Communications About Cuba Plane Crash

A plane crashed near the Havana, Cuba, airport, leaving more than 100 people dead and only three survivors. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel delivered the bad news:

"There has been an unfortunate aviation accident. The news is not very promising. It seems that there is a high number of victims."

The president also described recovery efforts:

"Things have been organised, the fire has been put out, and the remains are being identified,"

The reason is unknown, although an Al Jazeera article referred to the Boeing 737 as "aging." Aviation accidents are rare, but a BBC article chronicles several, including the previous crash in Cuba, in 1989, which killed 150 people.

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Discussion:

• How well does the president communicate the events? We see only two short quotes here, so he may have said more. What else should he say? How can he communicate compassion?
• Research communications around other deadly plane crashes. How do the situations compare, and how should the communications differ?
• Should Boeing make a statement about the situation? Why or why not?

MSU's Denial as a Cultural Issue

A Chronicle of Higher Ed article blames Michigan State University's ambitions and culture for their leaders' lack of response to years of sexual abuse on campus. More than 12 people knew of complaints against physician Larry Nassar, but the abuse continued for years.

Lou Anna K. Simon's leadership is questioned in the article. Although clearly a committed leader to the university, Simon is criticized for focusing so much on "two decades of status-climbing" that a culture of denying any wrongdoing evolved. One of the trustees summed up the issue in a letter and emphasized "We must embrace our obligation to apologize and offer justice."

Apologizing may be a sore subject for the trustees because Simon avoided it in the case of Larry Nassar's victims, according to the Chronicle article:

She talked about how “it is virtually impossible to stop a determined sexual predator and pedophile, that they will go to incomprehensible lengths to keep what they do in the shadows.” She often used “regret,” “sympathize,” and “acknowledge” in her written statements, but not “apologize.” She emphasized that sexual assault is a societal problem, not a Michigan State one. She highlighted all of the steps the university had taken to prevent sexual misconduct.

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Discussion:

• Analyze the trustee's letter. What principles of business writing are followed? What are the strengths of the letter, and what could be improved?
• The trustee encourages MSU leadership to listen. What does he mean by this, and how would listening help the situation?
• What is the value of apologizing and admitting failure? What are the potential downsides, particularly for a university trying to improve its stature?
• This story illustrates several failings of leadership character. Which can you identify, and which do you think are most relevant here?

Behind the Scenes at Southwest's Crisis Response

A Wall Street Journal article describes the Southwest Airlines management team's quick response during the recent engine blowout that killed a passenger. The article describes a group of executives meeting and hearing their phones alert them to a plane in trouble.

CEO Gary Kelly said, "Everybody has a checklist" and “The protocol is well understood. It’s just to affirm that this is how we are going to work together. We are here to support the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board)." Early steps included flying employees to the Jennifer Riordan's home to help the family manage travel arrangements and stopping all advertising on social media.

Airline employees also arranged for hotels or flights for other passengers and, for those staying in a hotel, left notes under their doors offering more assistance. Based on previous compensation to passengers in similar situations, the airline gave each traveler $5,000 an a $1000 travel voucher.

Discussion:

• Read the article and identify all of the positive steps the airline took.
• Reactions are consistently positive about the airline's response. What's your view? What were the strengths of their response and what, if anything, could the airline have done differently?
• What do you think will be the long-term impacts of this incident on the brand?
• To what extent do you think compassion played a role in how Southwest is perceived?

Passenger Dies on Southwest Flight

An engine exploded on a Southwest flight, which blew out a window and killed a passenger. The company has communicated about the tragedy consistently and in several forms.

On its website, Southwest posted several updates regarding the situation, starting with the initial event and ending with more information.

The second statement has the most detailed information and confirms the passenger's death:

Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) confirms an accident involving Southwest Airlines Flight 1380. The flight made an emergency diversion to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) earlier today after the Crew reported issues with the number one engine which resulted in damage to the fuselage.

We are deeply saddened to confirm that there is one fatality resulting from this accident. The entire Southwest Airlines Family is devastated and extends its deepest, heartfelt sympathy to the Customers, employees, family members and loved ones affected by this tragic event. We have activated our emergency response team and are deploying every resource to support those affected by this tragedy. For a message from Gary Kelly, Southwest Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, please click here.

The aircraft involved today was a Boeing 737-700 (N772SW) and was enroute from New York LaGuardia (LGA) to Dallas Love Field (DAL). In total, the flight had 144 Customers and five Southwest Crewmembers onboard.  We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Southwest Pilots and Flight Attendants who acted professionally and swiftly to take care of our Customers during the emergency diversion and landing.

