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Visibility, Credibility, and Growth.
From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
The cursor blinks at you in sync with the clock hanging on the wall. The page is blank, just like your brain.
“You’ll never finish in time,” it mocks.
“That’s five more minutes, wasted,” it taunts.
“You’ve got nothing,” it scoffs.
Frustrated, you close the page and admit defeat. With a 5 p.m. deadline looming, you move your attention to emails and anything other than that writing project.
We’ve all been there: The words just won’t come. This can be for a multitude of reasons including burnout, stress, personal distractions or fear. But regardless of our excuses, our deadlines seldom budge and eventually we must break through the wall standing between us and our finished projects. Below are six tips and tricks for blocked writers on deadline.
Tip No. 1: Just write.
Like going to the gym after the holidays, starting – writing that first sentence – is the hardest part. Don’t put pressure on yourself to pump out a perfect article from the minute you begin typing. Instead, focus on writing whatever comes to mind – even if you begin with, “This project will be the death of me, I can’t think of anything.” By flushing out the bad you’ve made room in your brain for the good.
Furthermore, it may be helpful to write out of order. Can’t think of an introduction but know exactly how you want to end the article? Start there. Perhaps you have an anecdote to illustrate a point – start there. Write everything out of your system, then go back and connect the dots. It’s always easier to build on a foundation (even a shaky one) than to start from scratch.
Additionally, save the editing for when it’s finished. Try not to second guess every word you type – if you do, you might never finish.
Tip No. 2: Eliminate distractions.
Turn off your phone. Close your browser. Put your headphones in and play white noise to drown out the sound of the office or the traffic outside. Move to a different desk or room if necessary. Having five hours to write a case study can quickly turn into two if every five minutes we wander away to the internet or our ever-growing email inbox.
Tip No. 3: Try a creative writing exercise.
Google “creative writing prompts” and you’ll find hundreds of simple prompts like “choose an animal and write about it.” Set a timer for one to two minutes and start typing. Once the timer stops, head back to your project. Taking a step back from the project you’ve been working on for hours can help wake up your brain and get your creative juices flowing.
Tip No. 4: Talk it out.
There are two types of people: those who are energized by a looming deadline, and those who are paralyzed by a looming deadline. Fast Company published a great article on how to use a frightening deadline to shake writer’s block. One suggestion the article offers is to talk it out.
We’re often better at articulating our thoughts orally than we are through writing, and the essence of what we’re trying to communicate tumbles out as we vocalize our thoughts. How many times have you explained a train of thought out loud and then been told to write it down, only to have forgotten what you’d said? The article suggests investing in a speech-to-text program or opening the voice-memos app on your phone. Using a recording device can provide a means to talk out your thought process and get through writer’s block.
Tip No. 5: Move your body.
How often do we start a writing project at 3 p.m. on Friday, only to find that our brain is exhausted, and we can’t even spell our own name if we had to? Physical activity can rejuvenate us.
Stand up at your desk. Take a quick walk around the block. Drink water. Stretch. Get fresh air. We may find ourselves in a stupor if we’ve been sitting in the same position all day with little movement.
Tip No. 6: Ask yourself, “What am I trying to say?”
Often, we lose focus of why we’re writing and what we’re trying to say. If there’s no purpose to the words, they will not come. Jot down what your thesis is and what your takeaways are, and bullet ideas that will support your thesis and act as packages for your takeaways. Reminding ourselves of the goal will help inform everything else we write.
If you’re struggling to meet your writing deadline (and perhaps reading this article to distract from or resolve your problem), I hope you find these tips helpful.
Earlier this week, my colleague, Jennifer, published a blog post about understanding trust and why it matters. The post was inspired by a series of articles published in the Harvard Business Review analyzing the current lack of trust with large companies, including Boeing, Facebook and Nike.
The final article, “The Elements of a Good Company Apology,” written by Sandra J. Sucher and Shalene Gupta, breaks down effective company apologies, while analyzing apologies issued by Boeing, Apple, United, JetBlue, Airbnb, Toyota and more. Although no apology secured perfect marks from the authors, some clearly did better than others and made important strides in winning back stakeholders’ trust.
According to research, an effective apology meets three criteria: it’s credible, it works to restore goodwill with stakeholders, and it assumes responsibility for correcting the error.
While reading this series, the team at Communiqué PR couldn’t help but consider a recent crisis at Seattle Children’s Hospital. In the spring of 2019, it was revealed that Seattle Children’s Hospital’s operating rooms were infected with mold and that this mold had led to the death of at least one patient and illness to at least five others. Since the story broke, more and more information has revealed the depth of the problem and that the oversight had led to the sickening of 14 patients – six of whom died –and spanned from 2001 until now.
