RETHINKING REPUTATION RISK:
FROM VALUES TO VALUE
The programme is "Rethinking Reputation Risk: From Values to Value." It focusses on the eight principles Dr Elliot Schreiber introduces in his recently published book.
Neither the book nor the programme is like any others on this topic. Why? Because, as Elliot states, "reputation is not based on good PR or marketing, but rather is determined by each stakeholder differently according to their own needs and interests. Reputation and risk both begin inside the organisation with its values and culture."
Elliot notes, "most of those in the reputation management business are focused almost exclusively externally and on marketing communication programmes and events. "But the book and this programme connect the dots you may not have realised need to be connected to have an organisation that is the most reputable amongst its peers – beginning with values and culture, and including governance, brand, strategy, and risk management." When harnessed together properly, these are powerful assets for the organisation. When left in their current silos, to battle for attention and budgets, their value is squandered.
We offer a primer on how an organisation can become more systemic rather than mechanistic, seeing the “total picture”. It offers a unique framework for how an organisation can better govern itself to address the ever-changing needs and expectations of its stakeholders and society at large.
Take a look inside the book You can read the forewords and endorsements for the book, plus an introduction to the concepts that are covered. Doing so will give you a good overview of the programme and the value you will get form it.
The book will also serve as a handbook to accompany the programme and each participant will receive a free copy in advance of the start of the programme.
About The Programme
Most books and executive programmes are about either culture, governance, brand, reputation, or risk. This is one of the first to integrate these areas, to demonstrate how they should be integrated.
Books and courses on these topics also are often written by academics or consultants. This book comes from someone who has spent more than 40 years in corporations, academia, and consulting.
It is based on extensive knowledge and experience. It is not a business “how to” book based upon some “war stories”, but rather extensive experience and research knowledge of the field.
This programme is international in its approach because reputation and risk are global issues, and many organisations are finding risk in their international supply chains.” While cultures and even organisations in the same industry are different, the principles here can be applied anywhere.
About the book, and therefore the programme, Peter Gleason CEO, National Association of Corporate Directors (USA) said, "The intriguing title The Yin and Yang of Reputation Management drew me in. As he states, “reputation and risk management are two sides of the same coin”. Reputational risk, and the management of that risk, have perplexed boards and corporate management teams for as long as there have been corporations. And a quick Google search turns up over 70 million hits on the phrase. Just about everyone has heard the adage that someone spends their entire career building their reputation, but one mistake can ruin it in seconds. It can also lead to a massive loss of value in the short term and be a severe impairment to future value-creation potential. This makes it a critically important governance and management issue.
Peter says Elliot, "advances our understanding of reputational risk, that he calls the “risk of risks”, and offers fresh insights, plus new methods that Elliot has implemented for client corporations in a range of sectors, to help boards and management teams manage risk successfully. As he points out, reputation and risk come from the values and culture of the organization, and he encourages directors to be more attuned to what is happening inside the company, as well as what is going on externally.
He adds, "The Yin and Yang of Reputation Management is very timely. Corporations today face one of the most challenging environments in our recent history. With the entire globe stricken by the COVID-19 pandemic, companies have been scrambling to keep afloat, with many sectors struggling for their very survival."
Peter goes on to say, "corporate reputations are being challenged on the news, on social media, and in one-on-one conversations daily. This all means growing pressure from many groups of stakeholders. These are complex issues with huge personal and corporate implications, and potentially massive financial consequences. And these fresh challenges merely add to the existing issues directors and executives were already struggling with."
He notes, "Elliot Schreiber’s career spans from corporate strategy, to teaching, to executive management, and consulting. He has “been there and done that”. Sharing his experience with brand and reputational management will help corporations avoid the mistakes of the past and take a fresh look at the risks they are now facing. Elliot brings the subject to life with a unique perspective on the Tylenol crisis, and examples spanning specific perspectives on the Wells Fargo and Boeing crises, to the recent opioid crisis, the reputational fallout for one of the most storied consulting firms in the world, and a host of other international examples."
And Peter concludes, "new cases will be written about the times we are struggling through right now, and it is critical we study the lessons of the past to understand the challenges before us, and those of the future. The Yin and Yang of Reputation Management provides those lessons. This guidance makes this book invaluable for corporate leadership teams today."
Who Will The Programme Benefit?
The programme is intended for executives of any type of organisation, including boards, CEOs and other senior executives, especially those concerned with governance, marketing communication, strategy, risk management (Internal Audit and Enterprise Risk Management), and reputation management.
Boards and CEOs regularly cite reputation and risk amongst their greatest concerns, but also express frustration that they are not getting the results they want and do not know how to manage these areas effectively. In addition, the approach this book offers will provide guidance to the board and CEO on how to gain greater efficiencies and innovate.
The book is intended for anyone who believes that reputation is the most important competitive asset of an organisation, which Elliot believes is an ever-expanding number of leaders of business, academia, healthcare, non-profits, and other organisations.
