Many firms offer advice in what they call risk communication. We believe our approach is unique in four important ways.
1. Risk communication is a vital part of any organization's overall risk management. It goes far beyond messaging. It is what you do, not just what you say. It's applicable at all levels of any organization, including policy makers, senior managers, as well as communications staff.
2. Understanding why people feel the way they do, and respecting the reality of those perceptions, lays the foundation for honest and respectful interactions. That respect in turn builds trust, which leads to greater impact on people's choices.
3. Risk communication is different from crisis communication. Although the two sometimes work together, risk communication focuses solely on understanding and respecting people's perceptions of a threat. While that is important in many crises, those skills are just as vital in nearly everything an organization does. The 'risk communication as crisis communication' model is simply too limited.
4. As Principal of the firm, David offers a background no one else in the field matches. He was an award-winning journalist for 25 years and has taught risk communication at the Harvard School of Public Health. He's consulted internationally to businesses, professional and trade organizations, consumer groups, governments, academic institutions, and health organizations. He is co-author of Risk: A Practical Guide for Deciding What's Really Safe and What's Really Dangerous in the World Around You, and author of the forthcoming The Risk Response: Why We're Too Afraid of Some Things and Not Afraid Enough of Others, scheduled for release in 2010 by McGraw Hill Publishing.
