From Task-Focused Helping Brawn to Value-Focused Helping Brain

The time was 1988. Massachusetts Governor, Mike Dukakis was the Democratic presidential nominee. Unfortunately for good ol’ Mike, he was harshly criticised for his softness on defence issues.

So, the great American PR machine went to work and conjured up a mind-menglingly splendiferous plan, so cunning that if you put a tail on it, then it would become a weasel.

The idea was to put Dukakis into a tough environment that would prop up his weaknesses on defence.

So, let’s have him ride a tank. That will beef up his image.

So, the great photo was shot, and what happened? Hm? Nothing. Not a sausage. The tank didn’t make a dickybird of a difference.
The tank actually tanked Mike’s chances of becoming a president.

Sadly the cunning PR plan miserably flopped, and George H.W. Bush’s used the picture as evidence to prove that Dukakis, in spite of sitting on tank, is far too weak for the double role of US president and Commander-in-Chief.

Some thought it was the tank to blame, but it wasn’t.

In 1986, Prime Minister and world-renowned handbag wielder, Margaret Thatcher was riding an on Challenger tank.

For some reason she achieved the total opposite of what Dukakis would achieve two years later. She was perceived as a strong leader.

So, what was the difference?

Well, this is what we discuss in this month's eye-poppingly inconspicuous episode of Commando Consulting, entitled, “From Task-Focused Helping Brawn to Value-Focused Helping Brain”