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Communication is vital in a disaster and it is a crucial part of any crisis management plan. Don't fail to plan for how you will communicate with employees, vendors, clients, and members in a crisis. This week's articles cover a range of topics that can help in this effort.

Now more than ever, crisis communication should be part of everyone's planning. (Item #1) You can't really talk about crisis communication without also talking about crisis management. (Item #2) Communicating with employees in a crisis should be top of mind. (Item #3)

A message map can be your CEO's most effective communication tool in a crisis. (Item #4) Here are some tips from a TV journalist on how to cut down on negative news. (Item #5) Having an automated notification system can be an excellent way to communicate; this article contains tips on how to use one effectively. (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

"The problem with communication ... is the illusion that it has been accomplished."
- George Bernard Shaw -

Articles

1. Crisis Communication: Now More than Ever, a Timely Topic
"No one is assured that he or she will be spared" from a crisis, says author Peter Anthonissen. Just being aware of the problem is not enough, he states. "In the event of a crisis, effective and efficient communication can be a matter of life or death" to a business.
http://knowledge.wpcarey.asu.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1741

2. Crisis Management and Communications
Communication is an integral and critical part of crisis management. This document from the Institute for Public Relations provides a thorough look at crisis management and communications and provides much practical information as well.
http://www.instituteforpr.org/essential_knowledge/detail/crisis_management_and_communications/

3. When Disaster Strikes, How Do You Communicate with Employees?
Anything can happen to your business: a fire, flood, hurricane, tornado, crippling snowstorm, major power outage, terrorist attack, pandemic, or technology-related issues, such as data loss. To survive any disaster, you should design a communication plan that assures employees that their health benefits and paychecks will continue no matter what.
http://www.hopehealth.com/blog2/?p=52

4. An ABC of message maps
Message maps support effective communication in a crisis but narrow and rigid message mapping can be a trap in a crisis. CEOs in crisis are often better advised to use a one page sheet which gives them a quality approach to message mapping - an active application in any context.
http://www.continuitycentral.com/feature0466.htm

5. Crisis communications: how to slow or stop negative news
Television journalist Mark Macias provides some useful advice, including why it will almost always hurt you not to talk to the media. If you say yes to an interview and artfully prepare your statements you can at least maintain damage control. And with a little splash of spin, there is even a chance you could turn a negative story into a positive one.
http://www.continuitycentral.com/feature0649.html

6. Best practice: how to use automated notification systems
Using automated systems to deliver crisis messages is accepted as an excellent method of accurately and quickly communicating with groups of responders, staff and other relevant agencies in a crisis. However, having the raw capability to contact lots of people is only the start of an effective crisis communications capability.
http://www.continuitycentral.com/feature0108.htm