The benefit of this approach to boards and CEOs is that reputation and risk will become part of the enterprise, creating a mindset of stakeholder value that is critical given the increasing pressures from stakeholders, especially employees. It will become a “way of doing business” rather than a delegated activity.
In addition, the organisational recommendations that break down silos and create an integrated, cross-functional approach to reputation and risk will provide efficiencies and enhanced experienced-based advice that would otherwise not be attainable.
The emphasis of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) management will hopefully shift to the G, or governance, which is where the emphasis must be. The concerns about E and S are important but will be addressed when there is enhanced stewardship of the organisation, especially its values and culture.
Elliot hopes this book will help you to recognise that reputation management is competitive and a competitive asset for value creation and preservation that should be an enterprise-wide pursuit, and not something to be delegated to “the communication folks.”
If you are a new director on a board, or a new CEO, Elliot hopes the programme will provide you with valuable insights into how you can gain competitive advantage through a systematic approach to the way you do business.
Elliot intentionally refers to 'organisations' rather than 'corporations'. While corporate reputation is important, the ideas in this programme are applicable to any organisation and, in fact, they have been applied in for-profit and not-for-profit organisations. Universities, non-profits, hospitals, and even government agencies can find value in the programme.
Who Is Delivering The Programme?
Dr Elliot Schreiber
Elliot S. Schreiber, PhD, has moved successfully in and out of the corporate, academic, and consulting worlds during a 45-year career. He has been in sales, marketing and strategy, advancing rapidly to become the senior-most marketing and communications executive at three global corporations. He has taught at several universities in Canada and the US, has run an international consulting firm and has been a consultant to major corporations, associations, and non-profits. He is recognised as one of the most knowledgeable and experienced experts in the fields of brand, reputation and risk management, and governance. Elliot’s interests are found at the nexus of organisational strategy, values and culture, governance, and stakeholder expectations of value. He argues that reputation is the result of how well an organisation meets or exceeds the expectations or value held by stakeholders, while risk occurs when the organisation fails to meet those expectations. Read Elliot's full biography.
Elliot is the author of "The Yin and Yang of Reputation Management: Eight Principles for Strategic Stakeholder Value Creation and Risk Management" (Enlightened Enterprise Media 2021). Available on Amazon.
Participants in the programme will receive a free copy of the book.
Paul Barnett
Paul is the Founder and CEO of the Enlightened Enterprise Academy and, with Elliot and others is creating the Istitute for Enlightened Governance, Management and Leadership (IEGML).
The Academy is also incubating other institutes related to its objectives, and Enlightened Enterprise Media is being developed as a multi-media publishing solution to support the whole enterprise. It was the publisher of Elliot's book.
Paul will support Elliot in the production and delivery of this Programme.
Programme Agenda & Structure
The 10-Week Programme "Rethinking Reputation Risk: From Values to Value" includes 10 Modules will be delivered via the Enlightened Enterprise Academy Hub, an online platform.
Each module will be released weekly as a folder of content to be watched, listened to, or read. The content will include a pre-recorded video presentation by Elliot and Paul, to be watched before that week's live session.
If you are unable to make a live session, you will find the recording in the folder afterwards. And the content associated with the whole programme will be accessible for a minimum of 12 months after the programme ends.
Each week the 90-minute live session will feature Dr Elliot Schreiber in dialogue with a practitioner who has relevant experience. That dialogue will be moderated by Paul Barnett. There will also be a moderated audience Q&A session.
Before the start of the programme, all delegates will be invited to join a small Reflection Group (optional). The groups will consider the content of each module at the end of each week. This programme feature is designed to help participants develop their thinking about ways to apply the insights they have gained. Such applied thinking strengthens the chances of seeing and understanding the direct relevance and value of flat organisations in practice.
The Enlightened Enterprise Academy Hub is also designed to support the ongoing development of learning communities long after the programme ends. It will allow you to develop strong and lasting relationships among a network of peers with similar interests.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about any aspect of the design and delivery of the programme.
