Sep 28th, 2011 | Communication, Crisis Communication, Leadership, Public Policy | Comments Off
In a crisis communication situation, communicating who you are and what you stand for can either put you in a shark-filled tank or be an example of your integrity and class.
The most current illustration of this either/or condition is the case of the two major executives of the bankrupt California solar energy company, Solyndra, Inc.
Subpoenaed to appear on Capitol Hill last week, Solyndra’s CEO, Brian Harrison, and the company’s CFO, Bill Stover, responded to lawmaker’s questions with a stiff, “On advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer any questions.”
Now, that’s communicating what?
While constitutionally protected, these two men have extremely valuable and important inside information that could inform the loaning institutions of the reasons for the declared bankruptcy, as well as give the thousand or so out-of-work Solyndra employees a sense of what went wrong and why they are now in unemployment lines. Communicating without fear of legal responsibility also is a possibility that their lawyers could work out with the congressional panel prior to their appearance.
Years of experience with training clients in crisis communication conditions include imploring them to be open and truthful. Prepare answers to questions you know are coming. Prepare responses to possible questions you don’t want to hear but fear might be coming. Respond with brief, calculated and informative answers. Respond honestly to follow-up questions. Refer to already prepared response documents or statements available online or in news releases. And did I already say, tell the truth?
The congressional committee examining the events surrounding the government-backed loan to Solyndra of over a half-billion dollars is now presented with an insurmountable barricade by these two men in their side-stepping of preparing true and honest answers to the downfall of their company. The committee chair called the bankruptcy a “heist” and said there might be “co-conspirators called the U. S. Government.”
Those personal comments aside, the use of the 5th Amendment in this situation robs the Federal Government who entrusted these men with the financial resources they needed of ever knowing what really happened, not to say anything of the public’s right to know.
Communicating truth, honesty, integrity and remorse in a crisis communication situation is the best way to help the cause of understanding. The pleading of constitutionally protected 5th Amendment rights is a major legal maneuver that, right or wrong, brings doubt to the equation. No matter how or when the truth ever comes out, these men and Solyndra, Inc. will forever be branded by their response.
by Neil Kuvin
Jul 22nd, 2011 | Future, Public Policy, Sustainability | Comments Off
Save Water – Save Money.
Nearly the entire country is experiencing a significant heat wave. Here we experienced the first day at 100 degrees since this day in 1988. And while we suffer these temperatures, the water company is pleading with us to save water.
Our local water company is pumping nearly twice the normal volume of water daily, straining their systems nearly beyond capacity.
Water is THE absolute necessity of life. We cannot survive as a species or as a planet without it. We use water everywhere. In the house. Around the house. At the office. In all kinds of businesses everywhere.
Yet in many parts of the country water is becoming more and more precious and expensive. And while it’s renewable, we still have to clean it to use it. And in many parts of the country it more and more difficult to obtain. In coming few weeks we will demonstrate how to save water or use less of it. And thus, save money.
If you haven’t experienced a water shortage yet, you will. We waste clean water at a prodigious rate. Did you know that about one-third of the water we use during the summer goes on grass – not to people?! In the average large city we use 50-75 million gallons of water a day just to water our grass. Yet a few states away, water is scarce.
Did you know that most of the world gets by on only 2.5 gallons of water a day per person? Yet in the United States the average person uses 400 gallons a day!
Yet even in this country, Florida is experiencing fresh water shortages and they are common as well in the Southwest. Experts agree that if we don’t get a handle on this simple problem some cities will be importing water within 20 years. Los Angeles already has to import water to support its population. Las Vegas is a water sponge as well.
And spending on water continues to increase. Not just for the water, but for building and maintaining the infrastructure to deliver it. All of this costs increasingly more money. Anybody noticed their water bill actually going down lately? I didn’t think so.
Next Friday we’ll begin sharing some ideas on how everyone can help alleviate the water issues are – or will be – experiencing. Save water = save money.
By Julie Vincent, APR and Bob Dittmer, APR
From: Shades of Green, available at Amazon.com
Jun 14th, 2011 | Communication, Public Policy, Public Service | 1 Comment
Is the media serving its public?
My previous life as a television station general manager was spent during a period of local newscast expansion. Costs of syndicated programs like “Oprah” contributed to the decision to “just add another half-hour of local news” to the schedule. The problem was always doing it with existing resources to save money. As more television stations followed suit an obvious (seems obvious) result was denigration of quality and coverage.
Now a recent federal study of the media soon to be published points out a serious decline in reporting on a local level. Particularly alarming in the study is the finding that coverage of state governments and municipalities has receded at such a quickening pace that it has left government with more power than ever to set the agenda and have assertions unchallenged.
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Jun 11th, 2011 | Leadership, Political Communication, Public Policy, Public Service | 2 Comments
When Wiener tweeted like no body’s business,he actually was hurting his own. His personal brand has been taking a relentless beating since his tweets to young women surfaced. And today’s story on “Weiner tweeting a 17 yr old girl from Delaware” doesn’t help either.
There are cries from all quarters for Weiner’s resignation. But Mr. Weiner has been unrelenting, he doesn’t want to resign. So regardless of what happens,the big questions is, would the Weiner brand survive? How much credibility and trust would he have in the congress?
We decided to post a few choice quotes from readers on Yahoo this morning (June 11): → continue reading
Jun 3rd, 2011 | Communication, Future, Public Policy | Comments Off
Did you read recently that computer scientists and “artificial intelligence specialists” (that’s a real profession) are telling us that within the next 10-15 years we will be purchasing gadgets that can anticipate and fulfill our needs without having to be programmed to do so.
They say we will not have to specifically program these coming devices since they will be able to sense and foresee our expectations and habits as a result of our own ongoing and ultimately predictable routine. The yet-to-be created devices will regulate and tweak their own activities based on our personal and individual preferences.
To those of you who remember HAL from “2001: A Space Odyssey,” this is eerie and a little unsettling.
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Jun 1st, 2011 | Leadership, Management, Public Policy, Public Service | Comments Off
As we head into what will likely become one of the nastiest and most distasteful political seasons in history, I want to reflect on a recent, quality discussion I had with several friends about “service” and what it represents, especially to the individual who’s serving. The discussion centered around the difference between those who offer up their time and talents to “serve” and those who claim that what they are doing is “leading.”
The easiest example of this distinction can be found within the political spectrum. People running for office very liberally use the word “serve” to describe what they intend to do for their community, city, state, country, etc. Once elected to office, that term, and many times the actual activity in which they engage, ceases to reflect serving their constituents. It becomes what they then describe as “leading.”
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The most current illustration of this either/or condition is the case of the two major executives of the bankrupt California solar energy company, Solyndra, Inc.
