Crisis Communications - Five Questions To Ask Before You Leap In

How do you handle a crisis?

Here's five good questions to ask when responding to a crisis.

"Before you react, it is important that you properly analyse the situation so you can respond appropriately.

Here are five steps to remember the next time you are faced with a crisis situation:

1. Before you react, stop for five minutes and look at the situation. Does it warrant your immediate attention? Can someone else handle it more efficiently? Is there another priority that is more important?

2. Avoid making sudden accusations or pointing blame. Accusations and blame are counterproductive. Analyse what caused the crisis later, when the situation is resolved. Focus only on finding a reasonable solution.

3. Review past crises similar to the one you are faced with at the present and look for usable solutions. Keep a record of all crises and how you or other employees handled them.

4. Take charge of the situation. Tell your employees exactly what you want them to do. Give clear and precise instructions. Follow your organiation’s established procedures, policies and practices.

5. If possible, stay relatively uninvolved in the situation. Put your trust in your employees to handle the situation.

Do only what is necessary to extinguish the crisis. Avoid making sweeping changes in policies, responsibilities or employment during the crisis. Wait until things have cooled and the situation is resolved to make any major changes."

Source: LMA - The Leading Edge No7, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 5:21 PM

How Crisis Ready Are You?

New courses coming soon:

To ensure that your organization is truly crisis-ready and prepared, this program on advanced crisis management strategies will help you prepare for any potential crisis scenario. Learn how to deal with a major incident in a calm, planned and professional way.

At the end of this workshop participants will learn:

· The guiding principles to understand and live by in preparing for any crisis.
· Knowing the crisis rules versus actually testing your processes to be as prepared as possible.
· Leveraging your organization's current processes/rules to help you look smart and ready.
· Key tools and techniques you can walk away with to help you manage crises smarter.
· Examples of companies that have learned to be more crisis prepared.
· Testing messages during a crisis.
· Rebuilding confidence and trust among employees from a high level.
· Managing the issues and turning the matter from a crisis into solutions-oriented campaign.
· Communicating to stakeholders that your company can be trusted.

Outline:

1. What is a crisis?

· Definition and main characteristics.
· Causes and consequences.
· Examples – SARS, Tsunami, London bombings

2. Managing the Crisis

· Plans
· People
· Procedures.

3. Managing the Response

· Impact
· Information
· Timing

4. Managing the Message

· Understanding newsmakers
· Threats and Opportunities
· Communication actions: frequency, meaning and targets

5. Managing the Process

· Roles and responsibilities
· Support
· Evaluation

6. The Three Golden Rules

· Knowing your topic
· Being prepared
· Staying calm

7. Practical exercises

· Each participant takes part in a "hypothetical media crisis".
· They will take on the role as a spokesperson for a stakeholder group and build a case around this story.
· This will be used for the practical TV interview exercises.

8. Practical TV Interviews

· Putting it into practice
· Role play

9. Debrief & reflection

· Video playback
· Second by second evaluation and coaching
· Strengths analysis
· Weaknesses evaluation
· Action plan

Who Should Attend:
CEOs, Operations Managers, General Managers, PR and Marketing Professionals in Corporate Communications, Employee Communications, Financial/Investor Relations, Human Resources, Interactive PR, Investor Relations, Marketing Communications Marketing, Media Relations, New media, PR Firms, Public Relations, Public Affairs

For those in Singapore, here are the dates:

Course Title: Emergency and Crisis Communications Management
Dates: January 25th & 26th, July 26th & 27th, December 6th & 7th 2006
Duration: 2 Days
Time: 9am – 5pm
Facilitator: Mr Thomas Murrell MBA, CSP


Visit our website for the latest details.