????從打車應用Uber，到比爾?考斯比，再到弗吉尼亞大學（University of Virginia），許多著名的品牌已經失去了往日的光彩。通用汽車（General Motors）、全美橄欖球聯盟（NFL）和NBC新聞（NBC News）的危機依然在持續發酵，我們是否正處在一個丑聞高發的時期？

????確實如此。不過，我們可以從朱迪?史密斯那里獲得一些建議。或許你不認識她，但你可能聽說過她的故事。她是華盛頓危機管理機構史密斯公司（Smith & Co.）的領導者。在美國廣播公司（ABC）制作的蹩腳劇集《丑聞》（Scandal）中，被譽為華盛頓“形象捍衛者”，由凱麗?華盛頓扮演的女主角奧利維亞?蒲伯，便是以史密斯為原型，她也是該劇的聯合執行制片人（與珊達?萊梅斯合作）。在現實生活中，史密斯曾經為許多聲名狼藉的客戶（莫妮卡?萊溫斯基，邁克爾?維克等）和大公司提供服務，比如聯合太平洋公司（Union Pacific）、聯合健康保險公司（United Healthcare）、沃爾瑪（Wal-Mart）、廢物管理公司（Waste Management）和美國國際集團（AIG）等。

????不論為誰服務，總有一些原則是通用的。史密斯建議：“首先，要保護你的品牌。如果你或你的公司沒有兌現品牌的承諾，就要坦白承認自己的錯誤。清楚自己的對手是誰。”（沒錯，就像奧利維亞?蒲伯一樣，她和她的斗士們，將對手的照片掛在華盛頓特區辦公室的墻上。）在史密斯所處的緊張刺激的領域，認知即現實。她說道，如果你想幫助你的品牌擺脫危機，必須清楚以下四點。

????1.了解自己的優點與缺點。一些性格特質能讓一個人在個人生活和商場中取得成功，也可能令他們陷入麻煩。正如我在《好的我，壞的我》（Good Self, Bad Self）一書中所解釋的那樣，有七種性格會成為一個人的優點或缺點：自負、拒絕、恐懼、野心、妥協、耐心與放縱。大多數人會在某個方面出現不平衡。為了避免麻煩，要明確自己具備哪些關鍵性格特質，明白這種性格可能是優點也可能是缺點，回想它在生活中的作用，探索這種性格在未來如何發揮作用，并對其施加約束，以實現平衡與控制。

????2.認識到社交媒體的作用。社交媒體可以讓一個品牌建立信譽，也可以讓其遭受攻擊和破壞。這是一個非常重要的“規則改變者”——它可以瞬間給對手增加信心，并且會縮短任何公司或個人品牌的生命歷程。但如果利用得當，社交媒體可以成為你的助力。Twitter適合言簡意賅的回復——注意，長篇大論的推文可能會給人留下不真誠和夸夸其談的印象。如果你的情況確實需要有深度的回應，可以考慮通過Twitter鏈接到網站上的聲明，或在Facebook上寫一篇帖子。道歉之后，應該避開Twitter和其他社交媒體。許多人傾向于跟蹤道歉帶來的反響。這并非明智之舉。正確的做法是，讓媒體自己去領會和理解你的道歉。

????3.任命戰時與和平時期的斗士。你需要配置兩組人員。和平時期的斗士是忠誠的管理者，在一切順利的時候，照管好你的公司和品牌。但當麻煩來臨時，他們卻幫不到你。此時，你應該雇用能為你戰斗的戰士，他們隨時在為最壞的情況做著準備，謹防公司內有人出現過失，讓你的信譽受到威脅。

????4.全力以赴。大多數時候，你認為問題并不嚴重——因為只不過是針對你、你的公司，或你的領導力的一些負面言論而已。面對現實吧：真相并非你想象的那樣。但事實就是事實！在幫助一家公司應對危機的時候，我將公司CEO單獨關到一個房間里，對他說：“不要告訴我負責處理此事的下屬想說什么。告訴我你自己的看法。自己把它寫下來。”一定要真實。如果你對一個問題或丑聞的回應不誠懇，關注者們會敏銳地察覺到。此外要記住，保持沉默也是一種態度，也是在對外傳達一種信息。（財富中文網）

????譯者：劉進龍/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.