Finally, Southwest Airlines officials are in direct contact with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to support an immediate, coordinated response to this accident. Southwest is in the process of gathering additional information regarding flight 1380 and will fully cooperate in an investigative process.

Please join the Southwest Family in keeping all of those affected by today's tragedy in your thoughts.

CEO Gary Kelly conveyed his sympathy in a video posted on the Twitter and during a news conference. Both are obviously scripted, but perhaps this is appropriate given the timing and severity of the situation.

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Discussion:

• Assess Southwest's communications overall. What is they company doing well, and what could be improved?
• Now assess the news conference video, which is similar to the video message posted on Twitter. What delivery skills does the CEO demonstrate? What could be improved? Should he use a more natural style and "speak from the heart"? What are the potential downsides of this approach?
• How well does the company demonstrate compassion?

Starbucks Apologizes, Again

Two black men were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks. Witnesses say they were just waiting for a friend and asked to use the restroom. The reason for calling the police seemed to be the same: that they were just waiting for friend. But because they didn't order anything, they were asked to leave and did not. Other customers say this is common at Starbucks, and the only reason the police were called was because the two men were black.

The company, at first, gave a weak apology using unclear pronoun references (see "this" and "these"). A longer apology came from the CEO Kevin Johnson later. In the statement, he identified steps the company would take and closed with this paragraph:

Finally, to our partners who proudly wear the green apron and to customers who come to us for a sense of community every day: You can and should expect more from us.  We will learn from this and be better.

Johnson also posted an apology video.

In a video statement, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross explained the situation from his point of view and defended the officers' actions. He also said that all officers get implicit bias training and gave an example of a police sergeant who was also denied access to a Starbucks bathroom. Ross's conclusion was that "they are at least consistent in their policy." Of course, not everyone agrees.

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Discussion:

• Analyze Johnson's statement. Who are his primary and secondary audiences? What are his communication objectives, and how well did he achieve them?
• What organizational strategy does Johnson's statement illustrate? How do you assess his tone and writing style?
• What is an unclear pronoun reference, and how are they used in the first apology?
• What's your view of the situation? Did Starbucks do wrong? If so, at what point(s)? Are you boycotting Starbucks, as some promote, as a result?
• Which leadership character dimensions are illustrated by this example?

Mariah Carey Talks About Having Bipolar Disorder

In 2001, singer Mariah Carey learned she had bipolar disorder, and now she is admitting it to the world. In an People magazine cover story, Carey talks about her initial denial and her decision to open up about her diagnosis:

“Until recently I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me. It was too heavy a burden to carry and I simply couldn’t do that anymore. I sought and received treatment, I put positive people around me and I got back to doing what I love — writing songs and making music.”

“I’m just in a really good place right now, where I’m comfortable discussing my struggles with bipolar II disorder. I’m hopeful we can get to a place where the stigma is lifted from people going through anything alone. It can be incredibly isolating. It does not have to define you and I refuse to allow it to define me or control me.”

Bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive disorder, affects about 5.7 million adults in the U.S., which is about 2.6% of the population.

Reactions to the news seem mostly positive, with comments such as this on Twitter:

This story reminds me of a TedX talk, "Everyone Is Hiding Something" about a woman's struggle with an eating disorder.

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Discussion:

• What are the potential personal and professional consequences to Mariah Carey of going public with her diagnosis?
• What do you hide about yourself that might be useful for others to know?
• What is the value of admitting personal struggles in the workplace?
• How does Mariah Carey's story demonstrate leadership character dimensions, such as courage, compassion, authenticity, and vulnerability?

Uber Halts Self-Driving Cars Following Death

A self-driving Uber killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona, and the company is trying to understand what happened. In the meantime, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi posted condolences on Twitter. An Uber spokesperson also made this statement:

“Our hearts go out to the victim’s family. We are fully cooperating with local authorities in their investigation of this incident.”

Apparently, a woman walked suddenly in front of the vehicle, and the local chief of police said, "It’s very clear it would have been difficult to avoid this collision in any kind of mode." A human backup driver, who was in the driver's seat without control over the car, confirmed the report. The first sign of trouble was the actual collision.

As a result of the accident, Uber announced it will stop all testing of autonomous cars. In California, autonomous Ubers were set to launch without human backups, but this may be delayed.

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Discussion:

• Assess the company's response to the news. We don't see an apology, per se. Should we?
• How can the company rebuild trust in self-driving cars after this incident?

