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The 9 Rules for True Apologies

By Harriet Lerner Ph.D. for Psychology Today   I’ve been studying apologies—and the people who can’t give them—for more than two decades. But you don’t need to be an expert on the subject to recognize when a bad apology flattens you. Here’s a list of the nine essential ingredients of a true apology. The next time you […]


Lawyers Should Not Rewrite Crisis Communications

Introduction by Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications   Hennes Communications was founded in 1989 as a full-service public relations firm.  In 2001, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, we became one of the few firms in North America focused exclusively on crisis management and crisis communications. Since then, we frequently work with attorneys, who tend to be the […]


Crafting the First Statement in Crisis Situations: What To Say and When to Say It

By Nora Jacobs, Hennes Communications   For organizations responding to sudden, catastrophic crisis events, one of the most challenging decisions to make involves determining what to say and when to say it. Wait until all the facts have been gathered and you risk not being part of the critical first news cycle, which often sets […]


How to Rebuild a Damaged Reputation

By Ernie Smith for Associations Now   Not everyone has a perfect professional track record. Maybe a failed initiative or a connection to a corrupt organization earlier in your career is holding you back, or perhaps a criminal record is proving hard to get past. Or maybe you were simply inexperienced and needed time to build your […]


Hennes Communications CEO Named to Lawdragon Global 100 Leaders in Legal Strategy and Consulting and the Lawdragon Hall of Fame

Bruce Hennes, Chief Executive Officer of Hennes Communications, was again named to the 2022 Lawdragon Global 100 Leaders in Legal Strategy and Consulting, the definitive guide to the experts in management, marketing, communication and recruiting most valued by law firm leaders. Hennes Communications, founded in 1989 and located in Cleveland, Ohio, is one of the […]


Crisis Communications Strategies for an Always-On Media Environment

By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter, you know we’re constantly encouraging you to have a crisis management/crisis communications plan in-place before something happens. We are also constantly reminding you understand that you only have minutes to respond to a crisis situation; to train and test your team; to […]


The Crisis After the Crisis: What You Can Expect After an Active Shooter Incident

By William Flynn for Industry Dive While the article cited below was written for the grocery industry, it’s good advice for any company or organization.  The writer, William Flynn,  is a former principal deputy assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Infrastructure Protection and former assistant commissioner of the New York City […]


The Skill Set That Got You Into the C-Suite Isn’t Necessarily the Skill Set You Need to Manage a Crisis

It’s a simple fact: Controversies today are tried in the Court of Public Opinion more often than the Court of Law. News now breaks first on social media, with traditional media sweeping Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for leads. Whether your organization is immersed in crisis or dealing with a hot-button issue, your news can quickly […]


15 Ways Social Media Fuels Violent Extremism

By Bridget Johnson for Homeland Security Today ISIS roared onto the social media landscape not with a gruesome beheading, but with a fluffy kitten. The beheadings would be infamously broadcast by the terror group, leading to scattershot social media bans followed by new accounts created by terrorists and their loyalists to replace and augment the […]


The Next Big Decisions On Roe Are Up To Employers – Here Are Five Steps To Consider

Introduction by Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications The U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade leaves states to decide whether to restrict or ban abortion. And it leaves employers who provide healthcare plans deciding what to do and say about an issue that has separated the nation for decades. An attorney described it this […]


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