Everyday choices can create serious issues I can’t count the number of crises I’ve seen during my career that started with an operational decision that seemed like a good idea at the time — but which was fatally flawed from …
Austin City Managers Take a Trip Back in Time
A situation that begs the question, “what were they thinking?” Austin, Texas has been making a name for itself as a hip and progressive city in recent years. While you would expect city officials to be celebrating their new majority …
GoDaddy’s Super Bowl Ad Draws a Penalty
Failing to anticipate public reaction is a costly oversight Domain registrar and Web host GoDaddy has a history of questionable taste for its ad campaigns, and its latest addition, axed after uproar from stakeholders, looks to have been a costly …
Crisis Management Quotables…on the Danger of Neglect
Don’t let a lax attitude put you out of business Any time you see the name Kennedy, you know you’re dealing with a power player. Although Rose Kennedy made her reputation largely as a philanthropist and socialite, there’s no doubt …
The Demise of Secrecy
A Lesson in Crisis Avoidance [Editor’s note:This is a particularly timely post from Rick Kelly, as Chris Christie joins the ever-swelling ranks of public figures who have fallen from grace (or at least risked it big time) by letting their …
Wake Up Walmart!
The products you choose to carry can create serious crisis management issues Walmart may want to put its buyers through some crisis management training after a couple of Halloween-related fails made headlines recently, starting with the retail giant being blasted …
Yosemite Rim Fire Demonstrates Indirect Impact of a Disaster
A harsh reminder of the need to be prepared as individuals and organizations The Yosemite Rim Fire, more than 15,000 acres and barely 15% contained, is demonstrating the crisis management adage that you don’t have to be in the direct …
Crisis Management Quotables…on Leadership and Crisis Prevention
Strong leaders are always watching for crisis warning signs If there were a competition for most quoted, yet least-known, individual, Arnold Glasow would certainly be in the running. A humorist born in 1905, Glasow not only established his own humor …
Do Your Crisis Management Plans Include Loss of GPS?
Heavily-used technology is frighteningly easy to disrupt EVERY day for up to ten minutes near the London Stock Exchange, someone blocks signals from the global positioning system (GPS) network of satellites. Navigation systems in cars stop working and timestamps on …
District Embraces Crisis Management Training
Planning for crises saves lives Despite the horrific incidents of school violence that have taken place in recent years, many institutions remain unprepared for crisis management when it comes to assaults on campus. Some, however, are investing in the safety …
Crisis Management for Cruise Lines
Ignoring a growing need for crisis management is bad for business The cruise line industry is notorious for its pricing. Every cruise is promoted as being a deal. 2-for-1 offers. 60 percent off. An 82 percent savings. But a savings …
Forward Thinking Means Better Crisis Management
Plan ahead to protect yourself When we sit down to discuss crisis management with clients, one of the first steps we take is to have them list what they see as their vulnerabilities. From internal problems like disgruntled employees and …