I was channel surfing America’s Got Fat Dancing Losers and the cable news channels last night watching people bloviate about public options and peace prizes, and wondering where to apply for one of those death squads for grandparents.   It reminded…

So a grasshopper walks into this bar and the bartender says, “Hey, we’ve got a drink named after you…” And the grasshopper says, “Is that right? Why would anyone name a drink Bob?” It’s been an incredibly busy couple of…

The Toughest Communication of All    A client and friend recently related the story of a 50+-year-old man crying in her office after she was forced to lay him off because of economic conditions.  For a period during my past…

White House Office of Public Engagement Launched     The White House announced today that the White House Office of Public Liaison is being tasked with an expanded mission, and a new name:  the Office of Public Engagement!  In his video announcement…

Pubic problems   A group of us communication types were discussing our most interesting typos last week, and I related my early-career 30,000 run print order with a subheadline that read Chances for Pubic Input.  Somehow I stayed employed but I still…

Pandemic planning  As you’re reading this it’s anyone’s guess at what stage we’ll be in terms of the current swine flu issue.  That is the nature of issue/crisis management.   First things first: Epidemic is defined as an outbreak of disease…

The Facebook generation vs. the Fortune 500 I was talking to a law-partner-buddy of mine recently who wanted advice on dealing with new, young lawyers and their ‘lousy work ethic and sense of entitlement’.  The rules are obviously changing in…

People are getting angrier Adapted from Financial Times By Emma Jacobs As public distaste at taxpayer-funded bail-outs has turned to “bonus rage” directed at specific individuals. The home of the former head of Royal Bank of Scotland was vandalized last…

If you happened to see any television news the past couple of weeks you probably saw the story of Susan Boyle who just won ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ .  I can’t bring myself to get excited about or watch the U.S. version…

Recession and crisis communications   The way a company responds to a crisis makes all the difference and it’s crucial for executives to learn how to keep their brand strong as the recession persists.  Bad things can happen to good…