The Mount Everest mindset every crisis communicator needs

Tim Gilman leads external communications at Oshkosh Corporation, where he helps shape the stories behind the company’s people, products and reputation. Since joining the company in 2023, Gilman has led earned media strategy, executive visibility and crisis communications efforts in fast-moving and high-stakes environments.

He turns complex topics into clear, relatable stories that connect with both industry audiences and the public. Gilman’s career has spanned the public sector, global brands and agency leadership, including roles with Los Angeles County and Toyota, along with agency work for brands including Carhartt, Nissan, adidas, Mazda and Michelin.

The senior PR & branding executive will lead a workshop at the PR Daily Conference to share a crisis framework and how communications teams can adapt to AI, balance human judgment with machine intelligence and build faster, smarter crisis response strategies in real time. 

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After 25+ years in communications, what part of the work still energizes you the most?

The thing which excites me the most is witnessing its real-life impact. The greatest experiences in PR come from the times when communications make an actual impact on the situation, form perception or allow the organization to overcome an important challenge.

My belief is that genuine PR is much more than securing coverage. It’s about establishing trust, fostering understanding and allowing the organization to connect with its stakeholders in an authentic way. This may be about growing the brand, driving a business transformation, dealing with an issue or telling the right story that makes an emotional connection.

This is why I continue enjoying my job: there is always something new to learn, someone new to talk to and a new challenge to overcome.

In your session, you’ll talk about rebuilding trust after a reputational hit. What separates brands that recover quickly from those that never fully regain credibility? 

Authenticity is the core of restoring credibility. It is amazing how fast audiences detect if the organization is being dishonest in communicating some information, passing the buck and trying to sugar-coat bad news, which usually inflicts greater damage than the initial problem.

The most effective reaction belongs to organizations that are transparent, accountable and honest about the matter. They accept the facts, talk openly about them and demonstrate their statements with proper actions.

I’m convinced that it is better to address reality than try to cope with the situation by means of manipulation or spin. In many cases, organizations that respond with honesty and integrity emerge with even deeper trust from employees, customers and stakeholders because they demonstrated authenticity when it mattered most.

You’ve handled crisis communications and high-pressure moments. How do you personally stay calm when the stakes are high?

From experience, I have learned that the key to handling pressure is being prepared. I read a story, and tell it during my media training, of a team that was preparing to climb Mount Everest. In the run-up to the expedition, the climbers would put on their climbing gear on go about their day-to-day activities. The team leader would randomly shout “pick axe!” and everybody would instantly reach for it. The objective was to build muscle memory. Learn how to respond, not react.

When you’re at 20,000 feet, in freezing temperatures, exhausted and lacking oxygen, you don’t need to figure things out on the spot. You need the plan, the tools and the response to be automatic.

Crisis communications works the same way. The organizations and communicators who handle pressure best are usually the ones who prepared before the crisis ever happened. When you’ve thought through scenarios, built response plans and aligned your team in advance, you spend less time reacting emotionally and more time responding strategically. That preparation helps keep nerves in check and allows you to lead with clarity and confidence when the stakes are highest. Preparedness and the fact that I’m a little crazy all help in keeping calm in the situation.

What’s something outside of work that has had a big influence on how you lead or communicate?

Being a father has probably had the biggest influence on how I communicate and lead professionally. I have three kids, and one thing parenting teaches you very quickly is that there’s no single communication style that works for everyone.

With one of my kids, I can be very direct and to the point. With another, I need to approach conversations with a little more sensitivity and patience. And then there are the teenage years, where you can communicate clearly, logically and politely, and still get an eye roll and a “whatever” in response.

What that’s taught me is the importance of understanding your audience and adapting your approach. Effective communication isn’t just about delivering a message the way you want to say it; it’s about thinking carefully about how it will be received. Parenting constantly challenges you to find better ways to connect, listen and build trust, and I’ve absolutely carried those lessons into my professional life.

Whether it’s working with executives, media, employees or stakeholders, I’ve learned that strong leadership and strong communication are deeply connected. The best leaders understand that the message may stay the same, but how you deliver it should be adapted to the audience. Taking the time to listen, understand different perspectives and communicate in a way that resonates with people is what builds trust, strengthens relationships and ultimately helps teams perform at their best.

What’s one thing communications leaders underestimate about the reputational risks created by AI-generated content? 

AI-generated content, deepfakes and the like are especially troubling because of the speed at which they can create real-world impact. A convincing deepfake video or fabricated post can be seen and shared by millions of people within minutes, potentially impacting stock prices, eroding employee trust and distorting public perception before a company even has time to respond.

In the AI era, the greatest challenge to crisis communications leaders is the shrinking window we have to establish truth in moments of deception.

In today’s environment, people often react emotionally and immediately, long before facts are verified. By the time a company issues a correction, the damage may already be circulating globally across social media, news outlets and internal employee conversations.

That’s why organizations need to think beyond traditional crisis communications plans. Companies should already have protocols in place for monitoring AI-generated threats, rapidly authenticating official communications and responding quickly with credible, trusted voices. In many ways, reputation management in the AI era is becoming less about controlling the narrative and more about building enough trust in advance that stakeholders believe you when it matters most.

What’s a piece of advice you wish someone had given you earlier in your career?

I wish someone had told me earlier in my career just how valuable networking and professional relationships really are. For a long time, I underestimated it. I viewed networking as transactional or something you did only at conferences or industry events. But over time, I realized the PR community is incredibly close-knit, supportive and willing to learn from one another.

Communications can be a lonely job at times, especially in high-pressure situations where you’re navigating difficult decisions, trying to find the right contact at an outlet or carrying the weight of a sensitive issue. There’s comfort in being able to call someone who understands the challenges because they’ve lived them too, and who won’t need a 20-minute explanation about what PR is (my mom still has no idea what I do for a living).

Some of the best advice, perspective and support I’ve received in my career has come from peers in the industry. I’ve learned that networking isn’t really about collecting contacts, it’s about building genuine relationships, sharing experiences and helping each other grow.

Tim will join leaders from Audible, Dove, Yahoo, Hinge, TIME and others at the PR Daily Conference, June 3-5 in Brooklyn, New York, to share insights on leadership, AI, media relations and more. Register now to join the conversation and learn from some of the industry’s top voices.  

Isis Simpson-Mersha is a conference producer/ reporter for Ragan. Follow her on LinkedIn.