3. What is a Crisis?
A Crisis is an escalating incident that poses a
serious threat to the people, operation, viability
and/or reputation of an organisation
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4. What is Crisis Management?
Crisis Management is the implementation and
management of response, recovery and restoration
strategies
These strategies should be implemented with a view to
minimising the potential impact an escalating incident can
have on an organisation’s people, operation, viability
and/or reputation
These actions will assist an organisation to fully recover
from such an event
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5. Crisis Management & Communication
Project scope/
review
Enterprise
Value
Crisis Management
&
Communication
Training/
Awareness
Recovery
Strategies
Risk
Assessment
Emergency
Response
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6. Communicating in a Crisis
Communicating with stakeholders during a crisis is but
one element of crisis management, however it plays a
vitally important role:
– effective communications during a crisis can
minimise potential damage to an organisation’s
reputation and therefore it’s long-term viability
– ill conceived and poorly executed communications
can cause a rapid loss of control of the perceptions
of all stakeholders during a crisis
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8. Communications Strategies
Plan for a crisis in advance
Clarify objectives
Identify stakeholders and analyse their needs
Identify the ‘theme’ of key messages to be released
Prepare for likely questions
Identify most effective communications mediums
Appoint official spokesperson(s)
Determine authority protocols for release of information
Agree activity tracking mechanism
Develop records management system
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9. Tips for avoiding common issues
Establish the communications protocols
– who is responsible for reporting
– what is critical, what is important, what can wait
– when / how often to update
– what format will it be delivered in
Monitor the communications
– check filter points
– identify potential bottle necks
– log and monitor deadlines / updates
– ensure there is a common understanding and
agreement
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10. Government and
regulators
Next of kin /
relatives
Community
Who are the stakeholders?
Distributors
Board (representing
shareholders)
Organisation
in a crisis
Indirect
customers
Employees
Suppliers
The media
Statutory
authorities
Direct
customers
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11. Internal Stakeholders
Employees
Next of Kin / Relatives
Board
Internal Departments
Joint Venture Parties
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12. Employees
Staff are key stakeholders
– keep them informed
– release an initial alert
– maintian regular updates
Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
– those who witness an horrific event
– those who are close to the victim
– other staff as required
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13. Next of Kin / Relatives
Agree arrangements for visits to notify immediate family,
relatives, friends, etc of any workforce fatality or serious
injury
Determine the process of dealing with calls and direct
contact with the next of kin and/or relatives
Provide processes to deal with expected inquiries including:
– accessing records and information
– activating a team or location to deal with calls
– telephone procedures
– methods of dealing with distressed relatives
– other information as necessary
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14. Board, Internal Departments, Joint Venture
Parties, etc
Ensure pre-determined processes capture
communications protocols including:
– reporting lines
– delegated points of contact
– agree communications mechansims
– agreed reporting criteria
Ensure an appropriate management
structure is implemented and utilised
throughout all phases of the crisis
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15. External Stakeholders
Customers, suppliers and distributors
Legal and insurers
Government authorities, regulators, statutory
authorities, industry associations - EPA,
WorkCover, Consumer Affairs, Unions, etc
Emergency Services
Community
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16. Customers, Suppliers and Distributors
Identify and communicate with:
– key customers
– key suppliers
– transport organisations
– alternative suppliers
Clear message on what is happening, what’s been
done to rectify, alternative arrangements, etc
Information must be linked to what is being said to
media, community and other stakeholders
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18. Legal and Insurers
Involve legal and insurance advisers early
Log events carefully and ensure they are signed
Collect all information generated and store in a safe
place
Ensure legal advisers are involved in any significant
investigation
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19. Authorities and Regulators
Ensure you satisfy regulatory reporting requirements
Public Corporations:
– deal with political stakeholders & their concerns/issues
Private Corporations:
– consider political implications of incidents and the likely
responses of Government and Government Authorities
Consider implications on all levels of Government (Local, State &
Federal)
If situation is overseas:
– consider who and how the organisation will liaise with both
indigenous and Local Government(s)
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20. Emergency Services
Ensure there is a clear and defined conduit
between the Emergency Services and the
organisation
Advise Emergency Services personnel of any
potential issues
Ensure that information given by the Emergency
Services is communicated to the Crisis
Management Team
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21. Community
Address immediate concerns
Use community groups, media and/or emergency
services to assist with getting the message out
Keep them regularly informed
Maintain open, honest and ongoing contact
Appoint spokesperson(s) for the organisation
Same rules apply as to media interaction
Remember, your organisation is part of the community
and needs their support to continue
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23. The Media are out there …
Like Them Or Not
The Media can be a powerful friend or foe during a
Crisis.
