Louise Pay, PhD
@louisepay.bsky.social
Scientific & Crisis Comms Consultant
- Which of those expectations are reasonable?
- What effective steps could you take?
- What type of communication would be most effective for the people affected?
- What have you learned in this process that can you do NOW to help prevent that thing from going wrong?
- What effective steps could you take?
- What type of communication would be most effective for the people affected?
- What have you learned in this process that can you do NOW to help prevent that thing from going wrong?
November 17, 2025 at 5:25 PM
- Which of those expectations are reasonable?
- What effective steps could you take?
- What type of communication would be most effective for the people affected?
- What have you learned in this process that can you do NOW to help prevent that thing from going wrong?
- What effective steps could you take?
- What type of communication would be most effective for the people affected?
- What have you learned in this process that can you do NOW to help prevent that thing from going wrong?
- What could go wrong?
- What might the consequences be?
- What is your desired outcome?
- Who would be affected?
- What would those affected need to hear?
- What will those affected to expect YOU to do?
- What might the consequences be?
- What is your desired outcome?
- Who would be affected?
- What would those affected need to hear?
- What will those affected to expect YOU to do?
November 17, 2025 at 5:25 PM
- What could go wrong?
- What might the consequences be?
- What is your desired outcome?
- Who would be affected?
- What would those affected need to hear?
- What will those affected to expect YOU to do?
- What might the consequences be?
- What is your desired outcome?
- Who would be affected?
- What would those affected need to hear?
- What will those affected to expect YOU to do?
Here’s a set of questions you can ask to assess risk and plan mitigation:
November 17, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Here’s a set of questions you can ask to assess risk and plan mitigation:
Planning for things to go wrong before they do is more than a checkbox (<insert mildly snarky comment about how certain companies write risk registers here>), and it’s not something that only applies if you’re involved in a high-stakes project. Use it in your life and relationships, too.
November 17, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Planning for things to go wrong before they do is more than a checkbox (<insert mildly snarky comment about how certain companies write risk registers here>), and it’s not something that only applies if you’re involved in a high-stakes project. Use it in your life and relationships, too.
I don’t *want* you to be worried or depressed… But this wasn’t meant to be taken seriously. Planning goes along way toward both *preventing* failure and building resilience and mechanisms for addressing failure if (when?) it arises.
November 17, 2025 at 5:25 PM
I don’t *want* you to be worried or depressed… But this wasn’t meant to be taken seriously. Planning goes along way toward both *preventing* failure and building resilience and mechanisms for addressing failure if (when?) it arises.
I know some of you are looking at that and thinking you want it…
November 17, 2025 at 5:25 PM
I know some of you are looking at that and thinking you want it…
Completely disregarding the rules of grammar and making the recipient figure out what the hell you meant is a communication strategy in itself, one designed to give the impression that they’re too important to follow such rules. They’re beneath them. It’s a power move.
November 14, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Completely disregarding the rules of grammar and making the recipient figure out what the hell you meant is a communication strategy in itself, one designed to give the impression that they’re too important to follow such rules. They’re beneath them. It’s a power move.
If that is impossible but you engage anyway, you’re *training your brain to seek out unproductive conflict*, to be pissed off and damage your interpersonal relationships for no reason, and to be less prepared to approach real conflict rationally and strategically.
November 14, 2025 at 6:33 PM
If that is impossible but you engage anyway, you’re *training your brain to seek out unproductive conflict*, to be pissed off and damage your interpersonal relationships for no reason, and to be less prepared to approach real conflict rationally and strategically.
The purpose of disagreement—productive disagreement—is to cause something, make a difference, change a situation…
November 14, 2025 at 6:33 PM
The purpose of disagreement—productive disagreement—is to cause something, make a difference, change a situation…
Picking fights with people over their feelings and opinions about something that is not, in any way at all, influenced or connected to how people feel and think about it is a waste of time and energy. It’s creating conflict where there doesn’t need to be any.
November 14, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Picking fights with people over their feelings and opinions about something that is not, in any way at all, influenced or connected to how people feel and think about it is a waste of time and energy. It’s creating conflict where there doesn’t need to be any.
While I do happen to believe in manifestation, we do not have that power…
November 14, 2025 at 6:33 PM
While I do happen to believe in manifestation, we do not have that power…
It’s a strange dynamic where people who hate fall weather act hostile to people who love it… as if fall weather exists BECAUSE we like it and would somehow vanish if we all collectively hated it enough.
November 14, 2025 at 6:33 PM
It’s a strange dynamic where people who hate fall weather act hostile to people who love it… as if fall weather exists BECAUSE we like it and would somehow vanish if we all collectively hated it enough.
In the comments, people are writing things like, “Yes, I love being cosy inside when it’s like this!”, and others are replying back, “Well if you love it so much go outside in it”.
November 14, 2025 at 6:33 PM
In the comments, people are writing things like, “Yes, I love being cosy inside when it’s like this!”, and others are replying back, “Well if you love it so much go outside in it”.
Here’s an example. I’ve seen so many TikToks of people out in dark or rainy fall weather saying, “Is this what all you people who say you love fall weather really want?”.
November 14, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Here’s an example. I’ve seen so many TikToks of people out in dark or rainy fall weather saying, “Is this what all you people who say you love fall weather really want?”.
And many of us are training our brains to seek out unproductive conflict, perhaps unintentionally.
If you want to be better at managing a crisis… stop doing that.
If you want to be better at managing a crisis… stop doing that.
November 14, 2025 at 6:33 PM
And many of us are training our brains to seek out unproductive conflict, perhaps unintentionally.
If you want to be better at managing a crisis… stop doing that.
If you want to be better at managing a crisis… stop doing that.
Higher education is increasingly being drawn into culture wars, and this is a really great resource for protecting both individual faculty and university campuses.
October 2, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Higher education is increasingly being drawn into culture wars, and this is a really great resource for protecting both individual faculty and university campuses.
You’ll find several resources on this website, including an outline of how I can help you.
October 2, 2025 at 7:38 PM
You’ll find several resources on this website, including an outline of how I can help you.
I’ve partnered with Faculty First Responders, which is providing resources, mentoring, and guidelines for you and administrators on effective responses and upholding academic freedom.
October 2, 2025 at 7:38 PM
I’ve partnered with Faculty First Responders, which is providing resources, mentoring, and guidelines for you and administrators on effective responses and upholding academic freedom.