The Mass Shooting Playbook Introduction by Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications… A mass shooting is not just a tactical emergency. It is a communications crucible. This article introduces the Mass Shooting Playbook, a research-driven, practical handbook for leaders and communicators responsible for communities under threat. Built on real-world cases, it offers checklists, clear roles, and guidance […]
By Tony Jaques, Director of Issue Outcomes Pty Ltd. Outrage moves faster than facts. And “just stay silent” is rarely neutral. This article offers a practical way to decide whether to speak on contentious issues and, more importantly, how to make that call without sounding performative or losing trust. It lays out a shared-values framework […]
By Julia Minson, writing for The New York Times A Harvard researcher describes a fraught conversation about immigration with her conservative, veteran father-in-law and shares the behavioral-science playbook that kept it constructive. The takeaway isn’t “win the argument,” but keep the relationship intact. She explains why curiosity beats persuasion, how to signal respect while disagreeing […]
By Mark Athitakis for Associations Now 2025 has been a year of uncertainty and disruption for associations, as they’ve watched their members and industries get pushed and pulled by the political winds. Are tariffs in the offing, or not? Are members going to have their research or programs funded, or not? Leaders can legitimately wonder […]
By Bruce M. Hennes Leaders and professionals do not ultimately answer to a client, a boss, or a paycheck. They answer to the law, and, just as importantly, to the ethical obligations that come with authority and trust. That promise is easy to recite in a conference room during a presentation and much harder to […]
By Bruce M. Hennes, Hennes Communications In a moment when “just doing my job” is becoming an all-purpose alibi, this piece is a reminder that every profession has a line it can’t cross. Lawyers just happen to swear it out loud. Yes, it’s written with attorneys in mind, but the lessons are universal: when the […]
Introduction by Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications In an article originally written for the National Law Review, I drew on James Comey’s observation that lawyers are trained to analyze facts, anticipate how decisions will look under the “brutally unfair” light of hindsight, and, when it matters most, have the courage to say “no” into the noise […]
From our friend and colleague, Tony Jaques, Director of Issue Outcomes Pty Ltd. When the Trump administration launched an unprecedented attack on the painkiller Tylenol – known in most of the world as paracetamol – it was a serious product crisis for drugmaker Kenvue, as well as its previous parent. Johnson and Johnson, which spun off its […]
By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications Before James Comey headed up the F.B.I., he served as general counsel of Lockheed Martin Corporation. While at Lockheed, he spoke at the National Security Agency about how studying law is similar to the education intelligence analysts receive. “You read a case and decipher…relevant facts, the [outcome] of the case…you are drilled […]
By Thom Fladung, Hennes Communications “Skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” — Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky The puck, in this case, is artificial intelligence, or AI as it has become ubiquitously known. Your school probably is using AI or will be soon. Think now about how AI […]