1. What is Crisis Management (CM)?
It means managing of operations during the actual crisis in the midst of the event to the degree that the events can be managed. However, it may also mean the management of the organisation before, during, and after the crisis.
CM is not a mechanistic action of rules, procedures and physical action by an organisation. It consists of a full range of thoughtful processes and steps to anticipate the complex nature of crisis real and perceived.
Planning, implementation and control – key words. It is expected that an organisation has given prior thought to developing a plan with a team of managers expected to carry out the plan and then to evaluate their performance during the crisis. Plan must be written in words and communicated!
Develop a positive attitude towards CM.
Always prevention (anticipation) is better than reaction.
Deeds speak louder than words.
2. Crisis Management Team
A. The Communication Advisory Committee. This is a large group - perhaps about ten people. They assess the plan of action proposed by the Media Response Team, give further input, call in experts, and check the official Church position. The chairman of this committee is the president and the members are appointed by the ADCOM.
B. The Media Response Team. This is a small group - just five or six people. Their task is to co-ordinate the whole process of media response. They would be the ones handling the various stages of any major media event, from finding out the facts to releasing statements and guidelines to the media spokespeople. In this task they would have help from the Communication Advisory Committee. The Media Response Team is appointed by the Communication Advisory Committee and includes the following members:
- Secretary / Representative of the management
- Communication director / media specialist
- Legal advisor
- Specialist in the area of crisis
- Spokesperson
Being on a CM team means a 24-hour job!
People on the team must keep the human, caring approach to their task.
Team members receive specific tasks to perform. All must be tested.
Those who are on this team are bound by confidentiality and they formulate statements, procedures and way of communication, internally and externally.
3. Spokesperson
One spokesperson (gatekeeper!) is elected by the Communication Advisory Committee and he is the ONLY one to deal with the media and the internal publics. Level and type of crisis dictate who should be spokesperson. The message “talking points” are drafted and nothing else, apart from that which the team agreed to release, is communicated to the public. In a CM mode, correct and managed communication is most crucial to the success of “turning the story around.” Most often the spokesperson may be the communication director, but it can also be another person, depending on a crisis. Whoever it is, he or she MUST be trained in what is called “crisis management communication.”
The role of spokesperson is to centralise and control flow of information (accuracy and validity)
Spokespeople should be determined based upon the nature of the crisis, and upon their expertise in certain areas, their speaking abilities and their ability to think quickly on their feet.
4. Crisis Room
Sufficient equipment needed; Media Centre - a briefing room.
5. Three Principles
- Don’t make things worse. Don’t lie or say, “no comment.” If there’s a problem, acknowledge it (and tell how you’re fixing it).
- Get it over with. Gather information and get out what is being done.
- Remember next year. Anniversary stories are BIG! Be sensitive to the lasting impression. What you say today will be remembered tomorrow.
6. Materials Preparation
- Key media lists
- Key contact lists
- Public information kits
- Manuals and cards
7. Communication Plan
- Notification system including hot-line
- Establish procedures and communications priorities
- Establish area for new media to gather
8. Action Plan
- Rule1: Move fast!
- Gather crisis team and all possible information
- Assess the severity of the situation and who is affected
- Prepare information and disseminate quickly to appropriate audiences
- Use appropriate media
- Record events as they happen
9. Media Relations Guidelines
- Be accessible and open
- Provide regular updates
- Don’t speculate or place blame
- Seriously consider reporting bad news
- Avoid ‘no comment’
- Monitor coverage
- Write follow-up thank you letters
10. When a plan of action is in place, all parties involved in CM are BOUND to keep the protocols and not engage in speculation, sharing of information and talking to the media, employees or anyone else.
11. Information is shared with higher organisation about the situation and advice/evaluation sought.
12. Training for the institution and its leadership is very important - media training.
The approach is neither Western (American, British…) nor anything else - it is common wisdom approach of an organisation conscious about its public image and set on having a success. The CM approach aims to maximise information and work out of an “outcome approach” and with intentionality in action taken. Damage control is often the objective.