Today’s Q&A: “No Comment”
How do you handle the situation where you’re dealing with a client whose attorney doesn’t want to issue a statement other than, “No Comment”? [By Stephanie York, JD, Hennes Communications] As an attorney, I understand the knee-jerk instinct to say “We don’t comment on pending litigation.” When we are faced with attorneys who counsel their […]
America’s Experts on the Biggest Threats and Challenges Facing Us in 2019
From Homeland Security Today As a political standoff shut down the government for 35 days, homeland security professionals scrambled to continue the mission. From Russia to China, to cyber attacks and near daily mass shootings, read on for where we should focus as a nation and in our communities. We reached out to our cadre […]
How to Say ‘I’m Sorry,’ Whether You’ve Appeared in a Racist Photo, Harassed Women or Just Plain Screwed Up
Written by Lisa Leopold, Associate Professor of English Language Studies, The Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, Middlebury. “I’m sorry.” These two words may seem simple, but the ability to express them when you’re in the wrong is anything but – particularly for those in the public eye. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, to […]
Disbarment for Anonymous On-Line Posts Should “Send a Message,” Says LA Supreme Court
From our friend and colleague, Karen Rubin, attorney at Thompson Hine in Cleveland, Ohio: Do we need another reminder about the perils of posting internet comments on cases and matters we are connected with? Apparently we do, and here’s a strong one. Earlier this month, an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana was […]
Going to School on Crisis Management
[By Howard Fencl, Hennes Communications] David Wolowitz is a brilliant attorney who advises independent schools all over the world on every prickly nuance of crisis management and risk avoidance. He recently penned “A Crisis is Coming. Is Your Board on Board?” that offered seven steps independent schools should take to plan for, and deal with, […]
A Crisis Management Lesson: Leaders Under Fire Who Choose to Say Nothing Give People Nothing to Believe In
By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications From pointed guns to pointed fingers, the damage left in the wake of the Feb. 14, 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, has been gut-wrenching. The gunman, of course, is ultimately to blame for an act of pure evil. But many others involved, from the police officers first […]
Sorry Really Does Work – Boston Hospital’s Apology to Widower
By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications We’ve long been fans and proponents of Sorry Works! In fact, I make sure to include information about Sorry Works! in literally every single presentation I do throughout the year (over 110 in 2018). From their web page: Sorry Works! is the nation’s leading disclosure training & advocacy organization. They […]
Resolved for 2019: Overhaul Your Crisis Communication Plan So It’s “Social First”
[by Howard Fencl, Hennes Communications] This may be a shocker, but you knew it was coming: More Americans now get news from social media than from print. I’ll say that again: More Americans now get their news from social media than from newspapers. That’s according to a new report out by the Pew Research Center. […]
A Playbook for CEOs Attacked by Trump: Thrust, Parry, Ignore
From Kevin Miller, writing for Bloomberg: (Bloomberg) — Bosses of the world’s largest corporations are still learning to deal with one modern peril: when President Donald Trump shows he’s not afraid to call them out on Twitter. General Motors Corp. is the latest example. Even though Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra reached out to to […]
Balancing Fun and Professionalism At The Holiday Office Party
From Carol Kinsey Goman: Are you planning to attend your office holiday party? I hope so. This is a great occasion to relax and have a good time — and can be a highly anticipated, positive antidote to year-end stress. But anytime you combine fun with professionalism, it can also be a challenge. Here are ten tips […]