How do you handle a threat of violence made by a student? What if a teacher reports suspicious behavior, what can you do to evaluate this threat? How do you determine if a threat is legitimate?

The U.S. Secret Service developed the process known as “threat assessment” as a framework for assessing the potential for targeted violence. After the school shooting at Columbine in 1999, the Secret Service partnered with the U.S. Department of Education to better understand school shootings. What came out of this Safe School Initiative was a variation on the Secret Service’s threat assessment process to more appropriately apply to schools and the risks they face.

These six principles that were developed help establish a structure for identify, assessing, and managing individuals who may pose a risk of targeted violence to schools.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Scott Franko, President of Franko Design Concepts and Consulting. Tim Leman is taking the summer off from writing his weekly blog to spend time on an exciting project focused on culture and leadership. We hope you enjoy Scott’s wisdom and perspective.

Disney got it right when they told us the first rule of leadership through the words spoken by none other than Hopper, the big bug-bully from the 1998 movie "A Bug's Life". My kids were one, three and five. When this powerful rule was revealed on the silver screen, and ever since, I've reminded them repeatedly to always remember those four important words: "Everything is YOUR fault!"

“The effects of climate change are already occurring on all continents and across the oceans. The world, in many cases, is ill-prepared for risks from a changing climate.” – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Too often we hear climate change and just cast it off as the next generation’s issue to handle. Time for a reality check. Climate change is here. And it’s already having an impact. It’s one of the top emerging risks for businesses. Pay attention and get prepared. The IPCC’s Climate Change 2014 Report is one of many detailed studies that confirms the reality of the changing the climate and the risks it presents.

The FBI defines an active shooter as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area.” Unfortunately, we have become all too familiar with active shooter incidents in recent years, especially in schools.

According to “The State of School Safety in America” report by SchoolReach, most school administrators surveyed felt well prepared to handle emergency communications with parents, but very few said they felt very prepared in regards to crisis communications, especially with the media. The first priority in a severe crisis, such as an active shooter situation, is ensuring the safety and well-being of students and staff. But crisis communication becomes key once the individuals are safe. 

It’s fair to say when we first started our GESOP back in 2010, not many people really understood what we were doing or what it meant to them. I’m not sure I even understood ALL the implications of the GESOP back then. But one thing was certainly clear: there was a buzz created when we let our employees, all of them, know they were now owners in Gibson.

Sure, they didn’t know exactly what that meant, but they knew they liked the sound of it. You could just tell there was something a little different in people. I called it the pride of being an owner. All of a sudden, Gibson was their company too. No doubt it was subtle, but it was definitely there.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Mike Cahill, CEO of AWS Foundation and former CEO of Tower Bank & Trust. Tim Leman is taking the summer off from writing his weekly blog to spend time on an exciting project focused on culture and leadership. We hope you enjoy Mike’s wisdom and perspective.

The best way to manage risk is to dedicate one’s self to lifelong learning. Knowing as much as you can about your job and industry protects your ability to earn a living. Knowing as much about your town and city will help you make the right choice on where to live and what schools to send your children to. Knowing as much as you can about the candidates for local, state, and federal government allows us to elect the best officials. Knowing about your community and what it has to offer allows you to live your life to the fullest. Knowing what’s included in your insurance program will help you better deal with an unfortunate claim.

Active shooter events can occur anywhere. No school or business is immune. But there are steps we can take to help prevent violent attacks.

In our “Can You Spot A Leak?” blog post we explained how research has suggested that there are leaks in the majority of active shooter cases. This means that the person(s) planning the violence communicate it in some form prior to the event. Monitoring, identifying, and responding to leaks can help prevent the violence.

Similarly, identifying and reporting suspicious behaviors and activities is critical to prevention. Individuals do not generally just “snap” and become violent. Over time they tend to display indicators of potentially violent behavior. With early recognition, these behaviors can often be treated or managed. We can better educate ourselves on what these behaviors look like in order to prevent active shooter incidents or other violent situations.

Think of the last time you paid a visit to your doctor. What type of care or treatment did you receive? Did you know the cost? Chances are, you didn’t. You probably knew the amount of your deductible, coinsurance, or copayment, but who cares about the total bill, right? After all, your health insurance covered the rest. But therein lies the problem. Not only do we lack that information, but also the motivation to seek that information with the current third-party payer system.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Greg Downes, Chairman Emeritus at Gibson. Tim Leman is taking the summer off from writing his weekly blog to spend time on an exciting project focused on culture and leadership. We hope you enjoy Greg’s wisdom and perspective.

My good friend and business partner, Dave Gibson, told me years ago after I had become one of the owners in Gibson that we should always “run the business like we’re going to sell it”. Quite frankly, that statement really startled me. The main reason I had come to Gibson was that Dave was fiercely independent. He made it clear during my recruitment that his intention was to always keep Gibson that way. Which is exactly what he did. What did he really mean? If we do what should be done, we won't have to sell it.

You experience a power surge at your home and everything plugged in gets fried – including your big screen TV and electronics. Are you covered with your standard homeowners policy?

What about if someone spills a glass of wine all over your brand new area rug, or perhaps you spill bleach on your couch on the way to the laundry room? Does your policy cover you for those losses?

Someone has a little too much to drink at your summer party and accidently knocks over your entertainment center, breaking your TV and stereo system? Will you be covered?