Fired by Tweet

According to an NBC report, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson learned he was fired when President Trump posted a tweet. The President did call Tillerson in for a face-to-face meeting, but this happened "several hours after the president had publicly announced Tillerson's firing on Twitter." The White House claims that Tillerson was put on notice that his time was coming to an end, but Tillerson says he was shocked at the news.

The relationship had been rocky. The two disagreed over policy issues, such as the Russian's government's involvement in U.S. elections and negotiations with North Korea. In July of last year, Tillerson referred to President Trump as a "moron."

Of his termination, Tillerson said,

"What is most important is to ensure an orderly and smooth transition during a time that the country continues to face significant policy and national security challenges."

Discussion:

• What is the best way to deliver bad news?
• We have heard of many business situations in which employees are fired by text message. How does this situation compare?
• In what ways is this situation a matter of leadership character, for example, compassion or integrity?

United Backs Off of Bonus Plan

United announced moving to a lottery system for employee bonuses, but backlash caused management to rethink the plan. President Scott Kirby had distributed a memo describing the new process:

"As we look to continue improving, we took a step back and decided to replace the quarterly operational bonus and perfect attendance programs with an exciting new rewards program called 'core4 Score Rewards.' " 

The new program would include cash and other prizes and one quarterly prize of $100,000, which would be given to a random, eligible employee. Following the criticism, a spokesperson tried to clarify:

"We announced a new internal program based on United meeting certain operational and dependability metrics as a way of offering meaningful rewards to our employees. We believe that this new program will build excitement and a sense of accomplishment as we continue to set all-time operational records that result in an experience that our customers value."

Employee comments were harsh:

"Why should I be happy watching another employee get rewarded for my hard work? How would you feel if Oscar (United CEO Oscar Munoz) played roulette with your incentive package and it went to another vice president through a lottery drawing."

"This is truly disappointing. The current program 'costs' the company approximately $150 per 75,000 employees per quarter, totaling over $11 million. This new 'improved' program that we are supposed to be so excited about will cost the company $3.5 million per quarter. This saves the company about $8 million per quarter. Does Willis Tower really think the average front-line employee is stupid?"  

In a second memo three days later, Kirby announced a pause on the program, saying they would "consider the right way to move ahead" and "will be reaching out to work groups across the company, and the changes we make will better reflect your feedback."

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Discussion:

• What went wrong? Was it the bonus/lottery plan, the way it was announced, both, or something else?
• One employee commented, "Wow. I thought our morale was already as low as it could go, but I guess that was naive thinking on my part. I'm finally starting to understand that there will always be room for management to make me feel even less appreciated than I already do. How many times must they be taught, that if the employees aren't happy, no one is happy." What should the company leaders do now?
• The memos and employee comments were on an internal United system. What are the ethics of forwarding internal communications to the media?

Travis Kalanick Gets a New Role

Travis Kalanick's dramatic fall from Uber has a potential happy ending. Kalanick has joined the board of health company startup Kareo, run by Dan Rodrigues. Kalanick was an angel investor in Kareo, and he and Rodrigues founded a music company in the late 1990s.

Rodrigues announced the appointment in an email to Kareo employees:

I’m very excited to have Travis join our board. He is one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our generation. He has not only scaled a high-growth company, but transformed an entire industry. Travis and I have a long-standing relationship that goes back more than 20 years. We were classmates at UCLA and co-founders at Scour, a peer-to- peer search engine company in the late 90’s. Travis made an early-stage investment in Kareo in 2009. He has been an enthusiastic believer in our vision since our inception and he is excited to work with us more directly to bring innovation to healthcare and help us reach our goals for market leadership.

This is Kalanick's first venture after being ousted from Uber and is encouraging for leaders who have experienced failure. He has been quiet on Twitter since January but tweeted the good news and highlighted his relationship with Rodrigues.

Discussion:

• What other examples do you know of fallen leaders getting a second chance? Will we see this for Harvey Weinstein?
• Assess the email to Kareo employees. What does the CEO want to accomplish? How well does the message meet these objectives?
• How much do you think the friendship between Kalanick and Rodrigues factors into his board assignment? Why would Rodrigues emphasize their relationship in his email?

More Companies Take Action to Curb Gun Sales

Dick's Sporting Goods has taken a strong stance on gun control. In a statement, the company announced it will no longer sell assault-style rifles and will no longer sell firearms to people under 21 years of age. The statement dances the fine line between both sides of the gun control debate:

We support and respect the Second Amendment, and we recognize and appreciate that the vast majority of gun owners in this country are responsible, law-abiding citizens. But we have to help solve the problem that’s in front of us. Gun violence is an epidemic that’s taking the lives of too many people, including the brightest hope for the future of America – our kids.

