I had the pleasure of spending my morning with New York Women in Communications for Crisis & Reputation Management: Leading with Clarity in Uncertain Times, a Comms Week event and annual meeting! I joined NYWICI as a rising star member earlier this year and was so excited to attend my first in-person event.
After breakfast and a brief networking session, the morning kicked off with the “Leadership in Crisis: Who Speaks, What They Say, and Why it Matters” panel, moderated by Linda Gharib (Wolters Kluwer) and featuring Sam Wolf (Burson), Emily Pan (Nasdaq), and Caitlin Girouard (PayPal). Wolf, Pan, and Girouard provided insight into the difference between a crisis and an issue, how to proactively prepare for both, what and when to share with your audience, and how to navigate internal and external stakeholders.
Following the panel, representatives from Hirsch Leatherwood led an interactive crisis communications workshop, presenting tools and tactics for high-stakes moments while emphasizing the 5 Rs: regret, responsibility, resolution, restitution, and recovery. The two representatives also explained the four types of crises – sudden, smoldering, internal, and external – and detailed how to identify the warning signs for each.
Before concluding, NYWICI leaders shared accomplishments from the previous year and previewed exciting new programs for the upcoming year.
It was such a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow communications professionals in the greater New York City area and have the opportunity to refine my skills in such a critical area with expertise from industry leaders. I look forward to getting more involved with NYWICI in the future!
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