Around here, we warn clients about the long tail of crisis. It’s when the effects of a crisis can drag on for a long time, with unexpected problems, and damage, popping up well after things seem like they’ve settled down. It’s also known as “the ripples,” and can pose an even bigger risk to...
If you’ve been around a moment, you’ve heard or read about our Kith formula: Clarity + Trust = Strategic Speed. Today, I want to talk about just one piece of Clarity: Knowing your stakeholders. That means knowing who matters, what they value, and how to communicate with them effectively under...
Here’s one of the most overlooked truths in crisis communication: The messenger matters as much as the message. You can have a perfect statement, a perfect plan, and a perfect rollout. But if it comes from someone your stakeholders don’t trust, it will fall flat. Or worse, backfire. We are in an...
In our last post, we discussed the importance of mapping your stakeholders. Now it’s time to really understand them. And the whole thinking for this series was spurred by this column about where people get their information. While Kith is politically agnostic, all of us have worked in politics at...
Demonstrating that no industry is immune to controversy – and highlighting the need for solid risk mitigation strategies – a shocking scandal has just rocked the HR tech sector. Rippling, a company specializing in workforce management, has taken legal action against its rival Deel, accusing it of...
I’m in the process of prepping a global crisis simulation for a multinational corporation. The other day, our brilliant client lead came to me and said “I can’t believe I’m bringing this up, but we need to add a Canada component. For the first time, we have to worry about the differences between...
I’m fond of the old military saying: “two is one and one is none.” It reminds me to have a backup for critical equipment, like ensuring my spare tire is filled and ready to go before embarking on a cross-country road trip. It’s hard to run to an auto parts store if something goes wrong when I’m...
There is no doubt about it … fear during a crisis is 100% real. Fear that you don’t have all the answers. Fear that you’ll show too much vulnerability to your team. Fear that your business won’t be able to recover from the issue at hand. Or fear that your efforts to right the ship may make the...
With the holidays in the rearview mirror, many of us now turn to making personal resolutions for the new year. Whether it's training for a Tough Mudder, getting more sleep (hello, melatonin), saving more money for your dream retirement beach house, or remembering to call your elderly aunt at a...
Any crisis comes with costs – economic costs, social costs, psychological costs – and long-term implications for your business’ bottom line, reputation, and team morale. No industry is immune to the threat of a crisis. Some sectors, including finance, face heightened risks due to the uncertainty...
Higher education is seemingly in an increasingly perilous spot. As the job market shifts — 47 to 54% of jobs will likely be lost to automation by 2030, or roughly 800 million jobs globally, according to McKinsey Global Institute — higher ed also needs to reinvent itself to remain a value-add in...
Thousands of colleges and universities around the nation are back in full swing for a new academic year, my daughter among them (Sko Buffs!). The beginning of a new college semester heralds many things on college campuses. The sight of students burning the midnight oil in the library. The sound of...
Is your organization prepared to respond to a crisis and protect its hard-earned reputation? Take our quiz and find out!