Must Reads
There is so much to read, so much to know, so many sources to follow. And the volume of news and information just keeps growing exponentially. How to keep up? Even more, how to rediscover the serendipity of learning something new and interesting for its own sake?
Here, for your enjoyment and interest, are the articles Temin and Company considers “must reads.” They are primarily on the topics of reputation and crisis management, the media, leadership and strategy, perception and psychology, self-presentation, science, girls and women, organizational behavior and other articles of interest.
They are listed below with the most recent articles first, and to the side, by category.
We hope you enjoy them and would appreciate your comments. And whenever you have any favorite articles for us to add, please let us know so that we might include them for other readers to enjoy.
There is so much to read, so much to know, so many sources to follow. And the volume of news and information just keeps growing exponentially. How to keep up? Even more, how to rediscover the serendipity of learning something new and interesting for its own sake?
Here, for your enjoyment and interest, are the articles Temin and Company considers “must reads.” They are primarily on the topics of reputation and crisis management, the media, leadership and strategy, perception and psychology, self-presentation, science, girls and women, organizational behavior and other articles of interest.
They are listed below with the most recent articles first, and to the side, by category.
We hope you enjoy them and would appreciate your comments. And whenever you have any favorite articles for us to add, please let us know so that we might include them for other readers to enjoy.
You’re unique, you’re completely unique
You’re unique, you’re completely unique.”
—Managing Director, Financial Services Firm
What The Spotify, Glenn Youngkin And Eric Lander Statements Tell Us About The Art Of Apologizing Today
Jena McGregor, Forbes, February 8, 2022
It’s been a big week for high-profile apologies.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said he regretted what he called an “unauthorized” Twitter swipe from his team to a teen. Biden administration science adviser Eric Lander apologized for his treatment of subordinates. Joe Rogan said he was sorry for his use of the n-word in past podcasts just a week after an earlier apology about conversations on his show with vaccine skeptics. And Spotify CEO Daniel Ek apologized to staff for the impact on them of the racial slur controversy as the streaming service’s P.R. crisis continues.
But how effective apologies are often depends on how much responsibility the person takes—and increasingly important, who’s doing the listening. Communication pros say that while good apologies take unfettered ownership for what happened, the practicalities of a divided country mean it’s harder than ever to offer an apology that will appease everyone.
“In any discussion today it’s almost impossible to make everyone happy—and apologies are the same,” says Davia Temin, a communications adviser who is also a contributor to Forbes. “If you string a few of the right words together it can sound to people like it was an apology. … The art of the non-apology has been refined tremendously.” […read more]
Most People in Workplace Relationships Don’t Tell HR
Ella Ceron, Bloomberg, February 7, 2022
The pandemic has brought a flowering of the workplace romance — but most of the office lovebirds aren’t telling human resources about it.
About a third of U.S. workers say they’re currently in or have been a part of a workplace romance, up from 27% two years ago, according to a survey from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). But 77% of respondents said their employer doesn’t require them to disclose such a relationship. And so, not surprisingly, an equal number (77%) of survey takers haven’t informed their employer about office romances they’ve been involved in. That can lead to problems.
“A lot of people would rather kiss a rattlesnake than go to HR and say, ‘I’ve entered into a consensual relationship with my coworker,’” said Davia Temin, the CEO of crisis consultancy firm Temin and Co. “It’s not the most comfortable thing to do. And you don’t know whether it’s going to last.” […read more]
Just fabulous. Really made us think.
Just fabulous. Really made us think.”
—Corporate Director, after Temin crisis presentation to the board
Without a doubt, the best global reputation strategists, crisis managers, media strategists and thought leadership marketing gurus I know.”
”Without a doubt, the best global reputation strategists, crisis managers, media strategists and thought leadership marketing gurus I know.”
—President, Global Organization
It is truly refreshing to partner with true professionals who have the highest standards. In the world of the mediocre, it is really special to work with you.”
It is truly refreshing to partner with true professionals who have the highest standards. In the world of the mediocre, it is really special to work with you.”
—President, Corporate Crisis Client
You guys are tremendous coaches and are so very talented at this, and I really enjoyed it.”
You guys are tremendous coaches and are so very talented at this, and I really enjoyed it.”
—Corporate CEO
Your clarity, expertise and optimism pulled us out of the vortex. You helped ‘clear the way’ for us to forge forth with important work. You have just talked us down from the brink…and saved an enormous amount of time and money. I haven’t felt so well taken care of, well, since I can’t remember when.”
Your clarity, expertise and optimism pulled us out of the vortex. You helped ‘clear the way’ for us to forge forth with important work. You have just talked us down from the brink…and saved an enormous amount of time and money. I haven’t felt so well taken care of, well, since I can’t remember when.”
—CMO, Major Global Corporation, in crisis
Axel Springer plans to force disclosure of employee relationships after Bild scandal
Erika Solomon, Olaf Storbeck, Kaye Wiggins and Anna Nicolaou, Financial Times, November 8, 2021
German publishing giant Axel Springer plans to require its nearly 16,000 employees to disclose sexual relationships between managers and subordinates, in the wake of a scandal that led to the ousting of the editor of its flagship newspaper Bild.
Chief executive Mathias Döpfner, facing questions over his handling of the incident, wants to impose such rules for the first time in the media group’s 75-year history.
But the plan has been met with scepticism from the company’s powerful worker representatives in Germany. It also stops short of prohibiting the company’s most powerful executives from pursuing relationships with junior staff.
***
In the US, the Me Too debate has fundamentally changed employers’ attitudes. There is increasingly a zero tolerance for relationships between senior bosses and subordinates, said Davia Temin, who runs a crisis-management company in New York.
“The world is changing,” she said. “What is acceptable is changing, abuse of power and the concept of that is changing.”
At a growing number of US companies, top executives now had clauses in their contracts saying there can be no relationship whatsoever with more junior colleagues, said Jennifer Kennedy Park, a partner at Cleary Gottlieb, who has written about “anti-fraternisation” policies.
“At the most senior level, the argument about consent becomes the hardest to judge because the person at the top of the organisation has power over everyone,” she added. […read more]
Netflix CEO’s “Non-Apology Apology” Over Dave Chappelle Show Misses The Mark As Sarandos Struggles To Navigate Culture Wars
Leadership, “Reputation Matters,” Forbes, October 20, 2021
No one has ever said that being CEO was easy. And today, as the top leadership role has expanded to encompass “spinner-in-chief” — getting the message right becomes mission-critical.
But, as Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos is so publicly finding out, this is awfully hard to do, especially when you’ve placed yourself squarely in the middle of the culture wars.
And you know what, “Voice-of-God,” “from-the-mount” proclamations do not work so well anymore. Sensitivities are on high alert. Inclusion means that you really have to listen and be sensitive to diverse voices, even when you disagree. And you need to communicate to all of your key audiences orders of magnitude more than you ever had to before. So it’s hard. And the rules are changing fast. […read more]