As a Think Pink Line blogger you know I’m a fan of Mrs. O.  So, I was anxious to hear her speech last night.  Well, what can I say?  Once a coach, always a coach.  I thought she did well, but she didn’t hit a home run.  Why?  Because she was over-coached.  Because she read what was on the teleprompter.  Because they coached the fire right out of her (I don’t think TPL blogger Marilyn Z. could call her angry based on that presentation). 

Mrs. O’s speech was well choreographed, she hit on all the points her handlers wanted her to make, but in the process her essence was lost.  The headline of an article in The International Herald Tribune says it all, “The careful rollout of a warmer Michelle Obama.” What a perfect example of women being expected to walk The Thin Pink Line.  Her focus on family and values was great, but she has so much more to say than that — and she usually says it with more gusto.  She faces the same problem Hillary encountered when she became First Lady and that Theresa Heinz Kerry was met with when she spoke at the same convention four years ago.  We want the spouses of our Presidents to be smart, but not too smart.  Passionate, but not too passionate.  And to have opinions but not come across as opinionated.  Come to think of it, that’s what we expect of so many women in the workplace.  And that’s The Thin Pink Line. 

So, what are the lessons we can all learn from Michelle O? 

1. When coached, keep the best of who you are and add to it, don’t subtract.  This is the Golden Rule of coaching.  Always lead with your strengths and add new behaviors that will help you to walk TPL. 
2. Play the game on the field and in bounds, but avoid the middle — that’s not where games are won.  If you receive feedback that you’re too quiet in meetings, don’t go to the extreme of dominating them.  Find 2 - 3 opportunities to give your opinion, affirm what someone else has said, or seek clarification that others need as well.  Going to extremes doesn’t work — for women or  men.  MIchelle played it too safe last night – she had plenty more field to use without being called out. 
3. Be strategic in your communications.  Choose the times when you can let the best of you emerge and when you should exhibit a broader range of communication skills.  The pundits may want a gentler, calmer Michele Obama but this doesn’t mean that’s all she can be.  Just once last night I wanted to see her diverge from the script and utter something totally passionate in true Michelle O. fashion.  I don’t think it would have detracted one bit from her message — in fact I think it would have enhanced it.  Think back to what happened when Hillary got tearful just before the New Hampshire primary.  We liked her even better. 

TAGS: Coaching, Democratic National Convention, International Herald Tribune, Michelle Obama, walking the thin pink line

I frequently tell women they need to look for female role models to emulate.  By watching the behavior of certain successful women you can get a good idea for how you should act if you want to be taken seriously and achieve your goals.  Michelle Obama is a great example of a woman who does a pretty darn good job of walking The Thin Pink Line.  She’s educated (Princeton and Harvard), she’s articulate, she has a sense of humor, she’s genuine, and she’s all that without losing an ounce of her femininity. When it comes to role models, I’d put her in my top ten.  Now that I’ve had the chance to watch her, I’d even put her ahead of Hillary.  Who would YOU put on the top ten list and why?  Let’s see if together we can develop a Top Ten for Walking the Thin Pink Line.

TAGS: Michelle Obama, women role models

Why is it that so many Americans have a difficult time with smart, strong, and sometimes angry, Black women?   Has it ever occurred to them that Black women have good reason to be angry?  Comments like this one made by Ms. Obama, “For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country,” shouldn’t be feared or reviled but welcomed because they express what many others are thinking but are afraid to say.  Black women are more likely to be single Moms, live in poverty, and have a more difficult time getting their “corner offices” (forget about them getting the Oval Office for a while) than their White counterparts.  That alone would be enough to make me angry. 

As an executive coach I’ve seen first-hand the struggle Black women have in the workplace.  If they dare to express themselves in clear, no uncertain terms they’re labeled as “problem employees.”  Co-workers and management don’t quite know what to do with them.  But they’re not the problem, a society that wants all women — especially Black ones — to stay in their places with smiles on their faces is the problem.  Black women walk The Thin Pink Line every day — and more so than the rest of us. 

I guarantee you that Obama’s handlers, wanting to get their man elected, are going to expect Michelle to dumb down, quiet down, and settle down.  Laura Bush and Barbara Bush did.  Nancy Reagan exerted herself in stereotypically feminine ways that were acceptable.  And poor Pat Nixon just shrank into herself.  Even Hillary made herself scarce after the healthcare debacle.  Michelle scares people — and we need scaring.  Social change isn’t created by the meek but by the bold.  By those who have the courage to take risks and speak their minds.  Michelle’s voice will help not only Black women, but all Americans whose voices have been quieted by small minds with big mouths.  Whether or not you’re an Obama fan you should be encouraging Mrs. O to remain true to her beliefs and her values.  She’s out there widening the playing field for all of us. 

TAGS: Barbara Bush, Black women, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, Nancy Reagan, Pat Nixon, women and anger