This hospital has always been a trusted source of care and one of the most respected medical establishments in the region. However, the severity of these errors and failures have had terrible consequences and major impacts on many individuals’ lives.
In November this year, the CEO of Seattle Children’s Hospital released an apology both via a press release, and an abbreviated version in a full-page ad in The Seattle Times.
After reading the Harvard Business Review article about the elements of an apology, I’ve analyzed the apology issued by Seattle Children’s Hospital CEO, Jeff Sperring, to determine if it includes the most important elements of an apology (the full apology can be found here).
1: Determine what you’re apologizing for.
Sucher and Gupta indicate that there are two types of issues: competence and integrity. An issue of competence stems from problems that relate to a failure of reliability. For example, when a product or service does not live up to its promise. A failure of integrity, however, is a failure of responsibility; or when a company does not treat stakeholders fairly.
Regarding Seattle Children’s Hospital, this is somewhat difficult to decipher as new information continues to emerge about the length and depths of the mold issue. What appeared to initially be an issue of competence, now may be a multi-year problem that continued to go ignored. Based on Sperring’s statement, leadership was unaware of the connections between the mold-induced illnesses. If this is truly the case, this would likely be considered an issue of competence, however the investigation is still ongoing, and it is possible new information indicates otherwise
2: Take ownership.
The article recommends that in the case of a competence problem, a company take ownership and issue an apology. It’s important that organizations clearly understand they did something wrong and that they understand exactly what was wrong.
In the statement, Sparring assumes ownership immediately. He uses verbiage such as:
“We’ve let [patients and families] down.”
“…we have not been successful.”
“I need to apologize to patients who developed infections and to their families … .”
He quickly assumes responsibility for the problem, addresses those impacted and apologizes.
3: Is the apology statement credible?
A statement needs to be factually true, include information publicly available (or that may soon be publicly available), and explain what went wrong. This may all seem obvious, but people are inclined to leave out details or make vague promises which can further damage an organization’s credibility.
In the November statement, Sperring addressed the newly uncovered issues, that the mold dated back to 2001 and led to death of five patients. He stated that, at the time, they assumed the events were isolated, but now believe there are connections between those and the recent deaths and illnesses. Again, he assumes ownership of and apologizes for these specific failures. Additionally, based on news coverage, it was a Seattle Children’s executive who initially shared this information with the public.
4: Does this establish goodwill?
How do you go about establishing goodwill? Keep the focus on your stakeholders, not you. Be detailed. Apologize in a timely manner.
For the most part, Sperring does keep the focus on the patients and families impacted by the tragedy, however, there are a couple of instances in which he brings it back to the emotions of Seattle Children’s. He opens the apology statement with, “This is a heartbreaking time for all of us at Seattle Children’s.” He also states, “This is devastating for [patients and families] – and for us.” While I believe he is trying to portray the weight of the situation and remorse felt by Seattle Children’s, I don’t believe adding in the “and for us” is necessary. It brings the attention back to their emotions, instead of solely remaining on those most impacted – patients and families.
Sperring goes on to refer to “every mom, dad or caregiver” they let down. He references specific dates and number of patients impacted by the mold, indicating he understands specific individuals were affected by this situation, not just the organization.
Finally, it’s our understanding that the new information was disclosed by the hospital on Monday, Nov. 11, and this statement was issued one week later. The sooner the better, however, given the details in the statement, we can assume that the organization waited to distribute it until their plan was in place and details were confirmed.
5: Does it assume responsibility over the long term?
Sucher and Gupta say it best in their article. “After all, an apology is just words if the company can’t show stakeholders that it will offer reparations or ensure the situation will never happen again.”
In his statement, Sperring indicated the hospital will be closing the operating rooms that tested positive for mold and that new filtration systems will be installed in every operating room and adjacent supply rooms. Additionally, in the statement issued in The Seattle Times print addition, Sperring indicated that Seattle Children’s is engaging independent experts to conduct a comprehensive review and “understand how [they] got to this point and how [they] can improve.” He clearly outlines a plan of action designed to immediately address the problem, providing details on the steps they will take.
Additionally, by bringing in experts, the organization is introducing unbiased opinions as well as introducing individuals that have no reason to be distrusted.
Overall, Sperring’s apology very closely follows the recommended steps and approach. From a communication perspective, it appears to be effective. He apologizes, takes ownership, is detailed, and outlines a solution. However, the errors that occurred go far beyond words. Only time will tell if the organization will be able to rebuild its trust with patients, families, staff, and the community at large.
In November, I participated in the University of Oregon Strategic Communications Leaders Network meeting, a gathering of communication leaders, faculty and graduate students who convene twice a year to discuss key trends and research, and share perspectives on the art and science of effective communication.
