Customer Reviews

Blindsided: A Manager's Guide to Catastrophic Incidents in the Workplace

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Disaster recovery planning is traditionally focused on finding an alternative worksite, getting the necessary computer systems back up and running and giving employees the equipment they need to get back to work. Unfortunately, the employees themselves have often been overlooked or treated like any other resource necessary to get the job done. It generally takes an actual crisis to expose this falicy and point out to management and disaster recovery planners how very different the human element really is. This book is by far the best "How To Do It" book to come out in years on this most important of issues in disaster recovery planning and crisis management. It is laid out in a logical and progressive manner and leaves no stone unturned in addressing the most important issues of how do we get the people back to work. No tricks here, no management prospective, just genuine concern for the physical, mental, and emotional well- being of our fellow human beings. This is a must-read if you're serious about doing a complete job in the area of disaster recovery planning and crisis management.

This is a terrific book that will help anyone in a management position better prepare for a crisis. I believe it is the best book I have read on the subject - most tend to be dry and technical, but this was actually hard to put down. The combination of advice from actual crisis Mr. Blythe has responded to along with a systematic approach to preparing for a crisis before it happens is both practical and insightful.

Every manager everywhere in the world should read this book. It provides necessary information for every employee and how to handle every possible situation.

In the past it seems companies have built crisis plans around tangible assets of the company and how to deal with the media while failing to tend to the very heart of the company- its employees. Bruce Blythe's book carefully prepares managers how to deal with their employees when the unthinkable happens. Blindsided also serves as an excellect reference to guide managers through the stages necessary to prepare for crisis situations. Every manager owes it to thier employees to read this book and be able to respond when a crisis strikes.

In our current times of economic, social and political uncertainty, being prepared to respond to the "human side" of a crisis can only be a win-win solution for a business as well as its employees. Mr. Blythe's book is a excellent resource for executing a crisis response in the workplace as well as a guide to developing a crisis preparedness plan. The book isn't cluttered with theory that needs to be "wadded through" in order to get to practical information. The manner in which the book is organized provides managers with a step-by-step process for both crisis response and crisis preparedness. The insights he provides from his experiences in the corporate world were very helpful. Many other books only examine crisis response, in Blindsided, Mr. Blythe not only gives the nuances of how to respond after a crisis, but provides useful information and challenging questions in designing a preparedness plan. His message of being proactive rather than reactive rings true for any business that truly doesn't want to be blindsided.

This is the first book that I've read that contains the most comprehensive and clear set of guidelines for implementing both a preparedness plan and a response plan for dealing with your most important asset... your people! The Quick Use Guides at the end of each chapter are amazingly helpful. This book is one that I will definitely keep in my office to reference again and again!

Having read all of Gavin De Becker's books on Workplace Violence I was surprised to find yet another "EXPERT" on the subject with such unquestionable insight. Bruce Blythe's book, Blindsided, is the most organized and comprehensive "how to" book on workplace violence that I have read. Where De Becker leaves off on recognition of the signs indicating that "something is about to happen", Blythe picks up with "here's what to do once it starts". A must read if you are serious about protecting your business and employees from the aftermath of disasterous incidents at work.

If you are a crisis manager and haven't read this book, order it now. It came out last year, but I just got around to reading it recently and wish I had done so earlier. It gave me -- with a couple of decades of crisis management experience under my belt -- information and tools that I found new and useful.

Bruce Blythe, founder and CEO of Crisis Management International (CMI), has "been there, done that" for disasters ranging from the Oklahoma City Bombing to having a crazed gunman loose in CMI's office building, from 9/11 to Hurricane Andrew. Bruce and CMI are best known for creating and directing the "humanitarian response" to crises, because at the core of any disaster it's all about dealing with the psychological, emotional and physical needs of people.

Bruce writes clearly and passionately, bringing real-life crises to life and teaching us the lessons to be found in each. The book's Incident Checklists, alone, are worth the price of the book, as are his "Quick Use Response Guides."

Jonathan Bernstein
Author, Keeping the Wolves at Bay: A Media Training Manual Version 3.0
President, Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc.
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com

Blindedsided helped me think about the many "What Ifs" for emergencies. It helped me during the planning process for our Emergency Plan for my college. All emergency managers should read this book at least once and keep it on their shelf.

This book is invalualble in any business continuity professional's library. It is an excellennt, and detailed reference on how to plan and execute crisis communications that show "Control, Confidence, Care, and Concern". For anybody studying for the CBCP or other certifications, this book is a must read. This book is a very practical tool to use and includes examples of what to do and say, and what not to do and say.

I am a PMP, a CISSP, and am preparing for my CBCP. I feel that this book has given me an edge in the "Crisis Communications" professional practice area for the exam. I highly recommend this book.