Molly McPherson | PR Breakdown
The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson
237: The Fallout: MillerKnoll and Clearlink's Pitiful Employee Town Halls
0:00
-22:41

237: The Fallout: MillerKnoll and Clearlink's Pitiful Employee Town Halls

Employee well-being should be at the forefront of every CEO’s mind, not only because it is the right thing to do from a humanistic perspective, but also because your reputation as a leader and the longevity of your company depends on it. Since the pandemic, employees are no longer willing to put up with being treated disrespectfully, and many customers are no longer willing to buy from companies who treat their employees in such a manner. 

In this episode, you’ll hear about the tirades that the CEOs of MillerKnoll and Clearlink went on during their virtual town hall meetings, how these meetings turned into viral videos, and the damage they have done. A rallying cry and a demeaning rant are two completely different things, and as a leader in today’s incredibly interconnected world, it is imperative that you are mindful of how you speak to your team. 

Key Points From This Episode:

  • What the role of a CEO entails.

  • Why some customers are boycotting MillerKnoll. 

  • How the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the working world.

  • The question that sparked Andi Owen’s tirade during a company town hall meeting.

  • Problems with the way Andi Owen responded to the backlash against the video of her town hall meeting that went viral. 

  • Why prioritizing employee wellbeing is essential to a company’s success.

  • Advice for holding a virtual town hall meeting. 

  • The rant made by Clearlink’s CEO during their virtual town hall meeting. 

  • Today’s Indestructible PR® tip: be mindful of what you say and how you treat your team! 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Replying to @mollyschief #greenscreen MillerKnoll’s Andi Owen had spoken. Sort of. The official response to the “pity city” viral employee town hall

Out of Touch CEO RIDICULES Employees Who Asked About Bonuses

The World’s Worst CEO BLASTS Nearly Everyone In His Company

Master Crisis Communication - Ready to level up your crisis response? Join Molly's intensive masterclass "The 7-Sentence Crisis Cure: From Chaos to Control in Under an Hour," on January 29th at 2pm ET. Watch live as she breaks down a real crisis using her signature Indestructible PR® framework – no theory, just proven tactics that work when everything's on the line. Click here to register now.

Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Her high-energy keynotes blend edge-of-your-seat PR war stories with actionable communication strategies that resonate with leaders, communicators, and teams alike. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting.

Join Molly on Patreon for even deeper dives into celebrity PR strategies and exclusive weekly live sessions! Click here to become a member.

Follow Molly for daily updates and more PR insights:

...

Discussion about this episode