Walmart also announced it will no longer sell to people under 21 years of age. The company ended some firearm sales in 2015, so this policy further restricts what people can purchase when.

Companies are in a tough spot. Dicks, Walmart, Delta, and other companies have suffered backlash for their decisions, including people promising to boycott.

Discussion:

• Compare Dick's and Walmart's statements. How do they differ? Which is more effective and why?
• Describe Dick's choices. What are the risks and rewards of the announcement?
• Should other CEOs jump into the controversy? How might the decision depend on industry, customer base, or the leader him- or herself?

Companies Distance Themselves from the NRA

Following the school shooting in Florida, several companies are distancing themselves from the National Rifle Association. The organization lists many member benefits on its website, including travel and insurance discounts, but these are shrinking as more companies are discontinuing services.

For example, several major car rental companies—Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent a Car, National Car Rental, Avis, Budget, and Hertz—and major airlines, such as United Air Lines and Delta, will eliminate discounts for NRA members.

The NRA posted a statement on its website to deflect blame, reinforce its mission, and deny the impact of these companies' actions:

FAIRFAX, VA – The more than five million law-abiding members of the National Rifle Association have enjoyed discounts and cost-saving programs from many American corporations that have partnered with the NRA to expand member benefits. 

Since the tragedy in Parkland, Florida, a number of companies have decided to sever their relationship with the NRA, in an effort to punish our members who are doctors, farmers, law enforcement officers, fire fighters, nurses, shop owners and school teachers that live in every American community.  We are men and women who represent every American ethnic group, every one of the world’s religions and every form of political commitment.

The law-abiding members of the NRA had nothing at all to do with the failure of that school’s security preparedness, the failure of America’s mental health system, the failure of the National Instant Check System or the cruel failures of both federal and local law enforcement.

Despite that, some corporations have decided to punish NRA membership in a shameful display of political and civic cowardice.  In time, these brands will be replaced by others who recognize that patriotism and determined commitment to Constitutional freedoms are characteristics of a marketplace they very much want to serve.

Let it be absolutely clear. The loss of a discount will neither scare nor distract one single NRA member from our mission to stand and defend the individual freedoms that have always made America the greatest nation in the world.

Discussion:

• Did these companies make the right decision? Some NRA members are boycotting them as a result.
• In its statement, the NRA refers to companies' "shameful display of political and civic cowardice." Do you see their actions as cowardice, courageous, or something else? What is the difference?

Delta Representative Confronts Customer—on Video

When a Delta flight from Honolulu to Portland, OR, was delayed twice, a customer was re-booked on a Hawaiian Airlines flight, but his luggage didn't make it.

We don't see the context, but the passenger filmed (NSFW) an interaction with Delta staff, and the scene doesn't reflect well on the company. In the video, one of the agents says, "You can take my f-- picture if you want to, a--hole." He then suggests they call the police because "This guy's out of control."

Delta replied to the incident with a statement:

"The actions displayed by this employee do not in any way reflect the standard of customer service and professionalism we expect from our employees. This conduct is unacceptable, and we have reached out directly to the customer and apologized."

The employee was suspended.

Discussion:

• The employee has little excuse for his behavior, but could some context at least explain the agent's reaction? For example, why would he say, "This guy's out of control?"
• Did the passenger act appropriately? What is his responsibility for the interaction?
• Should the airline reinstate or fire the agent?

Critics Say Bank of America Fees Hurt People with Less Income

Customers want Bank of America to stop charging fees for accounts with low balances. The company ended its free checking account and will start charging $12 per month.

Critics say the decision disproportionately hurts low-income consumers. The president of a financial advocacy organization explains the consequences:

“The debate over Bank of America’s accounts and fees points to a larger economic justice issue — people with less income pay more to get cash, make payments, and conduct their business. Without access to safe and affordable bank accounts, low-income consumers often turn to costly alternative financial services, such as currency exchanges or check-cashers. The bottom line is: the most financially vulnerable need more and better options to transact their business and participate in the financial mainstream.”

Few big banks still have free checking options because they are expensive to maintain. Banks prefer to move customers to digital solutions. But many low-income people don't have smartphones or reliable internet access. More than 287,000 people have signed a Change.org petition.

