CRISIS MANAGEMENT

A lie, mArk twAin once sAid, cAn travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.

Issues Management is the capacity to understand, mobilize, coordinate and direct all strategic and policy planning functions, and;

all public affairs/public relations skills, toward achievement of one objective: meaningful participation in creation of public policy that affects personal and institutional destiny.

Issues Management is a five step process that:

1) Identifies issues with which the organization must be concerned,

2) Analyzes and delimits each issue with respect to its impact on constituent publics,
3) Displays the various strategic options available to the organization, 4) Implements an action program to communicate the organizations views and to influence perception on the issue, and 5) Evaluates it program in terms of reaching organizational goals.

Elements of issues Management

Anticipate emerging issues Identify issues selectively Deal with opportunities and vulnerabilities Plan from the outside in Bottom line orientation Action Timetable Dealing from the top

Risk Communication
is an outgrowth of issues management. Organization need to: Plan to deal with the worst case scenario. Decide who should do what. Determine the best place for each of them to be. Draft a crisis communication line-up and contact list. Distribute and review the plan.

Perception is reality a concept that has been part of public relations fro years.

7 steps on message mapping process

1. Identify Stakeholders 2. Determine specific concerns for each stakeholder group.

3. Analyze specific concerns to fit underlying general concerns.

7 steps on message mapping process

4. Conduct structured brainstorming with input from message-mapping terms. 5. Assemble supporting facts and proof for each key message. 6. Ask outside experts to systematically test messages. 7. Plan delivery of resulting messages and supporting materials.

7 warning signs when the crisis strikes

Surprise Insufficient information Escalating events Loss of control

Increased outside scrutiny

Siege mentality panic

CRISIS
A crisis is a situation that has reached a critical phase for which dramatic and extraordinary intervention is necessary to avoid on repair major damage.

Planning in a Crisis
Five planning issues paramount 1st: 2nd: for each potentially impacted audience for each risk defined, describe the actions that mitigate the risk identify the cause of the risk demonstrate responsible management action

3rd: 4th:

5th:

create a consistent message

W A T C H W O R D S

be prepared be available be creditable Act appropriately

Communicating in a crisis
1.The key communications principle in dealing with a
crisis is not to clam up when disasters strikes

2. Public relations advice takes a different track

3. The most effective crisis communicators are those who provide prompt, frank and full information to the

media in the eye of the storm.

4. In saying nothing, an organization is perceived as already having made a decision. 5. The cardinal rule for communications during a crisis to be TELL IT ALL AND TELL IT FAST.

GOALS OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT

Terminate the crisis quickly Limit the damage

Restore credibility

Engaging the Media

Set up media quarters Establish media rules Media live for the box score Dont speculate Feed the beast Nature abhors vacuum Speed triumphs

10 General Principles
1. Speak first and often.
2. Dont speculate. 3. Go off the record at your own peril. 4. Stay with the facts. 5. Be open and concerned, not defensive.

10 General Principles
6. Make your point and repeat it.
7. Dont wage war with the media. 8. Establish yourself as the most authoritative source. 9. Stay calm and be truthful and cooperative. 10.Never lie.

Questions?