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Crisis Communication… The very thought of it often sparks terror, because, if you handle things wrong, your company may never recover. What should you say? Do you talk to the media? A crisis communication plan will help guide this process, and the articles below are designed to help you plan, shed light on how best to handle communication in a crisis, and avoid costly errors.

Getting management on board is the key to effective crisis communication. (Item #1) Do you know what NOT to communicate in a crisis? (Item #2) When was the last time you saw a CEO apologize? (Item #3)

It's not a report card, but it can help you check your communications IQ after the dust settles. (Item #4) This article explains how crisis communication works before, during and after a crisis, with an emphasis on how technology is making crisis communication more effective. (Item #5) Don't forget these seven elements in your crisis communications kit. (Item #6)

As always, we look forward to hearing about your concerns with regards to business continuity. If you have a topic you'd like to see covered, please email me at bmellinger@attainium.net

Best Regards,

Bob Mellinger
President
Attainium Corp

Quote of the Week

"If you have a health and safety disaster,
a television crew can be the first ones on site,
and that information can go around the world in seconds."
- Kathy Seabrook -

Articles

1. Crisis Communication: How to Manage It Effectively
The most challenging part of any crisis, whether it is natural or man-made is the reaction of the management. Not only do they have to be prepared to respond quickly but respond with the right response. Failure to do so will only lead to spin, not communication, which in turn doesn't mitigate damages but rather causes embarrassment, humiliation, prolonged visibility, and often, unnecessary litigation for the business.
http://www.abanet.org/lpm/lpt/articles/mgt01081.shtml

2. Making a Crisis Worse: The Biggest Mistakes in Crisis Communications
The cheapest way to turn experience into future profits is to learn from others' mistakes. With that in mind, the following examples of inappropriate crisis communications policies, culled from real-life situations, will provide a tongue-in-cheek guide about what NOT to do when your organization is faced with a crisis.
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/docs/the_biggest_mistakes_in_crisis_communications.html

3. Why Apologies Are A Crisis Communications Staple
By owning up to a misstep, an individual or organization effectively frames the issue, putting parameters around it and defining it. It enables you to begin the process of repairing the damage that's been caused and winning back credibility.
http://www.dpkpr.com/en/art/?185

4. Crisis Communication Spokesperson Checklist
Research from the Center for Risk Communication provides us with this checklist so we can see how we did in the crisis. It's a useful tool for helping refine your policies for the next crisis.
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/erc/features/CKCRIT_spokesperson.pdf

5. How Crisis Communication Plans Work
Your organization's image and reputation can be destroyed by one poorly handled crisis. A "crisis," in public relations terms, is any event that draws intense, negative media coverage and interferes with normal business activity. Crises can cost organizations millions of dollars to repair or can potentially put them out of business for good.
http://communication.howstuffworks.com/how-crisis-communication-plans-work.htm

6. The seven must-have elements in every crisis communications kit
Keep in mind that a crisis may allow you to continue business as normal, or it may result in a situation where you aren't able to get access to the tools you normally use to do your job (natural disaster, lockout, etc.) So your crisis communications kit needs to provide the capability for you to provide the appearance of normality even in the most abnormal situations.
http://www.globalprblogweek.com/archives/7_musthave_elements_.php