Our discussion this fall centered around the importance of trust. It’s a topic that couldn’t have been timelier, given crises facing Boeing, Facebook, Nike, WE Works and a host of other companies, not to mention the impeachment hearings.
As background, we were encouraged to read a five-part series titled, “Broken Trust,” published by Harvard Business Review in July 2019. The articles contained excellent reminders about the importance of building and maintaining trust in business and why betrayals of trust are so consequential and difficult to repair.
If you are a communication professional or the leader of a company or team, I highly recommend you read them. You’ll gain the following insights and more:
- A reminder of the definition of trust as defined by organizational scholars.
- An understanding of businesses’ key stakeholders – customers, employees, investors and society – and the unique promises they want to see businesses make and keep. The authors include an at-a-glance framework that you might want to keep handy when developing marcom plans or considering the economic, legal or ethical promises that are expected by these stakeholders.
- Ideas on how to meet stakeholders’ needs, even when they might initially seem to be in conflict. The authors explain why stakeholders often have different interests and objectives, and share examples of how other leaders dealt with challenges that arise from this tension.
- Thoughts on how to determine if you’re doing right or upholding your promises. After all, as authors Sandra J. Sucher and Shalene Gupta write, people want to know “a company is doing what’s good for them, not just what’s best for itself.” There are three simple questions you can ask yourself to ascertain your motivations, illuminate your interests and understand your duty.
- Insight into four types of fairness: procedural, distributive, interpersonal and informational fairness. If you are responsible for setting policy or influencing the rules of engagement at work, you’ll want to be familiar with these concepts.
- Recommendations on the elements of an effective company apology. When something bad happens, key stakeholders want to understand it. This article explores when an apology is warranted and how to communicate it in a way that enhances trust instead of weakening it further.
The insights shared in this series will be helpful whether you’re a senior executive with a large or mid-sized corporation, or running a smaller business, like me. They’ll also be invaluable for anyone working in corporate communication or advising others about thorny communication issues. I hope you’ll take a minute to read these as you consider the meaning of trust in your life and organization.
Consumers are more engaged with video content than ever before. According to YouTube, people collectively watch one billion hours of videos every single day.
As consumers with multiple screens vying for our attention, we find ourselves relying more and more on closed captioning. While we enjoy the chance to quickly get the gist of a video without sound, these captions provide benefits to our learning that often go unnoticed.
A recent “Learning How to Learn” newsletter from Coursera showcased an article in Medium that highlights how old technology can find surprising new applications by emphasizing why Gen Z loves closed captioning. Regardless of generation, we’ve all found ourselves attempting to multitask our screen time while watching TV, working on a laptop and texting.
However, research has shown that our brains are not good at handling multiple tasks and that multitasking reduces productivity by as much as 40 percent. So, how are we retaining anything when attempt to watch multiple screens at once?
Mental health experts cited in the article support the notion that watching with closed captioning serves a valuable role for those who struggle with focus and listening, further demonstrating that auditory processing is more easily impacted by distractions.
Closed captioning is a relatively recent development in the history of broadcasting, and it was designed with the hearing impaired in mind. According to the National Captioning Institute (NCI), the technology dates back to the early 1970s when Julia Child’s The French Chef “made history as the first television program accessible to deaf and hard-of hearing viewers.” What we know as real-time captioning made its appearance later to keep up with live news and sporting events.
While the NCI has not acknowledged the growing use of closed captioning by those without hearing impairments, the organization has noted that “closed captioning has grown from an experimental service intended only for people who are deaf to a truly global communications service that touches the lives of millions of people every day in vital ways.”
Whether closed captioning is gaining steam because the baby boomers have hearing loss or simply need help understanding some hard to decipher vernacular, captions are being used to focus more intently on the content.
It may seem like a no-brainer: When enduring a public crisis, one must yield to the counsel of an experienced and knowledgeable PR team to protect your image and avoid bad press.
Yet the recent fall from grace for Prince Andrew, the British Duke of York, shows that what may be evident to the public doesn’t always translate to public figures, and it serves as an example of what not to do in the face of a public crisis.
In a disastrous Nov. 16 interview with BBC Newsnight, the Duke of York poorly danced around accusations of sexual misconduct and appallingly expressed a lack of regret for his friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He came across to his audience as lacking awareness and empathy for Epstein’s victims.
The interview was met with a flood of criticism. One critic deemed it as “nuclear explosion level bad.” A source with Buckingham Palace told The Times newspaper that the interview “would go down as one of the single worst PR moves in recent history.” Four days after the interview aired, Prince Andrew suspended all his public duties. On Nov. 24, Buckingham Palace announced he was stepping down from all patronages.
