A Crisis is sometimes defined as anything that interrupts normal business operations … something Webster says that brings about a turning point or decisive moment when difficult decisions must be made. Many if not most organizations, companies, and leaders understand the need to put a crisis plan in place before the next crisis hits, no matter how unpredictable the actual event might be.

----more----

My next guest argues that even those entities that carefully prepare crisis plans fail spectacularly when tested because they forget about one key feature of a successful crisis response: COMMUNICATING through it. Without a Crisis Communications strategy she says, your reputation and your very viability might be in jeopardy.

About Susan's guest:

Aileen Pincus launched The Pincus Group after more than two decades of communications experience. Aileen worked as a local and national television reporter in Portland, Tampa, and Washington DC, before leading communications for a U.S. Senator, and then joining a global public relations firm as senior executive trainer. She now leads training and strategy for the firm’s clients around the country. Aileen’s communications experience spans the fields of journalism, politics, and public relations. She has trained senior executives from around the country for one of the nation’s largest public relations firms, Golin/Harris International.   Her work in strategy and communications training for Fortune 500 companies included counsel for the pharmaceutical, medical research, banking, automotive, legal, chemical, engineering, and technology industries, as well as for political and non-profit groups.

Prior to training and consulting in private industry, Aileen worked as a senior staff advisor for a U.S. Senator. As Communications Director, she coordinated all local, regional and national media efforts, and served as the Senator’s chief spokeswoman. Aileen comes to media and communications consulting after an extensive career in journalism. Aileen reported for local and national television news markets around the country for nearly two decades. She was an award-winning reporter for the NBC affiliate in Portland, Oregon, the ABC affiliate in Tampa, for the Fox affiliate in Washington DC and for CNN, where she reported on national stories for CNN affiliates around the country.

As President and founding partner of The Pincus Group, Aileen now directs effective media strategies and communication training for clients around the country. She writes and speaks on effective communication for national organizations and forums. Aileen is a graduate of California State University at Northridge, School of Journalism. She is listed in Who’s Who as one of the nation’s most influential people.

WVU Marketing Communications Today is hosted by Susan Jones from West Virginia University which is a program on the Funnel Radio Channel.