Last week, Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was accosted by Republican Congressman Ted Yoho, who called her a f***ing b**** on the steps of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. in front of reporters. This was, according to reports, an unprovoked attack. He did this when he was walking shoulder to shoulder with Republican Representative Roger Williams and in front of the media. The story was reported in The Hill. Since that incident originally took place, it has been covered extensively in the media. In fact, it also broke C-SPAN Twitter video records, as well. The clip is C-SPAN鈥檚 most-retweeted ever, according to C-span communications director Howard Mortman.

Regardless of your politics or opinion of Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, the Congresswoman eloquently reminded us during her remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives last week that all women deserve to do their jobs and be treated with respect. It is sad that this behavior still exists and was on full display on the steps of the Capitol. It was prevalent when I started my career in Washington serving as a lobbyist for the Mayor of New York City. And in the nearly three decades I have been involved in the outdoor industry, I have witnessed sexual harassment incidents on trade show floors, in meetings, and at events. It needs to stop. This incident provides an ugly glimpse into today鈥檚 workplace reality that extends to all professions and the fact that there is still a great deal of work to do to effect true change.

Why is this relevant to the audience of OBJ and colleagues in the outdoor industry? Because we are not immune to this behavior and women who work in our sphere continue to face the issue of a hostile workplace, as we have seen in studies and stories by Camber, OBJ and 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine.

After deciding she could not accept Congressman Yoho鈥檚 鈥渁pology鈥�, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez decided to take action. She addressed the incident on the House floor and thoughtfully outlined her point of view in a measured, straight forward manner with precision and passion, but not emotion. She spoke about this incident as an issue that all women continue to face, and to which they can relate. 鈥淚t impacts all of us,鈥� she said. She clearly had prepared these remarks and given a great deal of consideration to their structure. Her speech lasted roughly 38 minutes, had a beginning, a middle, and an end. By the time she had finished speaking, she had made her case crystal-clear for why she was not accepting the so-called apology from Congressman Yoho and why his apology was nothing of the kind.

Author Connie Schultz commenting on MSNBC said: 鈥淵oho and his crew would have liked her to just let it drop. Instead she said, you know what, permission denied. Permission denied. If you鈥檙e going to do this, we鈥檙e going to talk about it so all of America can have a conversation.鈥�

Her planning, practice, and clear delivery made all the difference in the world. She did what any effective CEO or leader would do when faced with commenting on a sensitive and controversial topic. With a steady hand, she skillfully helped Congress wake up to the insidious nature of unchecked sexual harassment and in doing so landed on the front page of The New York Times, not in the middle in the politics section. It is incredibly hard to get on the front page of the 鈥淕ray Lady.鈥�

This strategy was a master class in PR about how to attack a painful issue in a way that is relatable and understandable. It is an excellent skill to perfect for our industry, as we not only address gender equity and sexual discrimination, but also, diversity.

These kinds of discussions are never easy, but they are necessary and they are hard. We are making some progress in the outdoor community, but there is much work to do. We are seeing more female CEOs and female board members in the outdoor industry: e.g. Outdoor Retailer, where the majority of management is female. We鈥檙e seeing it at companies such as LifeStraw, Smartwool, and Vail Resorts, not to mention my colleagues in the PR agency world and media trade outlets. Respect 国产吃瓜黑料 is making inroads by providing sexual-harassment prevention training to businesses in the outdoor industry, including manufacturers, retailers, outfitters, nonprofits, government agencies, camps, and universities.

Let鈥檚 keep working together to establish an environment where women in the outdoor industry are treated with respect and have a聽clear path to a gratifying future.

The post Op-Ed: Chris Goddard Says We Need to Do More to Support Women in the Outdoor Industry appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

In the last two weeks, the outdoor community has been faced with several reputation crises: Camber Outdoors鈥� announcement of the 鈥渇irst ever鈥� CEO diversity pledge and, this week, the resignation of REI CEO Jerry Stritzke聽and Camber’s Deanne Buck.

Each story has and will garner significant discussions about what should and should not have happened. Dialogue is happening online, around water coolers, with friends and with colleagues. Hard conversations are taking place and passions are running high. Questions will persist. And questions are rarely a bad thing.

There are lessons to be learned about the importance of communication, as well as preparation for public relations crises. Today鈥檚 24/7 news cycle demands it given that a crisis can happen at any hour of the day. Being prepared will help prevent communications pitfalls that could send a challenging situation from bad to out of control in a New York minute.

