Crisis Leadership Blog
Insights and perspectives on being the lighthouse during a crisis.
Speed in the Face of Social Risks
My mom used to point out that I have been through every type of natural disaster except a tsunami. Wildfires and snow storms were a regular occurrence growing up in the Canadian north. My college education was ended by a historic flood. I’ve been through earthquakes,...
Clarity is Critical When Preparing for Social Risks
Happy New Year! 2022 is here! By now, the confetti is swept up and champagne glasses cleaned or, if you were like me, your PJs have been put away, and you've awoken from a long winter's nap. Either way, 2021 has been wrung out, and a new year has begun. A fresh...
A time for Grace and Gratitude
This will more than likely be our last post for 2021. And what a year it has been. For those of you that follow along in this space, you know that in July, I had a pretty severe accident and spent a week in the ICU. Last week I had the final of 4 surgeries on my right...
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...
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
Communicating How & When to Re-Open for Business
On the second webinar in Kith COVID-19 Communication's Series, Bill Coletti helps leaders and their advisors address the confusion around how and when businesses should come back. More specifically, he discusses the financial, social and moral considerations that come with those decisions - especially in light of mixed scientific, political and...
Turning Inwards: Tips for External Communicators Managing Internal Communications
Critical Takeaways The changes forced on businesses by COVID-19 are placing greater emphasis on internal communications. This is requiring external communicators to turn their attention inwards but this change requires a shift in perspective. We’ve outlined five considerations that external communicators need to have in mind when making this shift to...
Manage to Win: How Businesses and CEOs Should Respond to the COVID-19 Crisis, with Bill Coletti
In this special episode we speak with Bill Coletti about coronavirus, what businesses can and should do to address the crisis, how CEOs and other leaders should react, and what you can do during the following weeks and months to make sure your company is ready to return to normal operations when the crisis is over. LISTEN HERE
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...
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.