Category: Training

7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Crisis Communications Firm

By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications Crisis communications is a sub-specialty of the public relations profession that is designed to protect and defend an individual, company, or organization facing a public challenge to its reputation.  Crisis communications is aimed at raising awareness of a specific type of threat, the magnitude, outcomes, and specific behaviors to adopt to reduce the threat. […]

Attention: School Board Presidents, Superintendents & Education Attorneys

We are pleased to announce that Hennes Communications is now providing crisis management and crisis communications services to the Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA), giving their members access to our team 24/7/365.  Those services include pre-crisis planning, 24/7 crisis response, crisis/media training, litigation communications support, communications audits and tabletop drills. As has already been announced, […]

The Evolutionary Reason We Can’t Shake Public Speaking Fear

By Amy Boone, writing for Ethos3… The human race has made huge leaps in technology and science. We understand more than ever about the neuroplasticity of our brains. We use social media and technology to connect with strangers all over the planet. And we enjoy medical advancements that extend our life expectancy and fight back […]

Slow Down and Write Better Emails

By Erica Dahawan, writing for the Harvard Business Review… Misunderstandings are rampant in today’s workplaces. While poor communication habits may feel inevitable with colleagues, we should always strive to engage with clarity and empathy, especially as we come to rely more on remote work and digital communication. What is a good first step to improving […]

A Peek Inside a Crisis War Room From Chicago Navy Pier’s Top Communicator

By Sophie Maerowitz, writing for PRNews… In this installment, we hear from Payal Patel, communications director at Chicago Navy Pier, who shares her approach to a crisis war room, as well as her take on PR’s role in the tourism industry’s recovery.  PRN: What is your role at Navy Pier in Chicago? What are some […]

Why You Cannot Fake Your Feelings

By Carol Kinsey Goman, writing for CommPro… I was once asked by the Senior Vice President of Human Resources to work with a leader whose micro-management was limiting her team’s effectiveness. When I met with the client, (let’s call her Judith), she was effusive with her praise – going on and on about how much she […]

What the Stockdale Paradox Tells Us About Crisis Leadership

From Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams writing for the Harvard Business School: “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” — Admiral James Stockdale. In August, while most developed […]

After the Capitol Riot, What Is Your State of Preparedness?

From David Pounder, writing for Homeland Security Today, about the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 with lessons learned for business owners and other non-governmental organizations: What happened on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol had a surreal feel to it. While there were a lot of concerns and indicators that a large […]

Personal Security Considerations

In recent months, the U.S. has experienced civil unrest across various jurisdictions. Due to continued sociopolitical issues, there remains a potential for further unrest. Domestic terrorists and other violent extremist actors may continue to leverage peaceful protests to attempt to incite hate, destroy critical infrastructure, and inflict bodily harm. Extremist actors have also used rhetoric […]