The Board’s Role in Crisis Communications | Dwayne Alexander of Alexander PR

PRGN Presents • Season 2, Episode 6 • Originally published as an audio podcast on March 23, 2023. What if a company’s crisis starts in the boardroom? Dwayne Alexander, co-founder of Alexander PR in Auckland, New Zealand, joins Abbie Fink and Dr. Adrian McIntyre to share what his team learned by asking PRGN members and companies around the world about the bad habits of boards. 👉 Read the white paper on 23 Bad Habits Your Board Should Change: https://companycrisis.co.nz/2023/03/1... Dwayne explains how 23 bad habits boil down to eight factors, from communication and ego to cronyism and ESG. Then he names the red flags boards tend to miss: strategy that keeps reversing, overworked staff, leaders who aren’t sleeping. He describes how communicators can brief directors before a meeting and why a board needs several generations around the table. And he tells how one New Zealand board ignored its CEO’s offensive remarks, until the company lost half its share price. KEY TAKEAWAYS • A crisis is usually judged by how the CEO handles it, but board habits can make one more likely and more damaging. • Watch for red flags beyond the financials, such as strategy that keeps reversing, overworked staff and leaders who aren’t sleeping. • Communicators can act as go-betweens, briefing directors before a meeting so they understand the red flags as well as the solutions. • Boards decide better with several generations at the table, because Gen X and Gen Z see work and wellbeing differently. • Set clear roles and ground rules, and step in early. One New Zealand board ignored its CEO’s offensive remarks, and the share price fell by half. Read the full episode notes and transcript: https://prgnpodcast.com/episode/role-... --------------------------------------- ABOUT THE GUEST Dwayne Alexander co-founded Alexander PR in Auckland, New Zealand, and has nearly three decades of experience helping leadership teams tell their story and grow their share of market and share of voice. A mentor to boards, CEOs and founders on reputation management, issues, crises and storytelling, he created The Content Place and Company Crisis, and became a published author in 2022. His team’s PR and content work has won 11 global awards. • Learn more: https://prgn.com/agency/alexander-pr/ • Connect with Dwayne:   / dwaynealexander   --------------------------------------- ABOUT THE HOSTS Abbie Fink is president of HMA Public Relations, the oldest continuously operating PR firm in Arizona and a founding member of PRGN. • Learn more: https://prgn.com/agency/hma-public-re... • Connect with Abbie:   / abbiesfink   Dr. Adrian McIntyre is an anthropologist and communications advisor specializing in the marketing and selling of expertise. He is a founding partner at Speed of Story, where he helps entrepreneurial experts and boutique firms clarify their positioning, package their intellectual property, market their premium services, and get paid for their thinking, not their time. • Learn more: https://adrianmcintyre.com/ • Connect with Adrian:   / adrianmcintyre   --------------------------------------- CHAPTERS 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:59 Meet Dwayne Alexander of Alexander PR 03:13 23 Bad Habits of Boards and the Red Flags They Miss 06:29 How Communicators Can Connect the CEO and the Board 08:14 Employee Wellbeing as a Crisis Warning Sign 10:35 The Courage to Challenge Established Workplace Habits 11:59 Why Generational Diversity Matters in the Boardroom 13:10 Setting Clear Board Roles, Expectations and Ground Rules 14:48 When a Board Ignores Its CEO’s Offensive Remarks 15:58 Podcast Outro --------------------------------------- PRGN Presents features conversations with members of the Public Relations Global Network. No matter where you do business, there is a PRGN member agency in your region with the deep industry expertise, international experience, and local market knowledge you need to connect with your target audience and achieve your goals. Find a PR firm near you: https://prgn.com/pr-agencies/