CRISIS

Dear Cathy – Thanks for asking. It appears you have now presented me with two available paths to traverse in answering your question: 1) tell the truth or 2) tell something you’d believe as the truth. It would be naïve to assume a wayward path of mistruths is the best option, and yet so many […]

Dear Claudio, I don’t think people have forgiven or forgotten Lance – I think they’re fatigued. In today’s 24-hour news cycle, it takes a lot to hold the media’s – and the public’s – attention for more than a few days. Look at the Pope, for example. His resignation sparked a day of continuous coverage […]

The security of personal information is one of the most important things to a consumer, especially in the telecommunications business. While I’d need more information to talk specifics about this company’s challenge, here are a few principles to follow: Take ownership of the situation: accept responsibility for the breach, be transparent about the scope, and […]

Dear Dana, Regardless of the charges’ merit, you absolutely should be thinking about how the scandal may reflect on your organization. Everyone associated with the organization — from the executive director to board members to staff to interns — are brand ambassadors, and their actions affect the collective integrity. Here are a few things you […]

Dear Rachel, The tone of your question suggests that you don’t entirely blame your employee for his/her actions. There are a number of reasons why this could be the case. Maybe your employee was unclear about the instructions and did his/her best to execute. Maybe your employee’s comments were taken out of context, or manipulated […]

Dear Ann, A social media strategy is an important component of many public relations campaigns, and it’s also often critical in crisis response. (Or it can be part of a personal meltdown, see #winning). But as you suggest, social media is frequently mishandled! One recent and particularly good use of social media was the American […]