Having handled crises for the Mayor of New York, ski resorts, and several trade organizations (ranging from violent out of control community meetings, fatalities, management changes, large scale layoffs to unexpected political changes), I have developed a list of best practices that, when used properly, can begin to alleviate a crisis鈥攅specially when the walls seem to be tumbling down.

The Three Phases of Crisis Management

Crises are all-consuming, emotional, and exhausting. As a PR professional, you need to be very clear and purposeful during each phase and make sound, albeit oftentimes immediate, decisions. Each phase, consisting of the 3 鈥淩s鈥� of crisis management, requires a specific plan, timing, tone, and response.

Phase One: Immediate Response

This action is taken immediately after the crisis occurs or is announced. Phase One involves gathering the crisis team, deciding upon the first outbound communication, (e.g., a statement, interviews or [rarely] a press conference), developing a Q&A, and handling the logistics for all of the above.

Phase Two: Remediation

This phase occurs in the few weeks following the crisis and extends the messaging of the initial announcement. Does this require Town Halls or a listening tour? Does the organization need to send out weekly progress reports regarding the crisis? Are there policy changes that need to be discussed and reviewed? Are there longer-term implications for investors? Plans for social media?

Phase Three: Restoration

This phase incorporates long term planning and execution of a strategic vision and communications plan which will vary based on the nature of the crisis.

5 Best Practices for Crisis Management

1. Plan Ahead.

This will help prepare communication teams for the worst and help to alleviate the pain, though not eliminate it completely, and it鈥檚 critical, as it enables communication pros to make decisions calmly, not in the heat of battle, which can include things like a controversial issue, a physical crisis on site, a fire, a leadership change, a product recall, or a community demonstration. You will need professionals. (Don鈥檛 cut your PR teeth on a crisis.) Some tips:

• Designate a crisis team: Have a designated team and phone tree with cell phones on a list for all members including management, public relations, investor relations, social media manager, website team, human resources, community affairs, legal team, and operations (if necessary).

• Identify the lead: Know who is the lead, designate that before hand.

• Determine the spokesperson(s): Who is designated and who will be prepped to speak to the media and other publics

• Assemble a 鈥渨ar鈥� room: Have a process/timeline for assembling the team and a venue/room.

• Distribute the actual plan: Have the details of the crisis plan in several locations (not just in the company headquarters, in case the company headquarters has to be evacuated).

• Update the media list: Have the most up to date media list ready to go.

• Check your social channels: Ensure that social channels are in working order and ready.

2. Gather the Facts.

Before issuing any kind of statement, gather the facts. Then confirm them. Hire outside help if needed. Then confirm those facts again and again. Understand that the outcome of the facts and intelligence gathered may result in a change of leadership, thus, in addition to the actual crisis, you may need to be prepared to address this change.

3. Remember Your Audiences.

You will likely have a few audiences that have to be communicated to first, and there is definitely an order of priority. If this is an issue of safety, (e.g., an incident or fire onsite), the first priority will be any employees impacted on site. If it鈥檚 an announcement about a leadership change, merger, layoffs or other non-threatening issue, there is likely a Board of Directors, senior management, employees, sales reps, retailers, or others. (If you鈥檙e a public company, it鈥檚 an entirely different ball game.) Audience priorities are determined by the nature of the crisis. Each audience will likely need a personal and tailored approach. And don鈥檛 forget the lawyers, especially if you鈥檙e public. Any form of written apology, press release, statement, etc., will need to be reviewed by your legal team, especially if the crisis is likely to impact the stock price.

4. Make Your First Public-Facing Communique Thoughtful, Transparent, and Consistent.

This first statement will shape the crisis immediately and is the most important. Honesty and transparency are critical, as well as an actual apology. The statement needs to include the positive actions being taken and a timeline for these steps. The statement should be hosted on various sites (decided on a case by case basis), whether it鈥檚 the company website, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Sometimes a press conference is warranted, sometimes not.

Your team will need to divide and conquer in order to deal with media inquiries, social chatter, retailers, key accounts, communities, board of directors, investors, and sales reps, among others. Develop a Q&A of anticipated questions and answers. Review and rehearse those questions. Decide who is going to be the media contact for inbound questions. This pro should be experienced in crisis communications.

5. Pave the Way for Positive Change.

Crises have a way of spinning out of control and, sometimes, can be dire for a company. However, if handled properly, the learnings imparted from a crisis may lay a strong foundation for positive change and bring people together. It may even be an opportunity to create a positive perception of the organization鈥攁s long as news surrounding the crisis is handled in an effective and efficient way.

