Reviewer: Summer Hennings
When I first saw this book, the front cover turned me away as much as the title drew me in. “The good, the bad, and the totally clueless,” I thought, “that sounds entertaining.” I overcame my short comings about the cover and picked up a copy. In What Were They Thinking? Crisis Communication: the Good, the Bad, and the Totally Clueless, I found an easy-to-read book examining a series of case studies in an equally light but firm manner. Steve Adubato presents each case study with easily-understood language and highlights the key lessons to be learned from each.
One key message reverberated throughout What Were They Thinking?: every organization, regardless of size, needs an effective crisis communication plan. Adubato deliberately chooses to examine cases which involve people at all levels of notoriety - from the local school district superintendent to national celebrities and political figures - to hone in on this point. I found the variety of cases to be an effective method of communicating this goal to the reader. However, the lessons learned can become somewhat repetitive by the end of the book.
I appreciated the juxtaposition of cases in which the communication professionals effectively handled a crisis and those in which crisis teams failed or did not exist. This juxtaposition can be seen and appreciated from the very beginning of What Were They Thinking?. By opening with “a model of crisis management” and following it with “a prime example for how not to handle a crisis,” Adubato prepares the reader for a roller coaster of highs and lows in the crisis communication world - “the good, the bad, and the totally clueless” as the title of the book describes. Adubato's first case, Johnson and Johnson’s handling of the Extra Strength Tylenol/cyanide-lacing scare in the early 1980’s, highlights the crisis team’s handling of this situation as one which not only effectively saw Johnson and Johnson through the crisis but enhanced the company’s public image as well. Following this golden case is Exxon’s ill-handling of an oil tanker spill in the late 1980’s. Seeing these two cases next to each other (as well as all of those following) paints a picture of the varied ways to respond to a crisis as well as the possible effects of an organization’s actions.
Overall, I enjoyed Adubato’s colorful descriptions and the lessons he highlights for the reader. However, I think What Were They Thinking? would most benefit the crisis communication newcomer, with its focus on the simple need for a crisis communication team and plan, or the veteran, who can use the lessons learned to add to their existing plans. Those who have already established a need for a crisis team but want guidance on how to develop a crisis plan should look elsewhere.
Summer Hennings
When I first saw this book, the front cover turned me away as much as the title drew me in. “The good, the bad, and the totally clueless,” I thought, “that sounds entertaining.” I overcame my short comings about the cover and picked up a copy. In What Were They Thinking? Crisis Communication: the Good, the Bad, and the Totally Clueless, I found an easy-to-read book examining a series of case studies in an equally light but firm manner. Steve Adubato presents each case study with easily-understood language and highlights the key lessons to be learned from each.
One key message reverberated throughout What Were They Thinking?: every organization, regardless of size, needs an effective crisis communication plan. Adubato deliberately chooses to examine cases which involve people at all levels of notoriety - from the local school district superintendent to national celebrities and political figures - to hone in on this point. I found the variety of cases to be an effective method of communicating this goal to the reader. However, the lessons learned can become somewhat repetitive by the end of the book.
I appreciated the juxtaposition of cases in which the communication professionals effectively handled a crisis and those in which crisis teams failed or did not exist. This juxtaposition can be seen and appreciated from the very beginning of What Were They Thinking?. By opening with “a model of crisis management” and following it with “a prime example for how not to handle a crisis,” Adubato prepares the reader for a roller coaster of highs and lows in the crisis communication world - “the good, the bad, and the totally clueless” as the title of the book describes. Adubato's first case, Johnson and Johnson’s handling of the Extra Strength Tylenol/cyanide-lacing scare in the early 1980’s, highlights the crisis team’s handling of this situation as one which not only effectively saw Johnson and Johnson through the crisis but enhanced the company’s public image as well. Following this golden case is Exxon’s ill-handling of an oil tanker spill in the late 1980’s. Seeing these two cases next to each other (as well as all of those following) paints a picture of the varied ways to respond to a crisis as well as the possible effects of an organization’s actions.
Overall, I enjoyed Adubato’s colorful descriptions and the lessons he highlights for the reader. However, I think What Were They Thinking? would most benefit the crisis communication newcomer, with its focus on the simple need for a crisis communication team and plan, or the veteran, who can use the lessons learned to add to their existing plans. Those who have already established a need for a crisis team but want guidance on how to develop a crisis plan should look elsewhere.
Summer Hennings