Mark Greene Get Through Tense Situations
Mad Men’s Don Draper is one of TV’s most iconic characters – he’s powerful, well-dressed, articulate, brilliant, and an a$$hole. But he’s also able to maneuver his way out of some very tense situations, to such an extent that he often seems as though he’s in control – even when he’s not.
While it may seem impossible to have the same level of situational mastery as Don, it absolutely isn’t – spoiler alert, he became Don Draper, he wasn’t born him. By taking a few steps, you can look, think, and act like Don, giving you the tools to cut through the tension.
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Use power dressing to your advantage
Not all of us can look like John Hamm – perfectly chiselled, a good height, and a winning smile – but that doesn’t mean you can’t use looks to your advantage. Style goes a long way for Don and helps him to get through tense situations. Why? Because he uses power dressing to set the tone as soon as he steps into a room.
Don is a huge suit fan, and with good reason – suits retain an aura of authority and a well-cut one helps our ad man to look as though he’s in control. It also means that he always looks professional and that is reflected back in his peers seeing him as someone to admire – even if they don’t like him.
However, it’s not just the fact he wears a suit so well that helps him command authority. His suits emphasize his masculinity by their tone and colour – Don often wears dark colours, but he’s unafraid being seen in weaves and patterns. This sets him out as an individual with total self-belief, making him someone who’s not to be trifled with.
The overall point with his power dressing is that he wears clothes that demand respect and he knows it – follow this advice and you’ll walk into a room knowing you can own it.
Research your audience & ask for help
One of Don’s greatest strengths is revealed in the very first episode of Mad Men – his ability to think on his feet. For many people, this is is one of the most stressful situations you can be in. However, Don has a trick that he employs to remove the tenseness from any situation where it’s needed – he really researches his audience.
We see Don’s commitment to audience research at the beginning of episode one – he’s sat in a bar preparing for his pitch with Lucky Strikes and having trouble getting inspired. Instead of getting stuck in his own head, he researches his audience by quizzing a waiter over his brand choices.
This willingness to reach out is used again in the pitch, when Don asks the client how their product is made. He then uses this information to craft a pitch there and then, one that the client adores.
By adopting the same strategy as Don, you’ll find that you grow into your interactions with people during tense situations. Why? Because you’ll be giving them the answers they really want.
Decide on your position & stick to it
This point is something of a misnomer. Why? Because at various stages throughout Mad Men, Don shows an impressive capacity to be flexible in his views. However, what you’ll spot is that if he has made up his mind about something, then he commits to his position. This can be a difficult quality to master, but it’s one that will serve you well.
Where it benefits Don is that it shows strength. So much so that he has the confidence to not only tell clients that they’re wrong, but that they’re wasting his time – he famously says: “You’re a non-believer. Why should we waste time on Kabuki?”
We get little evidence that Don is a gambler, Mad Men predates online casinos and we don’t see him in a land casino, but this play is a gamble – I’m sure you’d feel tense if you thought about turning away a client. However, like the best betting men, Don makes this play because he knows that, whatever happens, he’ll be able to ride out the storm.
The result is that the client respects his position and insists on booking his work – adopt the same position during tense situations and you may find you get the same results.
Don Draper has many unsavory behaviors that you shouldn’t take inspiration from – his womanizing and drinking being just two of the. But Don is also a character that is able to make it through every storm he faces, even if it takes him longer than he wants and he doesn’t get the result he aimed for.
By following using power dressing, researching your audience and asking for help, and deciding on your position and sticking to it, you’ll find that most situations are no longer as tense as you feared. So, think like Don and own the situation.
