Weekly Wrap Up #12
1. POLL: Occupy Wall Street waning in popularity
Voters across the country are growing weary with the movement, according to a poll conducted by Public Policy Polling last week. Only 33% of respondents are supportive of the movement’s goals, compared to 45% who oppose them. While OWS loses ground with the public, voters continue to pay enormous attention to the Republican candidates for president, as noted by Crain’s New York Business columnist Greg David on his blog yesterday. The most recent debate among GOP presidential candidates, which took place in South Carolina last Wednesday and aired on CNBC, drew 3.3 million viewers, making it the No. 1 show on cable.
Be Prepared
An earthquake, a hurricane, a tornado, thunderstorms, a hailstorm – Mother Nature provided us with a challenging couple of weeks.
In most cases, we were warned about what was to come and we were able to prepare. We boarded up windows, purchased non-perishable goods, protected outdoor items from the harsh weather to come, ensured flashlights had batteries, etc…
We also talked to our clients to ensure they were prepared. What if they had to shut down a facility? What if roads were closed and important deliveries could not happen on time. What if there was power loss or water damage in their offices? What if their employees were affected?
Just like we prepare for situations to protect our families and personal belongings, organizations should prepare as well.
A natural disaster is just one of many situations that could cause a “crisis”. A crisis is any situation that threatens the integrity or reputation of an organization. These situations can be a legal dispute, theft, accident, fire, flood or manmade disaster that could be attributed to an organization. It can also be a situation where, in the eyes of the media or general public, an organization did not react to one of the above situations in the appropriate manner. But, handled correctly, the damage can be minimized.
Ideally an organization is prepared well before a crisis occurs – because they have a crisis plan. Elements of a plan include:
- Designating a crisis team
- Choosing a spokesperson(s) and ensuring he/she is prepared to speak publicly
- Creating the organization’s positioning in certain scenarios
- Developing media policies and procedures (i.e. who is allowed to speak to the media)
- Preparing statements for certain (standard) scenarios
- Defining audiences and best ways to communicate with them
- Keeping track of actions taken, next steps per audience
When there is a chance of rain, I bring an umbrella. The majority of the time, I don’t need it…but it makes me feel good to have it (just in case).
A crisis plan is no different. Be prepared.
Are you prepared?
You grab your sweater if the weatherman says it may get cold later in the day. You have gum or a mint with you at the luncheon in case the meal has garlic or onions in it. You bring along an umbrella if they are predicting rain. You hide a spare key under a rock outside your home.
Why do you do these things? Because you want to be prepared…just in case.
In business, this is also important. Is your company ready if/when a crisis hits? A product recall. An incident at a plant. A natural disaster. An industry-wide safety concern. Whatever the crisis, it would better to have a plan in place of how to handle a crisis situation. How do you inform employees, customers and the general public? Do you have the contact information for all the key folks you need to reach? Who is your media spokesperson? Who is the backup for your key spokesperson? What is the protocol for crisis A, B and C?
Some crisis communications plans detail the protocol for different types of crises. Some are just a few pages long and contain the top line info needed to take action quickly and intelligently. No matter how long or short, it is better to have a crisis communications plan in place.
Does your company have one?