Discussion:

• What's your view? Is Bank of America being unfair, or is this just a good business decision?
• What is the value of a petition? On what principles of persuasion does a petition rely?
• How well does the image on the petition site, shown here, work? The emotional appeal is obvious. Does it help or detract from the message?

MSU President's Resignation Letter

After calls for her resignation, Lou Anna Simon, the 13-year Michigan State University president submitted her letter. She could not escape criticism that she knew of Dr. Larry Nassar's sexual abuse of students and didn't do enough. Simons admitted encouraging an investigation and not receiving the final report. Reports also say that at least 14 university staff members received complaints about Nassar over two years.

Although most of the board initially supported her, students and others did not, and in the end, the board chair wrote, "We agree with Dr. Simon that it is now time for change."

Simon's letter is a mix of sympathy for the victims, love for the college, and defeat. In this paragraph, she focuses on blame:

As tragedies are politicized, blame is inevitable.  As president, it is only natural that I am the focus of this anger.  I understand, and that is why I have limited my personal statements.   Throughout my career, I have worked very hard to put Team MSU first.  Throughout my career, I have consistently and persistently spoken and worked on behalf of Team MSU.  I have tried to make it not about me.  I urge those who have supported my work to understand that I cannot make it about me now.  Therefore, I am tendering my resignation as president according to the terms of my employment agreement.

Discussion:

• Critics say Simon shifts accountability in her letter, particularly the paragraph above. What's your view?
• Did Simon make the right decision? Why or why not? 
• What should the university do to help the campus recover from this situation? How can they rebuild trust and make MSU feel like a safe place?

Calls for Michigan State President to Resign

Some believe it's a matter of integrity and accountability; others believe this will start the healing process. In addition to public demands, one Michigan State trustee says it's time for the university president to resign over Dr. Lawrence G. Nassar's sexual abuse of dozens of female athletes.

The rest of the university trustees have shown public support for the president, Lou Anna Simon. In a statement, they said, "President Simon is the right leader for the university, and she has our support." But the sole trustee, Mitch Lyons, disagrees:

“I don’t feel that President Simon can survive the public outcry that has been generated by this tragedy. I feel that our best recourse is for President Simon to resign immediately in order to allow the healing process to begin."

According to a Detriot News story, several university officials, including the president, heard complaints about Nassar. Simons admits, “I was informed that a sports medicine doctor was under investigation. I told people to play it straight up, and I did not receive a copy of the report. That’s the truth.” People question her judgment in not seeing the final report, particularly given the recent explosive case at Penn State University. We will see what happens next.

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Discussion:

• Should Simon resign? Why or why not?
• What does it take for Lyons to break rank with the rest of the trustees? How would you describe the possible dynamics on the board?
• How does such abuse go on for so long? About 140 women complained about Nassar when he was working with Olympic athletes, and at least eight students came forward at the Michigan State.
• At the end of the trustees' statement, a reporter asks, "Why no questions?" But the board leaves the room without saying anything. Should they have taken questions? Why or why not?

BlackRock Encourages "A Sense of Purpose"

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink is encouraging companies to be more socially responsible. In his annual letter, the investment firm CEO describes the increasing wealth disparity in the United States:

"We are seeing a paradox of high returns and high anxiety. Since the financial crisis, those with capital have reaped enormous benefits. At the same time, many individuals across the world are facing a combination of low rates, low wage growth, and inadequate retirement systems. Many don’t have the financial capacity, the resources, or the tools to save effectively; those who are invested are too often over-allocated to cash. For millions, the prospect of a secure retirement is slipping further and further away – especially among workers with less education, whose job security is increasingly tenuous. I believe these trends are a major source of the anxiety and polarization that we see across the world today."

Fink is encouraging more engagement of shareholders and a focus on creating long-term value:

"Companies must ask themselves: What role do we play in the community? How are we managing our impact on the environment? Are we working to create a diverse workforce? Are we adapting to technological change? Are we providing the retraining and opportunities that our employees and our business will need to adjust to an increasingly automated world? Are we using behavioral finance and other tools to prepare workers for retirement, so that they invest in a way that that will help them achieve their goals?"

But critics say Fink is overstepping. On Squawk Box, Sam Zell said, "I didn't know Larry Fink had been made God."

Discussion:

• What's your view of Fink's position? Is this a good idea, or should he keep his thoughts to himself?
• What are Fink's communication objectives, and how well does he meet them?
• Assess the letter in terms of organization and writing style.

Oprah's Rousing Speech

At the Golden Globes, Oprah did what Oprah does: get a crowd going. Her acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille award echoed themes from the night, celebrating Rosa Parks and the #MeToo movement.

