Proud of your crisis response?
On March 4, 2016
Every day we make choices about what we do and what we say. We live with the impact of the choices we make. It’s the same during a crisis. Two recent and similar incidents caused me to reflect on the choices two companies made and the impacts on their business. People died or were injured...
Follow the leader, not the boss
On September 29, 2015
Every crisis team needs a good leader but sometimes this is the person you least expect. A crisis simulation begins and like clockwork the group turns to the most senior staff member – their CEO – for direction and control. Without question, the CEO adopts the position of crisis team leader. There is no discussion...
Organisational resilience: a case study of low resilience
On September 8, 2015
What do you do when the rats start to abandon ship? Is this a sign the ship is sinking or has it sprung a repairable leak? We are currently working on an interesting incident that has demonstrated the fragility of the organisation. Having done the wrong thing, and then been discovered, the small organisation went...
Death and destruction-The Thailand bombing
On August 19, 2015
I just don’t get where we have gone wrong. What motivates people to kill and injure hundreds of people? Thailand, Syria, Iraq, Kenya, America and the list could go on. I am no expert in foreign politics but it seems to me that our society is degenerating. We seem to have lost our connectedness, our...
A genuine apology- A stark contrast in crisis communication
On August 10, 2015
The day after I wrote a blog about a feeble apology from Jon Faine (after his interview with the lawyer of a bullying victim) a letter from Scotch College came across my desk. It was a stark comparison. I wanted to congratulate the school for what I think is a genuine and heartfelt apology. Why...
The Usain Bolt of crisis communication
On August 3, 2015
To state the obvious; effective and efficient communication during a crisis is an absolute imperative. It is essentially what underpins the safety of people, the ability to protect the strength of your stakeholder relationships and the difference between coming out of a crisis with your reputation intact, or not. Crisis teams need to be able...
Jon Faine’s bully blunder- A lesson in crisis management
On July 29, 2015
It was interesting radio this morning as Jon Faine questioned the lawyer of Dimity Paul, Adem Somyurek’s chief of staff who was a victim of workplace bullying at the hands of the Minister. Jon’s line of questioning almost supported workplace bullying. Comments like ‘Politics is a tough environment’ and questions like ‘How bad was the...