Week 1 – The Case for a New Approach to Reputation Management
Reputation and Risk Management, Having Been Misunderstood, Have Not Been Engrained in the Business
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Reframing the Problem and Solution
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Expectations
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Experience
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Value
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Definitions of Reputation and Risk, and How to Measure Them
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Introducing the Eight Principles of the Yin and Yang of Reputation Management:
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Values and Culture are the Sources of Both Reputation and Risk
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The Board is Responsible for Values as well as Value-Creation and Preservation
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Every Stakeholder Determines Your Reputation According to their Own Needs and Values
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Your Brand is a “Window into the Soul” of Your Organisation
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Reputation is Competitive and Your Most Important Competitive Asset
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The Argument Over Shareholder versus Stakeholder Value is a False Dichotomy
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There is Risk in Reputation and Reputation Opportunities in Risk
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Reputation and Risk are Too Complex to be Managed by a Single Function or Discipline
Week 2: Principle 1: Values and Culture are the Principle Sources of Reputation and Risk
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Components of Culture
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First-Order-Value and Second Order-Value Organisations
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Cultural Fit
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Putting Words into Action is Tough
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Culture Can Destroy Reputation Faster Than It Can Build It
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Reputation Risk and Crisis from an Unhealthy Culture
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Some Companies Have Got It Right
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Measuring Culture
Week 3: Principle 2 - The Board is Responsible for Values as well as Value-Creation and Preservation
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Governance
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The Role of the Board Has Changed
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Values and Culture as Competitive Edge
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Recommendations
Week 4: Principle 3 - Every Stakeholder Determines Your Reputation According to Their Own Needs and Values
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Understanding Stakeholders
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Value Scheme and Mapping
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How Stakeholders Determine Reputation
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Respect and Dignity
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Past Experiences or Experiences of Others
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Organisation Communication
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What Matters is What Stakeholders Want to Talk About
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The Context of Stakeholder Expectations
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Touchpoints
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Demographics
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Third-Party Organisations
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Friends, Influencers and Trolls on Social Media: Prioritising Stakeholders
Week 5: Principle 4 - Your Brand is a 'Window to the Soul' of Your Organisation
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Creating the Brand
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Brand versus Reputation
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Brands and Branding
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Brand Architecture
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Branded House or Masterbrand
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Sub-Brands
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Houses of Brands
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Endorsed Brands
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Ingredient Brands
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Selecting the Right Brand Strategy
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Considerations after Mergers or Strategic Changes
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The Organisation as a Brand
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Positioning the Organisation Brand
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The Yin and Yang of Positioning
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Using Employee Mantras to Enable Employees to “Live”
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The Brand
Week 6: Principle 5 - Reputation is Competitive and Your Most Competitive Asset
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Target Stakeholders within Your Competitive Set
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The Constraints of Industry or Country
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What Reputation Leaders Understand that Others do not
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Reputation as an Intangible Asset
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Reputation Value and Equity
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Confirmation Bias
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Reputation Benefits to the Stakeholder
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Think About Reputation When Making an Acquisition or Partnership
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Measuring Reputation
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Three Key Questions for Reputation Research
Week 7: Principle 6 - The argument Between Shareholder and Stakeholder Value is a False Dichotomy
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Modern Capitalism and the Rise of Shareholder Value
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Impact of Shareholder Capitalism
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The Pressure to Meet Quarterly Financial Expectations
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Stakeholder Capitalism and Beyond
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The Times are Changing
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Reactions to the Business Roundtable Statement
Week 8: Principle 7 - There is Risk in Reputation and Reputation Opportunity in Risk
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Objective-Centric Risk and Certainty Management
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Culture Risks
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Opportunity Risks
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External Risks
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Roles and Responsibilities
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The Strategy and Stakeholder Value Executive Group (SSVEG)
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The Board
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Frontline Employees
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Not Every Reputation Risk Needs to Be a Crisis
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Practical Guidance: Cyber Risk by Rainer Westermann, President, Crisis Prevention Network
Week 9: Principle 8 - Reputation Risk Management Should be Managed Cross-Functionally
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The Strategy and Stakeholder Value Board Committee and a Cross-Functional Executive Group
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How The Group Works
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The Framework and Process of the Group
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Some Considerations for Those Creating a Group
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An Interview with Todd Von Deak, former Vice President, Society of Hospital Medicine, on his Experience with a Cross-Functional Group on Strategy, Reputation and Risk
Week 10: A Roadmap for Implementing the Yin and Yang of Reputation Management
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How and Where to Start
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Board of Directors
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CEOs
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Executive Committee Member or Other Leader
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Organisation Change is Hard
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Other Organisations That Might Consider Changes
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Business Schools
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Public Relations Programme
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What are the Programme Objectives?
And What Happens After?
OBJECTIVES
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Create an understanding among participants of a radically different approach to the management of reputation and reputation risk. Plus, an appreciation of the ways of going about adopting the approach and what that means from a board director perspective and the perspective of executives.
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Help participants see the wisdom of establishing a Strategy and Stakeholder Value Executive Group (SSVEG) to drive the change efforts and implement the new approach on an ongoing basis.
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Help develop a community of interest focused on the topic and continue to develop the body of knowledge and practice insights to support practitioners in future.
AFTER
Anyone taking part in the programme will also be invited to join a growing community of interest in the topics covered by the programme.
People completing the programme will also be able to request a certificate of completion if they wish.
What Investment Is Required?
And How To Apply
THE INVESTMENT
The cost of the programme is £1,000. This includes all materials, the forthcoming book, and all other benefits.
Payment plans are available to spread the cost, and partial scholarships are available in special circumstances.
NEXT START DATE
Details of the next dates for the programme are published in the NEWS section
HOW TO APPLY
We try and ensure an interesting mix of participants in each cohort. For this reason, participation is by application only.
REFUNDS
Refunds may be requested, and will be considered, prior to the start of the program, but not once it has started.