美剧《丑闻》女主角原型是她

    从打车应用Uber，到比尔•考斯比，再到弗吉尼亚大学（University of Virginia），许多著名的品牌已经失去了往日的光彩。通用汽车（General Motors）、全美橄榄球联盟（NFL）和NBC新闻（NBC News）的危机依然在持续发酵，我们是否正处在一个丑闻高发的时期？

    确实如此。不过，我们可以从朱迪•史密斯那里获得一些建议。或许你不认识她，但你可能听说过她的故事。她是华盛顿危机管理机构史密斯公司（Smith & Co.）的领导者。在美国广播公司（ABC）制作的蹩脚剧集《丑闻》（Scandal）中，被誉为华盛顿“形象捍卫者”，由凯丽•华盛顿扮演的女主角奥利维亚•蒲伯，便是以史密斯为原型，她也是该剧的联合执行制片人（与珊达•莱梅斯合作）。在现实生活中，史密斯曾经为许多声名狼藉的客户（莫妮卡•莱温斯基，迈克尔•维克等）和大公司提供服务，比如联合太平洋公司（Union Pacific）、联合健康保险公司（United Healthcare）、沃尔玛（Wal-Mart）、废物管理公司（Waste Management）和美国国际集团（AIG）等。

    不论为谁服务，总有一些原则是通用的。史密斯建议：“首先，要保护你的品牌。如果你或你的公司没有兑现品牌的承诺，就要坦白承认自己的错误。清楚自己的对手是谁。”（没错，就像奥利维亚•蒲伯一样，她和她的斗士们，将对手的照片挂在华盛顿特区办公室的墙上。）在史密斯所处的紧张刺激的领域，认知即现实。她说道，如果你想帮助你的品牌摆脱危机，必须清楚以下四点。

    1.了解自己的优点与缺点。一些性格特质能让一个人在个人生活和商场中取得成功，也可能令他们陷入麻烦。正如我在《好的我，坏的我》（Good Self, Bad Self）一书中所解释的那样，有七种性格会成为一个人的优点或缺点：自负、拒绝、恐惧、野心、妥协、耐心与放纵。大多数人会在某个方面出现不平衡。为了避免麻烦，要明确自己具备哪些关键性格特质，明白这种性格可能是优点也可能是缺点，回想它在生活中的作用，探索这种性格在未来如何发挥作用，并对其施加约束，以实现平衡与控制。

    2.认识到社交媒体的作用。社交媒体可以让一个品牌建立信誉，也可以让其遭受攻击和破坏。这是一个非常重要的“规则改变者”——它可以瞬间给对手增加信心，并且会缩短任何公司或个人品牌的生命历程。但如果利用得当，社交媒体可以成为你的助力。Twitter适合言简意赅的回复——注意，长篇大论的推文可能会给人留下不真诚和夸夸其谈的印象。如果你的情况确实需要有深度的回应，可以考虑通过Twitter链接到网站上的声明，或在Facebook上写一篇帖子。道歉之后，应该避开Twitter和其他社交媒体。许多人倾向于跟踪道歉带来的反响。这并非明智之举。正确的做法是，让媒体自己去领会和理解你的道歉。

    3.任命战时与和平时期的斗士。你需要配置两组人员。和平时期的斗士是忠诚的管理者，在一切顺利的时候，照管好你的公司和品牌。但当麻烦来临时，他们却帮不到你。此时，你应该雇用能为你战斗的战士，他们随时在为最坏的情况做着准备，谨防公司内有人出现过失，让你的信誉受到威胁。

    4.全力以赴。大多数时候，你认为问题并不严重——因为只不过是针对你、你的公司，或你的领导力的一些负面言论而已。面对现实吧：真相并非你想象的那样。但事实就是事实！在帮助一家公司应对危机的时候，我将公司CEO单独关到一个房间里，对他说：“不要告诉我负责处理此事的下属想说什么。告诉我你自己的看法。自己把它写下来。”一定要真实。如果你对一个问题或丑闻的回应不诚恳，关注者们会敏锐地察觉到。此外要记住，保持沉默也是一种态度，也是在对外传达一种信息。（财富中文网）

    译者：刘进龙/汪皓

    From Uber to Bill Cosby to the University of Virginia, a glut of famous brands have lost their luster. Amidst ongoing crises inside General MotorsGM -0.50% and the NFL (and NBC News too), are we in a season of scandals?

    Indeed we are. And we can learn a tip or two from Judy Smith, whose name you may not know but you may recognize by her story. Smith heads Washington-based crisis management firm Smith & Co. She’s also the model for Scandal’s Olivia Pope, the D.C. “fixer” played by Kerry Washington on the ABC DIS 0.29% potboiler, and a co-executive producer (with ShondaRhimes) of the show. Smith’s real-life resume includes work for infamous clients (Monica Lewinsky, Michael Vick) and major companies such as Union Pacific UNP 0.65% , United Healthcare UNH 0.21% , Wal-Mart WMT 0.04% , Waste Management WM 0.39% and AIG AIG -0.13% .

    Whomever she’s hired to help, certain rules apply. “Above all else, protect your brand. If you or your company doesn’t live up to your brand’s promise, own up to your error,” Smith advises. “Know who you’re up against,” she adds. (Yes, just like Olivia Pope, she and her in-house gladiators slap photos of adversaries up on a wall inside her D.C. office.) In Smith’s high-drama universe, perception is reality. And these are, she says, the four things you must know if you ever hope to rescue your brand from jeopardy.

    1.Know your good and bad self.The same traits that make people successful in their personal and business lives also get them into trouble. As I explain in my book, Good Self, Bad Self, seven traits make up the good self/bad self: ego, denial, fear, ambition, accommodation, patience and indulgence. Most people have an imbalance in one area. To avoid trouble, pinpoint your critical trait, understand that it can be good and bad, recall its role in your life, explore how it could play out in the future, and rein in the trait to achieve balance and control.

    2.Recognize the power of social media.Reputations can be built, attacked and destroyed on social media. It’s a huge game-changer—instantaneously emboldening adversaries and shortening the ride for any corporate or personal brand. But when you play it right, social media can be your friend. Twitter is good for to-the-point responses—beware that long strings of tweets can come across as insincere and ranting. If your situation requires an in-depth response, consider linking via Twitter TWTR 3.45% to a statement on your website or writing a post on Facebook FB 2.63% . Once an apology has been issued, stay away from Twitter and other social media. There’s a tendency to keep following up on an apology. That’s generally the wrong move. Let the words sink in and get absorbed by the media.

    3.Appoint wartime and peacetime gladiators.You need both. Peacetime gladiators are loyal managers who take care of your business and your brand when things are humming along. But when trouble hits, these types of gladiators don’t help you. Employ a team of wartime gladiators who regularly prepare for the worst and keep you on guard in case anyone in your organization missteps and puts your reputation in jeopardy.

    4.Be all in.Most of the time you think the problem is not as big as it is—because it says something negative about you or your company or your leadership. Face the reality: The facts are not as you want them to be. But they’re actually the freakin’ facts! When I help a company through a crisis, I lock the CEO alone in a room and say, “Don’t tell me what your handlers want to say. What do you want to say? Write it yourself.” Make it real. If your response to a problem or scandal isn’t genuine, followers will sense it. And remember, by saying nothing, you’re saying something.