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
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 Sandro Forte Podcast: Helping people get through the worst season in their life
Bill talks to Sandro about how he uses his experience, calm nature and empathy to help people get through the worst thing that is ever going to happen to them in their career. Truth, integrity and trusting our gut-instinct is at the heart of all that he does, and he explains why he believes this should be integral to the way we all conduct ourselves....
How they’re in charge is as important as who’s in charge
Critical takeaways Being brought into an organization to advise often creates tension with the incumbents. Consultants with an overbearing attitude will only alienate the incumbent more. A positive, supportive attitude will drive greater engagement and commitment from the people you are supporting. Look at things from their perspective and act with...
Hit the gym and develop your crisis muscle memory
Critical takeaways Individuals build muscle memory by conducting physical movements repeatedly. Organizations can do the same by practicing their crisis response frequently. Muscle memory applies equally to both good habits and inefficient workarounds so care needs to be taken that the muscles being developed are the right ones. Work with your team to...
Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode: Thought Leader Life 318: Guest Bill Coletti
Learn effective communication strategies so that you can continue to grow your enterprise in the midst of a crisis. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert, Bill Coletti https://www.linkedin.com/in/billcoletti/, who is a reputation manager, crisis communications and professional development expert, keynote speaker, Wall Street Journal risk and...
Integrate and Ignite: The importance of crisis communications and 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...
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.