64. Robert McNamara Was Wrong
You Must Respond to All Questions
Robert S. McNamara was the Secretary of Defense from 1961 to 1968 and the driving force behind the controversial Vietnam War. He went on to a more successful stint as head of the World Bank and lived until the ripe old age of 93, but according to his New York Times obituary, “spent the rest of his life wrestling with the war’s moral consequences.”1
As part of his struggle, he agreed to be the subject of a 2003 documentary in which he expressed regrets but ultimately defended his actions. The film is called The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons of Robert S. McNamara. Lesson Ten is about communication, and it contains sound advice for presenters about what not to do. Mr. McNamara said:
One of the lessons I learned early on: never say never. Never, never, never. Never say never. And secondly, never answer the question that is asked of you. Answer the question that you wish had been asked of you. And quite frankly, I follow that rule. It’s a very good rule.2
It is a very bad rule, and unfortunately it has taken on a life of its own in the modern business world. Many media consultants urge presenters to answer “the question you wish had been asked,” and to deliver their own message. Yes, it’s good to do that—within bounds. But think about it: How can it be a “very good rule” not to be responsive to other people?
In interpersonal relationships, not answering a question can lead to an argument; in business, not answering a question can lead to the failure of a deal. Only in politics, where the public has become inured to the practice of ducking and spinning, do audiences tolerate unanswered questions. But even there, the McNamara rule can backfire.
In the contest for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, as you read in Chapter 57, “Presentation Counts,” Texas Governor Rick Perry had a rapid rise and fall due in large part to his notorious performance blunders in two debates. But what was overlooked in all that attention was a Robert McNamara moment in the October 18, 2011, debate on CNN, when moderator Anderson Cooper asked Mr. Perry this question:
COOPER: Governor Perry, the 14th Amendment allows anybody. A child of illegal immigrants who is born here is automatically an American citizen. Should that change?
PERRY: Well, let me address Herman’s issue that he just talked about.
COOPER: Actually, I’d rather you answer that question.
PERRY: I understand that. You get to ask the questions, I get to answer like I want to.3
“I get to answer like I want to.” Imagine a salesperson saying that to a customer, a manger to a senior executive, a senior executive to a board member, or a CEO to an investor. Meeting over. No deal.
Imagine saying that to your significant other. No comment.
Anderson Cooper called Mr. Perry on it, “That’s actually a response; that’s not an answer.”
Four months later, in another debate among Republican candidates, another Robert McNamara moment occurred in this exchange between Mitt Romney and CNN moderator John King:
KING: What is the biggest misconception about you in the public debate right now?
ROMNEY: We’ve got to restore America’s promise in this country where people know that with hard work and education, that they’re going to be secure and prosperous and that their kids will have a brighter future than they’ve had. For that to happen, we’re going to have to have dramatic fundamental change in Washington, D.C., we’re going to have to create more jobs, have less debt, and shrink the size of the government. I’m the only person in this race—
KING: Is there a misconception about you? The question is a misconception.
ROMNEY: You know, you get to ask the questions you want; I get to give the answers I want.4
In business, you do not have the luxury of that kind of answer. You must respond to all questions. This is not to say that you should give away state secrets; you have every right to decline to answer on the basis of confidentiality, competitive data, or company or legal policy, but you must provide a rational reason—and “I get to answer like I want to” is irrational.