Seth Meyer's show opening included a bit about Oprah running for president, and her speech did sound a bit "presidential": "I want all the girls watching here and now to know that a new day is on the horizon!" If we judge by the standing ovation and social media reactions, she already has a following.

A Washington Post article goes beyond last night's reactions and quotes her partner saying, "It's up to the people. She would absolutely do it."

Discussion:

• What were the main points of Oprah's speech, and how did she organize it?
• Assess her delivery skills. What makes this a powerful speech?
• How did Oprah demonstrate compassion in the speech? How effectively did she get her message across?

Amtrak Leaders Take Responsibility

Amtrak's leaders have apologized for a train crash in Washington that left three people dead and about 100 more injured. Two of the men who died were train enthusiasts who traveled together to experience the new route.

In the past, Amtrak has been slow to apologize. This time, the response is better, yet not enough for some, as you see in this response on Twitter.

The president and CEO's full message is below:

To our customers,

On behalf of everyone at Amtrak, I want to share that we are deeply saddened by the tragic event involving train 501 on December 18th. We are profoundly sorry for those who have lost a loved one, were injured, or are otherwise impacted by this horrible event. At this time, our primary concern continues to be caring for our customers and employees, and we are using every available resource to assist those affected. We share everyone’s sense of urgency to identify exactly what caused this to happen, and we continue to fully cooperate with the investigation being led by the NTSB.

If you are traveling with us during the holiday season, I want to assure you that Amtrak remains committed to your safety. Our primary focus is and will always be getting you to your destination safely, comfortably, and efficiently. We are truly privileged to serve you and thank you for your continued patronage.

Richard Anderson

As always in these situations, Amtrak provided regular service updates on its website, and this apology is an improvement. But, after several similar crashes, including those involving MTA trains, people want to know what will be done to prevent this from happening again.

Discussion:

• What's your view of the president's message? How well does the message meet principles of apologies?
• What else should the organization do now? How can it rebuild its image and assure people that Amtrak trains are safe?

Apologies from Louis C.K. and His Former Manager

After several women told similar stories about Louis C.K.'s sexual misconduct, the comedian wrote a statement (NSFW). Some appreciate Louis C.K.'s taking responsibility and consider it a far better response than we have seen from Harvey Weinstein or Kevin Spacey. Others think the statement fell short, particularly because he didn't use the words "I'm sorry" or "I apologize."

Quartz published an edited version of the statement, criticizing Louis C.K. for emphasizing how much he's admired rather than how sorry he is.

Meanwhile, Louis C.K.'s manager, Dave Becky, ended their relationship and wrote his own statement:

"I profoundly regret and am deeply sorry for not listening to and not understanding what happened to Dana and Julia. If I had, I would have taken this event as seriously as it deserved to be, and I would have confronted Louis, which would have been the right thing to do.

I am providing this context so that others do not make the same mistake I did. At that time, I heard the story third-hand, and I interpreted the conversation as two women telling a story about a sexual encounter with a then-married Louis. Albeit enormously embarrassing, in no way did I interpret the interaction as threatening or non-consensual. I misperceived the casual way the story was portrayed to me - instead I should have recognized that it must have been a mask for their unease and discomfort in the face of his detestable behavior. My intent was to seek discretion to protect what I thought was a matter of infidelity. I now comprehend that my response was perceived as a threat to cover-up sexual misconduct. This is not an excuse. What I did was wrong, and again, I am extremely sorry.

In hindsight, I was operating blindly from a one-sided place of privilege. Until last week, I knew only of this one isolated incident. Although this may sound naïve, it is true. Never once, in all of these years, did anyone mention any of the other incidents that were reported recently - I am appalled to learn of these. I have come to realize my status wielded an atmosphere where such news did not reach me, or worse yet, that it seemed such news did not matter to me. It does. It matters tremendously.

I am going to take time to reflect on this, to educate myself daily, and to strive towards a more enlightened path. I want to ensure that all voices around me are heard, and that everyone is treated respectfully and empathetically. More than anything, I want to create an environment that is a better, safer and fairer place."

Becky also represents Aziz Ansari, Amy Poehler, and Kevin Hart. He did represent Pamela Adlon, but she terminated the relationship after the Louis C.K. news became public.

Discussion: 

• If you read Louis C.K.'s statement (NSFW), what is your perspective? In what ways does it serve as an effective apology, and in what ways does it fall short?
• Assess Becky's statement similarly.