43
CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS Kelli Matthews University of Oregon | Verve Northwest Communications
CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
Kelli Matthews
University of Oregon | Verve Northwest Communications
WHAT WE’LL COVER
‣ WHAT IS A CRISIS? ‣ WHAT ARE THE STAGES OF CRISIS? ‣ HOW CAN AN ORGANIZATION BE CRISIS READY? ‣ WHAT IS EFFECTIVE CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS?
WHAT’S A CRISIS?
“… a significant business disruption which stimulates extensive news media coverage. The resulting public scrutiny will affect the organization’s normal operations and also could have a political, legal, financial and governmental impact on its business.”
-- Institute for Crisis Management
TYPES OF CRISES
CREEPING CRISES SLOW-BURN CRISES SUDDEN CRISES
Most of what we call natural disasters (tornadoes, droughts, hurricanes) are indeed natural, though human contributions may increase their likelihood or intensity.
But they aren’t disasters—they’re hazards. If a hurricane slams into land where no one lives, it isn’t a disaster; it’s weather.
A disaster is when a natural hazard meets a human population. And often, that intersection is far from natural.
HURRICANE KATRINA
HURRICANE HARVEY
PARADISE, CALIFORNIA
TEXT
STAGES OF CRISIS▸ Pre-Crisis/Planning
▸ Crisis
▸ Continuing Crisis
▸ Post-crisis
PRE-CRISIS
▸ Crisis Forecasting
▸ Vulnerability Audit
▸ Crisis Planning
▸ Media Training
CRISIS FORECASTING ACTIVITYWHAT KIND OF “WORST CASE SCENARIO” SHOULD (OR DOES) YOUR ORGANIZATION PLAN FOR?
VULNERABILITY AUDITS
Confidential interviews of people at all levels of the organization. Looking for: potentially harmful trends, significant inconsistencies between answers, nonverbal cues, consensus of opinion regarding certain types of crises. Allows you to anticipate actual crisis scenarios.
GET COMMITMENTS
DENIAL AIN’T JUST A RIVER IN EGYPT…
▸ Outright denial
▸Minimization
▸ Idealization
▸ Power
▸ Projection
▸ Intellectualization
▸ Compartmentalization
BUILD A CRISIS TEAM. MAKE SURE THEY’RE PREPARED, TRAINED & EMPOWERED
THE 8 PEOPLE YOU NEED ON YOUR CRISIS TEAM
Local Government
Manager
Emergency Manager/Director
Comms Director
Director of Information
Services
Public Health Manager/Director
Director of Public Works
Fire & Police Chiefs
Planning Director
YOUR CRISIS TEAM: INCIDENT COMMAND STRUCTURE Incident
commanderIncident
containment Victim assistance Family Assistance Employee Assistance Communications
Recommends level of response
Dispatches to the incident site
Liaise with officials onsite at
hospitals, etc.
Contacts WFF and Chaplains
Assess state of employees and
ensure info needs are met
Provide comm. advice & counsel
Activates/directs CMT
Coordinates with other chiefs
Confirms emergency
contacts and next of kin
Coordinates with law enforcement
for next of kin notification
Issues pre-authorized statement
assuring support
Activates pre-authorized statement
Develops & adjusts ops
strategy Relays info to IC
Coordinates arrangements for
return of deceased or injured
Assigns family liaisons
Briefs employees within two hours
Coordinates with chiefs to gather
info; prep statements
Ensures coordination
“On the ground” lead
Coordinates with support
organizations.
Assign one family liaison to each for
assistance
Coordinates on-site counseling or
other support
Preps spokespeople for
interviews
CMT: crisis management team. IC: Incident Commander. InCon: Incident Command. WFF= Wildland Firefighter Foundation. CCofA: Corporate Chaplains of America
A WORD ABOUT ELECTED OFFICIALS
▸ Provide training about their role, the manager’s role, the overall structure of incident command center.
▸ Develop a system to keep councilors and commissioners informed.
IDENTIFY STAKEHOLDERS, KEY MESSAGES & METHODS OF DELIVERY
“No matter how much you plan, the unexpected is going to happen. You plan so that you can manage the unexpected. There’s not going to be a blueprint for it.”
Harold Dominguez, City Manager, Longmont, Colorado
PREPARE MATERIALS AHEAD OF TIME
IDENTIFY A SEQUENCE FOR INFO SHARING
IDENTIFY & TRAIN SPOKESPEOPLE
PRACTICE!
STAGE 2: ACUTE CRISIS
CONTAINMENT INVOLVEMENT OF REGULATORS INVESTIGATION CONFIRMATION
NOT EVERYTHING IS A CRISIS. AND NOT EVERY CRISIS NEEDS
THE SAME RESPONSE.
Staff Responds
Staff Responds with Manager Guidance
Manager Gets Involved Directly Create Content (Media, Social, Web) if Necessary. Provide Subsequent Monitoring.
Manager Responds. Executive Team Notified. Create Content, Provide Subsequent Monitoring
Executive Team Responds. Frequent Communication Through all Channels. Heavy Monitoring
ISSUE VS. CRISES
1. Choice 2. Certainty 3. Urgency 4. Cost 5. Continuity 6. Outcomes
VALIDATED ACCEPTED WISDOMACKNOWLEDGE
FIGHT FIRE WITH WATER BE GENUINE
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
ACKNOWLEDGEA K A , S T E A L I N G T H U N D E R
TELL IT FIRST. TELL IT FAST. TELL THEM WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT.
TELL IT FIRST, TELL IT FAST AND TELL THEM WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT!
! What happened ! How do you feel about it ! What are you doing about it ! Guidance to media
BE GENUINE. BE COMPASSIONATE. BE SORRY.
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.
ABOVE ALL, BE GENUINE. BE HUMAN.
HOW DOES SOCIAL MEDIA CONTRIBUTE TO A CRISIS?
▸Wind
▸Fuel
▸Direction
WHAT ROLE, SOCIAL MEDIA?
▸Disseminate Information
▸ Relieve media queries (via phone)
▸ Thought leadership
▸Humanize & personalize
▸ Provide company’s point of view
▸Create outlet for advocacy (if appropriate)
THE REALITY OF CRISES TODAY
▸ Erupt with unprecedented speed
▸ People have an insatiable thirst for news
▸ Anyone can break news
▸ Porous boundaries between social & mainstream media
CONTINUING CRISIS▸ Chronic Stage
▸ Ongoing Management
“The immediate crisis moment may last twenty-four hours and then you’ve got a period of four to five days cleaning up. Once that emotion dies
down, you can lose sight that this thing is here to stay for months if not a couple of years. You must remind the organization that this is a long-term
event and that we cannot let up; we have to remain focused.”
Dan Paranick, City Manager, Ventura, California
POST-CRISIS
RESOLUTION STAGE RETURNING TO NORMAL ASSESSMENT PREVENTATIVE PLANNING
“THIS IS EASY TO SAY AND CHANCES ARE IF, GOD FORBID, YOU ARE FACED WITH THE SAME TYPE OF CHALLENGE, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ADVICE. YOU MUST FIND A WAY TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF…”
Tim Gleason, City Administrator, Gleason, Illinois
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF & YOUR EMPLOYEES
