Crisis Leadership Blog
Insights and perspectives on being the lighthouse during a crisis.
What would your company look like if you did not fear crises?
Confucius tells us that "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." What is fear, and why do so many corporate leaders fear crises? Fear is a concern, rational or not, about your well-being. In this context, it is a concern about the reputation...

In Crisis, Do You Need a Craftsperson or Mechanic?
There's an interesting article I read recently about the notion of how to master a craft, and I was thinking about it in the context of the way we manage crises. In the article, Julian Shapiro notes that becoming a craftsperson requires more focus on the process than...

Checklists: Simple Tools for Complex Situations
I love checklists. I also love Thanksgiving. What could be better than combining the two? As you get ready for the holidays coming up, I want to remind you that checklists are critically important...

Don’t Just See, Observe: How to Prevent Blindspots
“You have not observed, and yet you have seen.” – Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia Pattern recognition is a superpower of strategic communicators. In the midst of a crisis, we have the ability to connect the dots out of a cacophony of signals, personalities and...

Why You Need to Understand the Cost of Crisis
What does it cost to replace a manufacturing plant? How about a flagship store? Fight a lawsuit? How much does it cost to restore your reputation? These are often the questions we ask when asked why protecting your organization’s reputation is a worthwhile...
By definition, Kith means a cadre of peers who shape opinions and attitudes while instilling sophisticated habits for action. As a way to live this value, we like to share resources that are building blocks to good crisis management and can help you start the path of protecting your reputation.
More Recent Insights

People Processes: Bill Coletti – Kith
On the People Processes Podcast, Rhamy Alejeal interviewed Bill Kith, a crisis management expert and they covered in depth communication strategies to help you navigate the COVID Crises internally. LISTEN HERE

Integrate & Ignite Podcast: Crisis Communications and Reputation Management with Reputation Management
Listen And Learn: Why he recommends a hands-on approach. how successful reputation management hinges on recognizing and responding within those critical moments in time. The importance of involving executive leadership. The difference between reputation management and crisis management/crisis communications. Setting expectations with the Four As. LISTEN...

What’s Next for Communicators re: COVID-19
On the first webinar in Kith's COVID-19 Communications Series, Bill Coletti and guest presenter Gerard Braud share their insights and top recommendations on "what's next" and what to do in this very uncertain phase between shutting down and re-opening for business. Specifically, they discuss: Best practices for writing a good response statement What to...

Responding to the Coronavirus: Kith’s top six tips for effective response
We’ve been tracking the spread of the Coronavirus and the cases of COVID-19 around the world and here in the US as we imagine you have. There’s no doubt in our minds of the seriousness of this challenge to individuals, communities, organizations, and countries. We have spent a good bit of time this week and last on the phone with clients as they work...

Beyond Deepwater Horizon: How BP has stopped saying sorry and is moving forward
Critical Takeaways BP made a major announcement in February 2020 to become net carbon-neutral by 2050. This announcement signified the end of their somewhat unsuccessful efforts to rebuild their reputation after the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010. There is a time where every firm hit by a crisis will have to stop saying sorry but knowing when to do...

Geeks Geezers and Googlization Show: Covid-19: An Opportunity to Make-or-Break Your Reputation
There’s a lot of things your company can’t control and the coronavirus is just one of them. But how you respond should be at the tip of your tongue. According to our guest, crisis communication expert Bill Coletti, “Plan now like your company’s reputation depends on it because it does.” According to Coletti (via way of Seth Godin), your reputation is no...

The Company You Keep: The Reverse Halo Effect and What You Can Do About It
Critical takeaways Companies often accept litigation based on the behavior of others but are unaware that the behavior and actions of their associates can also affect their reputation. This reverse halo effect means that your clients, suppliers, staff, and associates can all have a negative effect on your reputation, even if the link is tenuous. Include...

Change is hard: how to successfully make the switch from internal to external communications
Critical takeaways I previously wrote about the challenges for marketers taking over communications but making a switch from an internal to an external comms role is equally difficult. Communicators will actually be hampered by the similarity of the processes and procedures because these mask significant differences in the work itself. Communicators...

The Other Side of Potential Recording Session: Crisis Communications for Small Businesses
What you will learn in this episode: What steps Bill feels smaller businesses can take to better connect with and communicate with their customers and why communication is key in difficult times How Bill defines a crisis differently from day-to-day challenges all businesses face, and why he considers this pandemic to be a critical moment that will define...

“A marketer walks into a crisis…”
Critical takeaways Many organizations prioritize branding over communications. This makes sense when driving market share but leaves them vulnerable in a crisis. Marketers are often asked to fill the crisis communications role but this requires a fundamental shift in mindset and changing their focus from brand and revenue to reputation. Marketers in this...
The Kith Method
Good crisis management comes from a plan. Great crisis management comes from capability – and starts before you even smell smoke. That’s why we developed the Kith Method. We can help build and maintain a flexible capability that works for you.
Your reputation is an investment; time-consuming and costly to build and expensive to repair. Protect it.