2. Managing Crisis Communications with Chris Talley

This week, Melissa is joined by seasoned PR professional and leader of Talley Communication Strategies, Chris Talley. His PR experience comes from working at USAA, Lockheed Martin, AT&T, and FleishmanHillard, one of the world’s most prestigious public relations agencies. Today he volunteers in the community and devotes time to speaking at colleges across the country.

Topics covered:

- The difference between a crisis, an issue, and a situation
- How to be proactive in crisis planning
- How to "read the room"
- Learning from challenging situations
- The difference between brand and reputation
- How to manage stressful situations

Actions to take:

- Think like an investigative journalist
- Act, don't decide
- Praise in public, criticize in private
- Declare your communication timing
- Be intentional about the routines that you want to maintain as nonnegotiable
- Exercise, take a moment to breathe, and take a pause

Resources mentioned:

- Talley Communication Strategies: https://www.talleypr.com/
- Chris' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christalley1
- Accreditation in Public Relations: https://www.prsa.org/professional-development/accreditation-in-public-relations-(apr)
- The Muppets Take Manhattan: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087755/