presentation theyre all drunk in singapore general 02 09 10
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Most companies aren't prepared to deal with a crisis, particularly in today's media environment. Here's a couple of ways to tell how far from ready your company may be and some practical steps you can take today to improve the odds.TRANSCRIPT
Crisis! Management Strategies to Protect Your Organization and Create Opportunities for Growth
Crisis! …And Now For the Real Title….
Don’t Be a Dinosaur In a Mammal’s World
Why Organizations Need a Crisis Plan Before They Have a Crisis
“They’re All Drunk in Singapore…”
or
or
Consider the Mighty Dinosaur
Massive Powerful Dominant Awe-Inspiring
Dead
Dinosaur, Inc. – A Flawed Model
SlowCumbersomeBad CommunicationsInability to Anticipate and Adapt
Dinosaur, Inc. – A Flawed Model
In other words, by the time its pea-brained consciousness receives,
understands and responds to a threat to its existence, it’s dead.
Consider the Humble Mammal
Fast Adaptive Plans Ahead Aware Slightly Paranoid
Evolutionary Box Score:
Prairie Dogs – 750,000,000Dinosaurs – 0
Welcome to Jurassic Park…
An employee of your company – heavily armed, wearing a
sweatshirt and cap with your logo prominently displayed – takes
hostages at the elementary school and is demanding access to the media to tell the world about the integrity of your operations and
your efforts to silence him.
In the next 20 minutes:
The Central Nervous System Twitches…
CNN starts taking a live feed from a local TV station;50 Tweets go out to 20,000 followers and re-Tweeted to millions more;Three people are posting pictures from their phones to the Facebook
pages, one guy is live streaming video from his iPhone;MSNBC reports receiving an e-mail from a second employee that
appears to corroborate these allegations;A union trying to organize lottery employees announces a webcast
press conference in which it will claim that this situation is a result of poor working conditions;
Fox News interviews an “expert” on workplace violence who says firms like yours “are breeding grounds for violence”;
Your web site crashes from the surge in hits;Your call center is inundated with calls from worried customers;
CBS cuts into its daytime programming to broadcast live a caller on a cell phone claiming to be inside the school;
The Brain Responds…Sort Of
Meanwhile back at the office:Your phones are completely jammed and even internal calls can’t get through;
Because of vacation, travel and illness, your PR manager, executive director and operations executive are unavailable;
Your reception area is mobbed by media, consumers, reality show participants. The very nice lady at the reception desk is looking through her procedure manual for the
right checklist.
Your general counsel is having lunch somewhere in town but she never turns on her cell phone and her secretary is gone;
The CEO has made an ironclad rule that – no matter what the situation – he must personally approve all comments to the media. Unfortunately, he and his family are
in Singapore and not back in their hotel room yet.
The Result…
You’re…
DEAD
So, the Very First Question to Ask Is…
Are we a dinosaur or a mammal?
If You’re Feeling a Little Jurassic Right Now…
Then the time to start working on a crisis communications plan is now
In the Immortal Words of Hank K…
“There cannot be a crisis next week; my schedule is already full.”
“Does anyone have any questions for my answers?”
Avoid Panic…
Develop, test, rehearse and follow a crisis response plan that covers not just
communications but every aspect of your operations.
“What Should Be Included In Your Crisis Management Plan?”
Central coordinationClearly defined rolesGuided by risk assessmentRedundancyRegular test and review
Things That Should Keep You Up at Night
Media or Government Investigations– Behavior– Financial– Relationships
Operational Incidents– Integrity of process– Network crash– Software error
Loss of Facilities/Personnel/Organizational Capabilities– Impairment of headquarters – Death or disability of key personnel– Labor dispute– Reduction of funding
Misbehavior/Malfeasance/Criminality– Theft/fraud– Assault– Substance abuse– Inappropriate action/behavior– Failure to follow guidelines/procedures
Community-Wide Incidents– Terrorism– Natural disaster
Why Are These Elements Important?
Speed of activitiesThe global villageThe urge to speculateThe “fog of war”The need to communicateLack of experience
Speed Kills
More than ever, the media is 24/7 and its appetite for news is growing.
Because of this, you have to be on-call and ready to respond at all times.
It Really Is a Global Village
What happens in one part of the world is effectively instantly known everywhere. A story about your organization will reach
all of your stakeholders.
Remember, too, that not all stakeholders view things the same way.
Don't Guess…
Don’t speculate, theorize or hypothesize.
In a crisis communications situation, credibility is built and sustained by
sticking to what you know.
Gather Facts
The best way to counter the dangers of rumor and gossip is to develop an extensive and practiced fact-gathering mechanism:– A monitoring room for broadcasts– Internet, social media and mainstream
media monitoring– Outside media monitoring agencies– Calls with key personnel on the frontlines
Share What You Know
Use all the tools at your disposal – regular meetings, e-mails, audio recordings,
intranets, etc. – to keep your employees, your board and other key
stakeholders informed.
Talk to People Who Have Been There
An organization should call on experienced counsel in developing and reviewing crisis communications plans and for direct assistance in times of crisis.
“What Messages Are Important To Communicate…”
For once, all of your stakeholders – customers, employees, shareholders, partners – are paying attention; what do you want to say to them?
– Honest emotions – empathy, grief, anger, resolve– Facts– Sincere Commitments to Future Actions– Openness
“…Who Should Be On Your Crisis Communications Team?”
CoordinatorInbound “Call Answerers”Outbound CommunicatorsWriter(s)ResearchersAdministratorTech Support
“How Do You Handle The Situation And Continue To Manage Your Organization?”
“Rule #1: Fly the plane!”Assigned rolesSpecific dutiesWhat to do with your senior
executives?The difference between being
informed and being a decisionmaker
Tell the Truth
The media and your other stakeholders know when they’re not getting the full story from a
company. Don't lie to them.
Ever.
You Can Run, But…
It's better to tell bad news yourself than let somebody else find it, but if you're going to tell it, tell it all and make sure
your facts are solid.
Practice, Practice, Practice…
You still may not make it to Carnegie Hall, but a well-tested, practiced
communications plan is even better than applause.
Never Touch the Camera…
Never run and never pretend that you'll get the last word (remember you won't be
in the editing suite when the piece gets put together).
Know Your “Friends”
Beware of the ratings periods and politicians (including the ones with titles like “analyst,” “expert” and “consultant”)
“What Is The 5-step Process For Tackling A Crisis That I
PlanningPracticeTeamworkExecutionAdaptability
And a bonus…Analysis
Can Start Working on Today?”
6
So, In Conclusion…
Act like a mammal– Move fast– Plan– Understand your environment– Be adaptable– Create a crisis communications plan
Homework Assignment
Chapter 1
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United
States
http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch1.pdf
Thank You
Thank You