Jennifer AbelsonChief Executive Officer
Abelson Group
America in Crisis
Insight. Innovate. Impact.
Why Utilities Need a Crisis Plan
Don’t Be a Dinosaur In a Mammal’s WorldDon’t Be a Dinosaur In a Mammal’s World
......BeforeBefore They Have a Crisis They Have a Crisis
Consider the Mighty Dinosaur
Massive Powerful Dominant Awe-Inspiring
Dead
Dinosaur, Inc. – A Flawed Business Model
Slow Cumbersome Bad Communications Inability to Anticipate and Adapt
dead
Dinosaur, Inc. – A Flawed Business Model
In other words, by the time its pea-brained
consciousness receives, understands and responds to a threat to its existence, it’s
.dead
So, the Very First Question to Ask Is…
Am I a dinosaur or a mammal?
Welcome to Jurassic Park…
Case Example in a “Jurassic World”…
One of your executives is accused of cooking the books and embezzling funds
from one of your subsidiaries and when the county attorney and the sheriff’s deputies
come to your office to arrest him, the media is there to record the event.
In the next 30 minutes:
The Central Nervous System Twitches…
CNN starts taking a live feed from a local TV station;
A chat discussion begins on Yahoo;
MSNBC reports receiving an anonymous e-mail that appears to corroborate these allegations;
A union trying to organize the workers at your firm announces a webcast press conference in which it will claim that this
situation is “just the tip of the iceberg”;
Fox News interviews an “expert” on white collar crime who says this happens all the time;
Your web site crashes from the surge in hits;
Your switchboard is inundated with calls from angry and concerned customers
The Brain Responds…Sort Of
Meanwhile back at the office:
All the phone lines are so completely jammed that eveninternal calls can’t get through;
Because of vacation, travel and illness, three of five members of the marketing department are unavailable;
The General Manager is having lunch somewhere but she never turns on her cell phone and her secretary is gone;
The Head of Finance is here but is working on next week’s acquisition announcement and “can’t be interrupted;”
The Result…
You’re…
DEAD
If You’re Feeling a Little Jurassic Right Now…
Then the time to start working on a crisis communications plan is now
“The Rules”
A double handful of suggestions, observations and thoughts about crisis communications
Remember What You’re Doing
Crisis communications is not a debate, a discussion or a conversation; it’s a conflict of ideas, messages and perceptions and
the battlefield is in the minds of your stakeholders – customers, employees, shareholders, vendors, partners, etc.
You’re Playing Defense
Crisis communications battles are almost always contests over issues not of your
choosing and that you wouldn’t raise if you had any choice.
Avoid Panic…
Develop, test, rehearse and follow a crisis response plan that covers not
just communications but every aspect of company operations.
Elements of a Plan
Central coordination Clearly defined roles Guided by risk management assessment Redundancy Regular test and review
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 company 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 and print clipping services 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 clients and other key stakeholders informed.
Talk to People Who Have Been There
Experience is valuable so a company should avail itself of experienced
counsel in developing and reviewing crisis communications plans and for direct assistance in times of crisis.
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.
If You Want a Friend…
The media is not your friend and it's not your enemy; they will cover you as long
as you're a good story – for them.
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).
Trust Your People
Never begin a conversation with your PR people with "Here's what we should tell the media..." or "Tell them not to
write that."
Know Your “Friends”
Beware of lawyers and politicians (including the ones with titles like
“analyst,” “expert” and “consultant”)
The Bottom Line
The best communications people working with the best plan can make a good story great and a terrible story a
little bit better.
So, In Conclusion…
Act like a mammal Move fast Think ahead Understand your environment Be adaptable Create a crisis communications
plan
Top Related