Blog Managing through a crisis
by Jocelyn
I was among the millions who watched Big Brown gallop to victory in the Kentucky Derby this weekend. My celebratory mood was quickly changed to shock, horror and sadness as I learned that second place finisher, Eight Belles, had suffered a life ending injury (sidebar: my heart really sank because as an almost-lifelong equestrian and horse owner, I have experienced first hand the tragic loss of a horse due to a freak accident. My heart goes out to all who were associated with Eight Belles).
If you’ve never had the opportunity to be face to face with these magnificent animals, it is hard for me to describe what it is like to be in their presence. Whether you are a horse lover or not, they are awe inspiring, frighteningly powerful and strong. And, sadly, incredibly fragile.
The tragedy that occurred on the track at Churchill Downs has resurrected the debate as to whether horse racing is inherently cruel, driven by greed or whether more safety measures can be adopted to avoid future tragedies. There are some highly charged emotions surrounding this issue. The industry is indeed facing a PR crisis, and will have some tough questions to answer.
In your own worklife, you may unfortunately find yourself facing a PR crisis. Our own Karen Post has some guidelines for how to manage through. She writes:
Bad publicity can devastate a company’s or industry’s public image. The entity should make every effort to handle potentially negative public relations situations with extreme care. When a crisis occurs, the media can be the first on the scene. There are four basic rules to remember:
1) Be accessible.
2) Be accurate.
3) Take responsibility for what you are accountable for - nothing more.
4) Inform personnel about what is going on and remind them of who is authorized to speak on behalf of the company and what their responsibilities are. Read the rest of this entry »
These got Western Civ started; might as well keep it going! The two epics are very different. The Iliad portrays the nine-year battle of Troy as a series of individual battles. The sorrow and pity of war has never been as well portrayed. It’s told in the most elevated of all voices and yet, its concerns always stay close to the human heart. If ever there was a cast of characters that were epic, this one has it: Paris, Priam, Hektor, Odysseus, Menelaos, Agamemnon, Akhilles, Patroklos, Ajax and old whatsername, Helen of Troy. The Odyssey follows Odysseus on a trip around the world, encountering (and surviving his encounters with) a range of gods and monsters. Meanwhile, his patient wife, Penelope, waits for him and fends off suitors who want her hand and her land. Both books are worth reading if only for the moment Odysseus’s dog, Argos, recognizes his master when he finally returns. And then the faithful pet dies.
Karen Post
Keith Burgis
