Crisis Mitigation: A Two-Way Street for CEOs and PR Pros

Many reputation crises occur when executives either get bad advice or fail to heed good counsel. In some cases, executives don’t even seek advice. Perfect example: Better.com CEO Vishal Garg and his dismal behavior, firing 900 employees coldly during a Nov. 2021 Zoom call.

Better.com’s board added insult to injury early in 2022. It reinstated Garg following his sessions with an executive coach during a board-ordered “break” from CEO duties. In addition, the board claims it will implement a “respectful workplace training program.”

But how effective can training programs be when a disrespectful CEO still heads the company? Healing an ill corporate culture requires change at the topmost level of the company first. Without that, workplace training programs are window dressing.