The outdoor industry is strong, resilient, caring and incredibly devoted. Difficult challenges bring this community together and lift it up. This time will be no different.

Chris Goddard鈥檚 own crisis management team, which includes account director Wendy Agudelo, director of Client Services Meryl Rader contributed to this article.

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Here are a few big picture observations鈥攕low baked over the course of all three shows, which are very different, but also share some commonalities.

Whether it is introducing Safariland鈥檚 next generation auto-activated body worn camera for law enforcement, adidas Outdoor鈥檚 outerwear made of harvested ocean plastic, or PrimaLoft鈥檚 newest insulations, innovation and the ability to be connected and empowered is driving change.

In the world of law enforcement, it鈥檚 providing today鈥檚 officers with equipment that seamlessly and automatically connects them with other nearby officers and to their command center.

In the outdoor and winter sport world, it鈥檚 about having the best gear and technology to enjoy the outdoor world or an elegant coat to brave New York鈥檚 Fifth Avenue鈥檚 blustery winds in style, skiing in Val d鈥橧sere, or getting first tracks in Telluride.

Consumers, regardless of where they live, are dealing with today鈥檚 topsy-turvy world and consumed by national, regional, and local political unrest. As a way to rise above the noise, consumers are looking to the outdoors for solace and to fashion in order to express themselves.

Globally, there has never been so much choice鈥攊n fashion, technology, a blending of both鈥攁nd the evolution of traditional outdoor activities to urban venues. The world is the consumer鈥檚 oyster.

In order to engage a more demanding consumer that dwells in a world of distraction and is sensitive to transparency and supply chain issues, industries must unite to be stronger, smarter, and more relevant. This new age consumer is yanking our collective chains. Two sessions at ISPO Academy reinforced what we already know: that brands and retailers don鈥檛 make trends, consumers do. And we all better be ready to anticipate and act quickly.

Brands can learn from each other, share best practices, trade successes and failures, and be better together without revealing their trade secrets. We saw this at Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show, when the outdoor and winter sport industries came together under one roof. It does work.

All three shows鈥擲hot Show, Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show and ISPO鈥攑resent 2018/2019 products and direction for their respective industries. Each show is a global gathering of the world鈥檚 most iconic brands and up-and-coming companies, in addition to buyers, influencers and media.

The differences? Shot Show is focused on showcasing apparel, technology, and gear for the tactical/law enforcement and hunting worlds. Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show and ISPO are more closely aligned, as they focus on apparel, footwear, accessories, and technology for the outdoor and winter sports world, including ski, snowboard, water sports, fitness, and eyewear among others. Interestingly enough, the military attends both Outdoor Retailer and ISPO as they look to the outdoor world for design inspiration and apparel technology that easily transfers to protecting the U.S. military.

Three other commonalities stand out: people wear the passions on their sleeves, technology is king, and every single category is embracing with digital world with Fire and Fury (to borrow from author Michael Wolf).

I saw this unity and passion at all three shows, despite their differences. Here are my three big takeaways:

Have a Clear Mission

Having a sense of how to approach the future and anticipating the needs of customers or users is critical. Product is paramount, of course, but really thinking about how to engage consumers today and tomorrow so they become loyal is equally important.

Sales Can (And Should) Be Creative and Fun

Regardless of the trade show, I saw immense creativity from brands on the floors, whether it was designing my own adidas mini sneaker at ISPO Digitize, petting baby Goats at the Venture Out section at the Fisher + Baker booth, or having fun at the ISPO Munich Night Run followed by The Sport Scheck Trails in Motion Movie Night .

Never Stop Thinking About How Lucky We Are

I pinch myself all the time to think about how damn lucky I am to work in the industries that I do. Our clients do amazing things for their customers through the engineering of best-in-class technology.

I feel so lucky to work in passion-based industries. I feel genuine emotion in the halls of these trade shows. I hear it in the panel sessions, and the line presentations, and in the random conversations with friends and colleagues.

There are abundant challenges and point of views about how to get from point A to point B, but I deeply respect anyone who is really passionate about what they do, whether it鈥檚 engineering equipment for law enforcement, designing better gear, protecting public lands, fighting for diversity and gender equality, or getting more kids outside. I love being with passionate pros in love with that they do.

What鈥檚 Next?

Heading back to Denver for a two-day strategy meeting tomorrow, then heading home finally to watch the Patriots win the Super Bowl. I can鈥檛 wait. The next trade show cycle will be here in the blink of an eye.

Go Pats!

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