Reputation and issues.
What you do today shapes your reputation. What you do when things go wrong can define it.
I help organisations build and maintain their reputations, recognise potential issues and respond when things get difficult.
That might mean strengthening your public profile, building relationships with the people who matter to your organisation or advising leaders on decisions that carry reputational risk.
It can also mean preparing for a crisis, managing media scrutiny or helping your organisation respond when something has already gone wrong.
I've worked on both sides of the media relationship, including leading newsrooms and managing communications in a highly scrutinised sector. I understand how issues develop, how organisations come under scrutiny and what it takes to respond when the pressure is on.
What I can do.
Reputation management: Help build and maintain trust in your organisation through clear communications, credible positioning and strong relationships.
Issues management: Identify emerging risks, assess their likely impact and advise on what to do before a problem gets bigger.
Crisis communications: Help take control of communications when something goes wrong, from immediate advice and responses to ongoing management.
Media relations: Handle difficult enquiries, manage media interest, prepare spokespeople and build productive relationships with journalists.
Executive and board advice: Provide independent judgement on sensitive decisions, reputational risks and situations where the stakes are high.
Sensitive announcements: Plan how, when and to whom difficult decisions are communicated, including staff, stakeholders and the public.
Crisis planning and preparation: Develop practical response plans, responsibilities, messaging and procedures so your people know what to do when something happens.
Make the most of mindful mahi.
The work you do before an issue emerges can influence what happens when it does.
People who understand your organisation and have reason to trust it are better placed to make sense of difficult news. Strong relationships can make hard conversations easier. Clear, consistent communications can help prevent misunderstandings from becoming bigger problems.
Of course, a good reputation isn't a substitute for doing the right thing. Sometimes the best communications advice is to change what you're doing rather than find a better way to explain it.
I can help with both the everyday work of building trust and the difficult decisions involved in protecting it.