Shortly after the interview, UK media outlets reported that Prince Andrew’s PR adviser Jason Stein resigned weeks prior after urging against the interview and even clashed with the Duke’s private secretary, Amanda Thirsk, who pushed for the Newsnight appearance. Thirsk was reportedly ousted from her position over the interview.
So how could this have been handled differently? Hindsight is always 20/20. PR can be incredibly useful for driving a favorable narrative, but in crisis situations, this requires every potential hurdle and drawback to be thoroughly vetted and assessed.
Below, we look at a few crisis management rules that must never be overlooked in critical situations and how these factored into the Duke of York’s recent interview.
- Plan ahead and maintain awareness. One rule of thumb is to prepare for the worst to avoid confusion or PR missteps. In the face of a crisis, one must maintain sensitivity to the situation at hand and know the extent of its impact. During the Newsnight interview, Prince Andrew gave several responses that came across as perplexing and disingenuous, possibly due to lack of preparation. It’s important to brace for difficult questions so you’re able to appropriately address them and maintain integrity with your audience.
- Acknowledge, empathize and be human. No one likes a cover-up or being misled, and often, audiences can sniff out when someone isn’t being totally honest. Prince Andrew is no different. “It was striking that the prince had great difficulty remembering anything that might land him in trouble,” wrote journalist Allison Pearson. “But when it came to providing an alibi, suddenly he was Sherlock Holmes.”
Assuming responsibility and owning up to the truth can be difficult in times of crisis, but making an effort to hide something can make matters worse. Yes, there will be backlash to the cold hard facts around any crisis. But in being transparent, you’ll be showing your audience that you’re aware of the existing problem and taking steps toward resolving it.
- Surround yourself with a proven team to guide you down the right path. By building a trusted PR team, you’ll be putting in place a much-needed safeguard should a crisis arise. A PR team is tasked with protecting your brand’s image and will help you stay the course when things get bumpy. It’s crucial to listen to what your PR team has to say; they will only help with identifying solutions faster. Prince Andrew may have been given solid advice from some of his team members, but he chose to listen to the wrong people, exacerbating the crisis. Make sure you have a diverse team that can provide a range of opinions and feedback. This will only help in identifying vulnerabilities and strengthening your messaging. Yes, hindsight is 20/20. But the right PR team will help ensure such public blunders do not occur.
Recently, I was faced with the question, “When was the last time you multitasked?” Although a seemingly straightforward question, I found it difficult to answer.
Multitasking is defined as doing more than one task at the same time and can result in the feeling of increased productivity. However, research has shown that our brains are not good at handling multiple tasks and that multitasking reduces productivity by as much as 40 percent.
This question was difficult for me to answer because while I do feel there are some tasks that can be multitasked (e.g., doing laundry while cleaning the kitchen, talking on the phone while driving, or walking my dog), the bulk of my day-to-day work cannot be multitasked.
For example, it would be nearly impossible to write a byline for one client and host a media briefing while also brainstorming proactive pitch ideas. One could attempt to do all three of these projects, but ultimately the result of each would be poor. Even more basic multitasking can be risky and should be used with caution. Talking on the phone (hands free) while driving can distract a driver from the road or alternatively, could lead to a conversation that lacks active listening and damages a relationship.
In an NPR interview, MIT professor of neuroscience Earl Miller said, “People can’t multitask very well, and when people say they can, they’re deluding themselves. The brain is very good at deluding itself. For the most part, we simply can’t focus on more than one thing at a time.”
While research challenges the concept of multitasking, it is important to distinguish that there is a time and a place for multitasking. Some forms of simple multitasking will not result in damage (e.g., cleaning while watching TV or talking on the phone), however, complex tasks should not be multitasked because of the potential impact ineffectiveness could have.
As an alternative, there is an opportunity for people to shift their approach to time management. Instead of feeling the need to do multiple tasks at once, a more effective approach to multitasking could be to create a list of a few tasks that need to be completed and then execute the tasks in rapid succession. This separation of activity allows our brains to compartmentalize tasks and focus on one thing at a time while still getting a significant amount of work done. Through this flow of work, we still feel the same results of multitasking (increased productivity and motivation), but without risking value.
As we enter the holiday season, multitasking might feel like the only way to get everything done in time. Below are five time management tips to consider when managing multiple tasks:
- Manage your calendar and don’t overcommit to projects and deadlines.
- Minimize interruptions; hide your phone or block yourself from social media applications.
- Prioritize your tasks and take one item at a time.
- Delegate work if you can and know when to ask for support.
- Block time for breaks or creative exercises in between projects.
As someone who is very to-do list oriented, completing projects and crossing items off my to-do list one after the other is not only therapeutic, but has become my form of modern multitasking. The five tactics above can be helpful to leverage when feeling overwhelmed. These tips can improve overall quality of work by avoiding multitasking and taking a more thoughtful approach to time management.