IMAGE IS EVERYTHING

Aug 26, 2017 Editorial, Features / Columnists

In politics as in life, image is everything for individuals, organizations, political parties, religious groups and governments. Making a statement without saying a word that makes sense equates to one’s image.
Image means different things to different people, but the importance of its impact is not well understood by some individuals.
There are several meanings and explanations for image, but the one that stands out has a key political connotation which should be understood by particularly our leaders – image is the set of qualities and characteristics that represent perceptions of competence or incompetence and character as judged by the public.
Image is also a holistic package beyond external looks that encompasses one’s smile, body language, conversational techniques and one’s overall ability to interact with people in the workplace as well as in social and political settings.
The image depicted by our leaders says quite a lot about who they are and what they represent. The levels of importance attached to image vary depending on circumstances. For example, when preparing for an interview or a general deportment in public fora, Image, along with professionalism and proper demeanour go hand in hand.
Maintaining a positive image is sometimes very difficult for most of our politicians because of their arrogance, especially during debates in Parliament and other public forums. Many have admitted that they are aware of their poor image mainly because of neglect of their constituents or not being able to fulfill some of their promises to them. They are hoping that time, which is said to heal all wounds, will allow them to start their journey of renewal before their mandate ends.
Many senior officials in the current administration have acknowledged their shortcomings. Acknowledging their mistakes and taking steps to correct them are critical in avoiding criticism which happens quite often when they disappoint the public. Maintaining a positive image with the public includes these and many other genuine and good behavioral traits.
Image like personality is always noticeable, and based on what is seen, opinions, judgments and perceptions are easily formed by the public which may or may not be accurate. Our leaders ought to know that an extremely important element that complements image is a high level of self-confidence which must be visible in their every move and public statements. In fact, it has been proven that strong self-confidence is the hallmark of a positive image for our leaders to have in order to influence youths and others into emulating them.
Because the concept of image is not well understood by some of our politicians, especially those running the country, they tend to believe that their positions give them the freedom to do whatever they want without any consequence. This has been their mistaken beliefs that have led to such poor performance of governance and widespread disapproval by the public and the media.
Recently, many in the hierarchy have attacked the media, especially Kaieteur News, for exposing some of the less admirable and questionable traits of Exxon Mobil in several countries. But instead of using the factual information handed to them free of cost to re-negotiate a better deal with Exxon, they resort to attacking Kaieteur News.
In doing so, they have exposed their political naivety and unmitigated arrogance by showering praise on and going out of their way to describe Exxon Mobil as a reputable oil company without doing due diligence. They should be reminded that such a callous approach has worked against the last administration. Improving the image of the government should be top priority. It could redound to some excellent benefits, including increasing its confidence and trust among the people, because as we all learn at some time: Image is everything.

Latest News

IMAGE IS EVERYTHING

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| February, 14th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Fifties from Knight/Alleyne, bowlers help Barbados trounce Guyana

Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Haiti Dominate...

Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali to replace...

Jagdeo urges Associations to take a business...

The Battle for Barbados: One Guyana Racing Stable...

Tyrrell breaks 12-year-old school record to claim...

Features/Columnists

The PPP/C’s rotten return

Why the U.S. Should Strengthen Trade Ties with the Caribbean

Elections’ victory

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

IMAGE IS EVERYTHING

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| February, 14th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]