School predatory sexual abuse scandals continue to be a “hot” issue for decades for educational institutions. Schools can be a Petri dish of opportunity for those who seek to abuse or exploit young people, much like youth sports, summer camps, church groups, etc. How it is handled — whether it happened last week or many …
For years, JJ&W has counseled its clients, often anxious to rush out the door of external communication with whatever news they have, that their first stop needs to be communication to any internal audiences affected by that news. It’s the priority. And it’s common courtesy. Period. And we don’t stop with asking them to communicate …
Read more “Internal Communication Is King: Kelly Ripa/Michael Strahan Controversy Is Case In Point”
When we talk about motivating behavior change, we tell people that simply making them aware of something rarely drives them to that behavior. They usually need a triggering event – whether it is naturally occurring, like a time of year or an anniversary – or “manufactured” – something the organization does – to gently push stakeholders toward a …
Because JJ&W has counseled the Brain Injury Association of NH for a number of years, we’ve gotten very familiar with the concussion issue – it has certainly been in the spotlight with triggering events like the death of Junior Seau of the San Diego Chargers and more recently, the movie “Concussion”. Of course, any social …
There are a wide variety of issues that can cause organizations significant heartburn — if not outright damage — and occasionally, destruction. It is the role of the public relations practitioner to conduct an ongoing scan of the environment (from both an internal and external perspective) to predict and prepare for these issues before they …
This past August was my 4th opportunity to ride in the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), a 2-day bike ride across Massachusetts ending in Provincetown, to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The PMC raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the country. I’ve been reflecting on what they do …
Read more “Pan-Mass Challenge: A Case Study In Establishing A Signature Event”
Overall success in a matrix organizational structure depends largely on the presence of constant, clear communication. From the very beginning, all aspects of the matrix process — from roles & responsibilities to the evaluation process – need to be clearly defined and managed with open communication and unambiguous accountability. But what if they aren’t established …
Read more “How Improving Employee Communication Skills Can Make The Difference”
There is likely not a business school nor a communications program out there that is not following the developments of the Demoulas/Market Basket crisis as it is unfolding. To JJ&W, it is yet another illustration of how powerful corporate culture can be when it comes to the success or failure of an organization. For those …
Read more ““The new CEO does not know our culture” Union Leader, July 28, 2014, pg. 1″