July 2010
1 post
WikiLeaks Creates a Need for Issue Management
We’ve all been engaged in discussions about the importance of “transparency.” Apparently, deciding whether or not to be transparent is no longer a question.
From a quick Google search: “let the genie out of the bottle (mainly American) to allow something bad to happen which cannot then be stopped Usage notes: In old Arabian stories, a genie was a magic spirit that would...
June 2010
1 post
Great Media Training Reminder - Have A Clear...
According to the story in Rolling Stone, General McChrystal has a highly qualified staff including a lawyer. Apparently he does not have a communication professional. And hopefully for him, he’s spent some time on the message he will deliver to the President about his Rolling Stone interview. There’s “being frank” and then there’s “talking too much.”...
April 2010
2 posts
Butler U. Coach Stevens well trained for media...
Coach Stevens in an interview with David Letterman refuses to go negative and scores high points. Check out this short clip.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Letterman-offers-Brad-Stevens-his-salary-to-coac?urn=ncaab,232644
Great release. No Whining. Short and factual.
Goldman Sachs Makes Further Comments on SEC Complaint
April 16, 2010 New York, April 16, 2010 - The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS) said today: We are disappointed that the SEC would bring this action related to a single transaction in the face of an extensive record which establishes that the accusations are unfounded in law and fact.
We want to emphasize the following four critical...
March 2010
1 post
"You make good choices, you get more choices. You...
I said that in 2002 based on many years providing issue management and crisis communications counsel. It’s a simple statement, but an important thing to keep in mind whether making decisions in your work or your life.
January 2010
2 posts
Toyota's Halts Sales Over Safety Issue - WSJ...
See the story on the Wall Street Journal website: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704905604575027671658649384.html?mod=WSJ-business-LeadStoryCollection
First, full disclosure - I’m on my 2nd Toyota RAV4. First one, a 2001 went 250,000+ miles. I now own a “pre-owned 2003” that I bought because I didn’t want to pay the full price for the new model that was part...
An Issue Management lesson from a boatbuilder.
A two-week course at the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building made me realize that I might learn about something beyond boats by building them. Our instructor, Joe Greenley, was a superb craftsman — his cedar-strip kayaks are seagoing sculptures — but it wasn’t his skill with tools that I absorbed. It was the way his mind flowed directly from problem to solution without allowing any emotional...
December 2009
4 posts
Congress Travels More, Public Pays
What were they thinking? Unfortunately, the usual answer seems to be, “I guess they weren’t.”
Could these be the same people who tore into the auto execs for flying their corporate jets to DC to ask for a bailout? That was a bad idea too….. but, not a reason to go them one, two or five better.
The article linked below gives some details. Much of the trip is likely well justified....
Harvard Construction Project Gets an Incomplete+
Just noticed that my past few posts are all “bad” examples. Here’s a “good” one.
My Free Advice:
1) Tell your own bad news - Harvard’s building plan hit by funding drop-off.
2) Provide a brief overview - The Prez went on too long - see Community Letter http://www.president.harvard.edu/speeches/faust/091210_allston.php
3) Use Q&A to follow-up...
Goldman Sachs Y/E Bonus Becomes a 2014 Event -...
After a firestorm of protest over the $2B+ bonus package for their 31,000 employees, Goldman had a new message today. My question is - If they had the idea about a more responsible compensation plan in May, why wait until the damage is done in December to revise the actual plan? Another example of the importance of Issue Management. By carrying the decision through to the end-game back in May or...
Tiger Woods Damage Control Goes Long
The statement released Wednesday by golfer Tiger Woods on his Web site was 316 words and 5 paragraphs. To answer the three critical questions necessary to respond in a crisis he might have done better with just 86 words. Following are the three questions and my recommendation on what needed to be said.
What happened? First two sentences in first para.
What are you doing to fix it? Last...
November 2009
3 posts
It's not delivering the bad news, it's the... →
Headline from 11/27/09 Wall Street Journal - “German Military Chief Resigns Over Afghan Strike”
A few lessons to learn here:
1. Have a process to get the facts.
2. Check your sources.
3. Don’t tell what you can’t confirm.
When something bad happens it’s always hard to pin down what actually occurred, much less why, which is the next most important question to answer. That’s why you need a...
News Coverage of Bisphenol A by George Mason U. →
Only five percent of toxicologists surveyed by STATS say that USA Today reports risk accurately. A recent news story on BPA demonstrates why.
“Risk = Hazard + Outrage”
– Peter Sandman
October 2009
2 posts
How do you respond to a media call for a quick...
First you have to ask some questions. Who is the inquirer? What is their affiliation? What is their deadline?
Find the process expert for whatever is at the core of the question. If it’s a medical question ask your doctor. If it’s a structural question ask your engineer. If it’s a legal concern ask your attorney.
You can’t respond without facts. This is no time for opinions. Remember, “Everyone...
“The plural of anecdote is not data.”
– Unknown
April 2009
3 posts
Issue Management - a definition
An issue is a gap between your practices and your stakeholders’ expectations.
Issue management is the process to close that gap.
When you close the gap, you create opportunities.
“If anyone has some data, let’s hear it. If we’re going to use...”
– Jim Barksdale, Chairman of Netscape
Worden’s Rules of Issue Management
“Resolved issues are assets, unresolved issues are liabilities”
“It’s too late to look for the answer after the question is asked”
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
These are three rules that have served me well in the issue management/crisis communication practice I have been engaged in since 1985.
I help you understand your issue well enough to...