Anonymous: Crisis Management — Half Street Group

Anonymous

Strategic guidance during an unplanned leadership transition

Services

Crisis Communications
Internal Communications
Reputation Management
Public Relations

The Challenge

When a well-respected national nonprofit organization was facing an unplanned leadership transition, the board of directors and human resources department turned to Half Street Group for outside expertise on how to handle the situation without damaging the organization’s reputation or staff relationships. They needed a high-level, effective, and confidential communications plan that would address the situation in a way that allowed the organization to answer employees’ questions, assuage funders’ concerns about stability, and attract top-tier candidates for the now-vacant leadership position.

The Solution

The client approached Half Street Group for a crisis communications plan and reputation management. Half Street recognized the importance of communications in order to mitigate any potential issues from the personnel change and preserve the organization’s industry stature. By emphasizing a bias for controlled transparency, Half Street was able to shape a positive narrative around the transition — ensuring that the organization would be well-positioned to compete for a diverse pool of skilled talent. Half Street developed messaging and talking points, and provided strategic counsel to the client’s HR team and board on how to thoughtfully and transparently tell the story of the change to staff and external partners.

The Impact

Half Street successfully helped the organization move through a potentially harrowing reputation crisis by controlling the narrative and limiting external coverage. By navigating a leadership change with confidence and transparency, the client successfully maintained staff and external relationships and smoothly launched a national search for a new executive. With decades of experience and the understanding needed to handle sensitive matters, Half Street helps clients generate press — and also stay out of the news when it matters.