in Handelsblatt, Spiegel online, and Stern online), www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/industrie/vw-und-dieselgate-im-zweiten-anlauf-mit-den-richtigen-antworten/12818382-2.html www.stern.de/auto/news/vw-chef-mueller-macht-dieselgate-noch-viel-schlimmer-6644668.html www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/vw-chef-mueller-blamiert-sich-bei-interview-a-1071573.html

CONCLUSION:

"Worst case" scenarios and stress situations can be deliberately induced and trained in media training. The psychological stress level can be excellently increased in the protected space of the training setup to prepare the speaker step by step for the interview reality in front of microphone and camera and to cushion the hardest impact. Feedback we often receive from our trainings: "I never thought I would react so extremely under interview stress." Not even press spokespeople know in advance what awaits them: cool and arrogant like Müller or flustered and withdrawn like others. Not checking and, if necessary, increasing one's own resilience to stress in media training beforehand is negligent and has serious consequences for reputation, personnel, and budget.