The media have the facilities to:
– amplify your key facts and information
– reach a very wide audience quickly
– reach specific or target audiences
All for low or no cost.
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24. Role of the Media
Accepted wisdom:
– The Media plays an important role within the
local, national and global community:
gather facts and information of community
interest
amplify information of interest and concern to
the community
provide the community with a common
understanding of events
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25. Role of the Media
Gather facts and information of community interest:
– All of the above, PROVIDED THAT:
it’s entertaining
it’s ‘newsworthy’ in the view of the audience
it provides a financial return for the media
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26. Remember: Social Amplification of Risk
Activists and the media amplify outrage, they don’t create
it, therefore:
– pay attention to the outrage where the public is
concerned, because outraged people do not listen to
data
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27. Types of Media
The types of media to consider utilising during a crisis
are:
– Print
– Radio
– Internet
– Television
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28. Gaining Control of the Agenda
Use a media communications team
To ensure you are not always reacting to the media:
– determine who your audience is
– know what the community is asking
– determine your key messages
– get your messages out fast
– stick to your messages
– continue to provide accurate and regular
information and updates
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29. The Critical Questions
Generally speaking the media and community ask:
– what, where, when, why, who, (etc)?
– are we safe?
– has everything possible been done to care for all
those affected?
– have you apologised?
– what’s being done to prevent it from occurring again?
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30. Ways of Conveying your Message via Media
Release
A means, often the first, to state your case
A Media Release :
– can be prepared in advance - Holding Statement
– must stick to the facts
– must convey concern and regret, positively
– can allay fears and misinformation
– can be used to keep staff & stakeholders informed
– should advise if a press conference is to be held
and a contact point for the organisation
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31. Fact Sheets/Files
A means of ensuring journalists know what your
organisation does.
A Fact Sheet/File:
– provides information about the organisation and its
activities
– can provide supporting background information to
Media Releases
– gives the media “facts” about you so that the
information is correct
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32. Media Conferences
A necessary or prudent action to clarify your position
and keep control of the agenda. A Media
Conference:
– should feature as few spokespersons as
practicable,
– must be thoroughly prepared and rehearsed,
– must be tightly controlled,
– should follow an agreed format,
– should be recorded,
– MUST have key messages.
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34. Communications are Critical
Write down information
Use active listening skills
Verify data
Don’t be too hasty
Strive to minimise corruption of data
Information is everyone’s responsibility
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35. Communication Elements
3 Major Components:
‘Technical’
– physical medium; face-to-face, telephone, fax,
email, etc
‘Meaning’
– conveying the desired meaning
‘Effectiveness’
– how the meaning effects the recipients’ reactions
and decisions
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36. Face-to-face Considerations
Researchers1 have shown that in face-to-face
communication:
– at least 65% of the meaning comes from non-verbal
sources
– of the remaining 35%, 28% comes from the delivery;
tone, pace ,etc
– therefore, only 7% comes from the actual words used
1 Braysich, Dr Joseph - University of Western Australia; Alan Pease et al
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37. Conclusion
Communications is a vitally important element of Crisis
Management
Failure to communicate with all stakeholders, including the
media, during a crisis can ruin the best of reputations and
therefore jeopardise an organisation’s long-term viability
Gaining and maintaining control of the Media is critical
Only prior planning can ensure that necessary
communication tools are immediately available when
required
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