Navigating Today’s Reputation Risk Management Certificate Program

An organization’s reputation — and the process of building, protecting and restoring reputations — is often treated as an amorphous, intangible art. We rely on feel. On anecdote. On “gut.” But Reputation Risk Management continues to be a burgeoning field of study — one increasingly well understood and measured. It is also a business discipline with tangible connections to a company’s bottom line as well as its ability to serve its stakeholders, attract and retain talent, and reward shareholders.

This module will introduce participants to the field of Reputation Risk Management, its foundational principles and the elements we will review throughout the course of this program.

Today’s communication landscape is shaped by more than just new modules of communication. Changing trends in audience behavior — from shrinking attention spans; to validation-seeking behavior replacing education-seeking behavior; to uncharted levels of compassion fatigue — are forcing communicators to prioritize disruptive forms of communication that penetrate the noise and break down cynicism.

This module will explore these trends and the way they disrupt tried-and-true Reputation Risk Management principles and will provide practical techniques for overcoming the communication barriers that define “the attention-deficit age.”

The credibility of a messenger is a central component of organizational credibility, and research shows people judge whether someone is a trustworthy and credible source of information based on four criteria: caring and empathy; openness and honesty; dedication and commitment; and expertise and competence. Once they decide, often within 30 seconds of meeting you, it’s virtually impossible to change their minds.

Participants will learn the CODE for credibility; which of those criteria is most important; how people use them to make decisions about credibility; and what they need to do to establish and maintain credibility with any audience — especially those that are angry, worried and suspicious.

For some stakeholders, an organization’s online presence is a central method of reputation-formation. Increasingly, too, social media is the environment in which coalitions are built, rumors and misinformation are fermented, and an organization’s true reputation can be measured, shaped and, unfortunately, rapidly diminished.

In this module, participants will review the undeniable realities of social media; learn practical ways to establish a brand-consistent, mission-driven social media presence; and equip themselves to leverage social media as a barometer for reputational threats and brewing crises.

Crises may come as a surprise, but they should never be unexpected. Those organizations best prepared to weather a storm are those that not only invest institutional resources in crisis preparedness, but also those that recognize crisis preparedness as a cross-disciplinary management function.

During this module, participants will learn practical methods of crisis preparedness; how to build institutional support for crisis planning; how to tailor crisis planning to your institutional culture and voice; and how to clear institutional barriers, paving the way for timely and effective communication in the wake of crisis events.

While sometimes easily judged in hindsight, in-the-moment reputational challenges are messy, unpredictable and steeped with uncertainty. In this module, participants will learn how the communication principles covered throughout the course can be applied practically and effectively to help build, safeguard or restore your organization’s reputation.