1. Argentini (n.p.) discussed crisis communication in the wake of 9/11. He noted that during the most urgent crisis situations such as 9/11, internal communications may be the most important thing. Based on his own experience of 9/11 and the experiences of others, Agentini (n.p.) highlighted important aspects of crisis communication. First, he said it is important to be visible to those who look to you for leadership (Argentini) although Jaques (12) warns that visibility may or may not mean the person is directly on site. Physical presence must be carefully considered, but visibility is an absolute (Argentini n.p.). This allows others to feel their fear, concern and worry are important to the company’s management. Employees become constituents, according to Argintini (n.p.) and constituents want answers from a leader they feel is trustworthy and sincere; the focus during crisis must be on the people, not the profit.
Another important job of management during any crisis is to remain calm. When others are looking to leadership, they model what they see. If the leadership is calm, it will serve as a soothing force for others, too (Argintini, n.p.). Part of keeping others calm is keeping them informed. With no information, imaginations go to work and worst-case scenarios become the what everyone is thinking about. In a major crisis, however, communication will be difficult (Argentini n.p.). While it is important to be careful, communicating may mean you have to be creative. During 9/11, media outlets assisted in getting messages to employees directly affected or whose offices were near the buildings. American Airlines used their own reservation systems to keep employees updated. Morgan Stanley used a toll-free call center number to allow employees to call in and verify they were safe; the news media broadcast the number; the names of employees who had called were scrolled on the ticker display at Times Square (Argentini n.p.).
Jaques (11) pointed out that people do not always trust a CEO. It may be necessary to allow someone else to speak for the company, according to a study that found CEO’s are not always considered the most trustworthy person in the organization. Jaques (11) points out that a company may need more than one spokesman. While a CEO should provide comfort and reassurance, other employees with specific skills may be needed as well (Jaques 12).
Pisciotta (n.p.) gives some specific advice about effectively communicating during a crisis. First, management must plan ahead. This includes considering every possibility, determining who will be responsible for what, outlining a strategy to manage different situations, and identifying a spokesperson (Pisciotta n.p.). She also notes the importance of message preparation.
According to Pisciotta (n.p.) some basic elements of all good crisis communication include being able to provide clear information about the nature of the crisis, concern for the impact it will have on stakeholders, the company’s commitment to identify causes, and if it is possible to say it with honesty, assurances that the incident at hand is not a reflection of the company at large. Pisciotta (n.p.) also talks the importance of knowing who you are speaking to. Different audiences rely on different ways to get information. It is important for a company to know what groups of people they will need to address in a crisis, and the best way to do so.
2a. Trusting both the speaker and the message are important in crisis communication (Pisciotta n.p.). A clear message is important as is monitoring and follow up once the message is delivered to ensure the company’s position is accurately and honestly represented (Pisciotta, n.p.). A clear message begins with a timely, but not unprepared, response showing sincere concern (Argentini, n.p.) and honesty about the situation as well as a willingness to take any responsibility due the company, something Pisciotta (n.p.) believes goes a long way towards saving a corporate reputation.
2b. There are several things to avoid as well. Refusing to give information does not keep it from making its way to the public. According to Pisciotta (n.p.) companies which have tried have almost always collapsed under the pressure for information, but by the time they make it available there is no way to prevent the damage done by their initial silence. Jaques (12) illustrated efforts to avoid crisis management in his discussion of the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska. Sending a representative, the company chairman remained at headquarters without making a statement until six days after the fact. During an interview about the incident, he blamed others, and in doing so, set in motion a backlash that lingers more than fifteen years later (Jaques 12). The Michigan Water Crisis is another example of not handling a crisis well. According to Health (n.p.) the mismanagement and lack of response by local leadership has drawn the attention of the President, the World Health Organization, and presidential candidates after they did nothing for eighteen months (Health n.p.). In a new twist, although many Democrats have weighed in on the issue, Republicans have, according to Health, shown “depraved indifference” (Health, n.p.). This has created anger among people who expect leadership to step in and help them.
3. Achieving success during a crisis includes planning and preparation, visibility, communication, honesty, timeliness, willingness to take responsibility, and effective implementation of recovery procedures (Pisciotta n.p.). Failure to manage a crisis can be caused by many factors, such as poor planning, not being prepared, refusing to address the situation, blaming others, lying about or concealing the facts, and no plans for correcting the problem or preventing future similar mistakes (Pisciotta n.p.).
4. Scenario: Crisis Control:
I would communicate to the media that I am aware everyone has questions and needs answers. I would assure them that the facts will be made available to them as soon as they are available to us, and that we are working with emergency response and law enforcement to get those facts. I would remind them of the responsibility I have to protect employees and their families, and to prevent the dissemination of incorrect information and the harm it could bring to families of victims if I did otherwise. I would encourage them to attend the press conference to which I am en route.
I would expect questions such as:
1. Have you been in touch with the CEO and when is he returning?
Yes. Mr. __________ has been in constant contact with us.
2. Do you know how many people have been killed/injured and have their families been notified?
Right now we are waiting on confirmation from emergency services. We know there have been fatalities, but we do not have specifics at this time
3. Have you spoken with or met with family members?
As I said, we do not have enough details to have spoken with anyone in anymore than very general terms. However, we have set up a meeting area for family members and a toll-free number for family members to call for information. In fact I’m going to provide you with that number right now and ask all the media, as you are covering this situation, to scroll that number so it can be available to anyone who may have need of it. It is (800) ***-****. I know all of our employees’ families would be appreciative.
4. Are you aware of allegations that the company knew about but ignored safety violations?
I am aware that since this incident there have been a great many questions about safety in the plant and of course we will be working tirelessly to identify its cause.
5. Do you believe those violations were the cause of the explosion?
I cannot address the cause of this incident and am focused right now on the safety of our employees and their families
6. Did the company take any actions to correct the safety violations?
The company is focused right now on the status of our employees and the current emergent situation. Once we have that under control then we will be able to initiate an investigation as to what did cause this incident.
Works Cited
Argenti, Paul A. “Crisis Communication: Lessons from 9/11.” Harvard Business Review. Harvard Business Review, December, 2002. Web. 4 March 4, 2016.
Health, Terrance. “Depraved Indifference: Conservatives Respond to Flint’s Water Crisis.” Campaign for America’s Future. 28 January 2016. Web. 4 March 2016.
Jaques, Tony. “Is the CEO Really the Best Crisis Spokesperson? Four Myths Exposed”. The CEO Magazine, n.d.. Web. 4 March 2016.
Pisciotta, Diana. “How to Communicate in a Crisis: A Guide to Emerging with Reputation Intact after a Crisis Threatens Your Company.” Legal Issues. Inc. Magazine, n.d. Web. 4 March 2016.
