Facing adversity

Managing crises, regaining stature, and developing an eco-advantage

Crisis Communications in Canada

Crisis communications is a subject that every senior manager should have some grounding in. A company that can manage a crisis proactively is less likely to be beset by long-term repercussions from a negative event.

Crisis Communications in Canada — A Practical Approach delivers exactly what its title describes. It offers the reader practical ways in which to deal with crisis communications, including how to handle the media, and how to communicate best with internal and external stakeholders.

Although written as a textbook primarily for communications experts, author John Cooper, a regular contributor to CMA Management, has written a book that can also be a useful reference guide for small- and medium-sized businesses that may have to deal with these challenges without dedicated staff. The case studies alone are worthwhile reading for any management professional.

By John Cooper. Published by Centennial College Press. For more information visit www.centennialcollegepress.com/.

Green to Gold

Many firms find it profitable to have an environmental strategy. Green to Gold — How Smart companies use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage examines these companies, outlining methods that any organization can use to develop it’s ecological advantage. There are also several introductory chapters that point out why an environmental strategy is becoming a necessity for all companies.

Authors Daniel Esty and Andrew Winston are experts on environmental strategy. Both have previous experience in the field — Esty at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Winston with Boston Consulting Group.

The Eco-Advantage Play-book laid out in Green to Gold is based on Esty and Winston’s analysis of firms with good environmental strategies. For managing the downside, these firms cut costs through eco-efficiency, eco-expense reduction, and value chain eco-efficiency; and reduce risks with eco-risk control. For example, 3M’s 3P program includes eco-expense reduction because it reduces pollution as well as waste.

Successful companies build the upside of their environmental strategies by increasing revenues through eco-design, eco-sales and marketing, and eco-definition of new market space; and by creating intangible brand value from being an ecological firm. Toyota eco-defined a new market for superior environmental performance with their hybrid car, the Prius. But Green to Gold points out that the marketing of intangible brand value is tricky. Examples are given of companies that experienced backlash from ecological activists when they advertised flimsy claims of their environmental initiatives.

By Daniel C Esty & Andrew S Winston. Published by Yale University Press. For more information visit www.yale.edu/yup/.

Reviewed by Patrick Buckley, CMA, PhD. Buckley is an Ottawa-based systems analyst.

Firing Back

Is it possible to rescue your career and restore your reputation after a major professional setback? In an age when we’re bombarded with press accounts of disgraced CEOs, politicians, and celebrities, this question is more important than ever. Firing Back lays out a five-step recovery process: “Fight, not flight” (face the difficult situation), “Recruit others into battle” (enlist the right assistance), “Rebuild heroic stature” (spread the true nature of the adversity), “Prove your mettle” (regain trust and credibility), and “Rediscover the heroic mission” (clear the past and chart the future).

Anchored in original research, this book includes case studies and first-hand accounts from humbled CEOs and executives from firms as esteemed as GE, The Home Depot, Morgan Stanley, Apple, Staples, and Hewlett-Packard. Firing Back offers a clear plan for any businessperson who needs to recover from career setbacks and reclaim lost prestige and reputation. The authors also identify common barriers to recovery that even seasoned executives can fall prey to, and explain how to surmount them.

By Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Andrew Ward. Published by Harvard Business School Press. For more information visit www.HBSPress.org.

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