tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43954110444950151902024-03-19T04:02:00.320-07:00Ross Campbell Crisis ManagementRoss Campbell & Associates is a crisis management consultancy providing planning, training, resources, risk and threat analysis to control and manage the worst case scenario. Our process is designed to protect people, assets, earnings and reputationRoss Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-81383034777195939512020-04-01T22:47:00.000-07:002020-04-04T18:05:34.471-07:00THE HISTORIC CORONAVIRUS CRISIS<br />
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<b style="font-size: 11pt;">This is the most </b><b style="font-size: 14.6667px;">significant</b><b style="font-size: 11pt;"> crisis that this </b><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>consultancy</b></span><b style="font-size: 11pt;"> has seen in our last three decades. </b><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>The</b></span><b style="font-size: 11pt;"> surge in illness, the outbreaks legal and </b><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>business</b></span><b style="font-size: 11pt;"> </b><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>ramifications</b></span><b style="font-size: 11pt;"> are critical and </b><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>undeterminable</b></span><b style="font-size: 11pt;">. Government
and industries are desperately trying to understand the challenge, support
victims and their families, and find a solution.</b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The
problem is, the more the world enters </span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">lock-down</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> and isolation, the harder it is
to effectively confirm risk and the human and technical resources available.
Most of the renowned immunologists are cautiously optimistic. Putting a time on
this, however, is virtually impossible. Most businesses are investing in
virtual technology, improved infrastructure and future stability of the
workforce. Our virtual crisis scenario testing and training is working well as
we continue face-to-face contact with crisis and incident response teams.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Prepared
executive management is communicating constantly through video-conferences and
regular bulletins. In fact, some businesses have set up broadcast studios in
home and office to ensure that all employees are communicated with to understand the new and changing
operating models. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Harvard
epidemiologist, Professor Mark Lipsitch, made the concerning point on the
outbreak as it continues to spread, when he said, “I think the likely outcome
is that it will ultimately not be containable”. We are in the middle
of the containment process and there are good and bad examples of this around
the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">I
see Singapore as a shining example of proactive and immediate response. Like
many Australian businesses, Singapore had a plan before the virus came. Most
of Asia had plans because of their past experience with SARS and other
epidemics. In Singapore, the ABC reported that testing regimes were
up and running by the time the first case was confirmed on January 23<sup>rd</sup>.
“Labs were in place for our first case”, said Dale Fisher, an Australian
infectious disease expert working with the Singapore Government on its strategy. “And
soon after our first case, every lab in every public hospital, was capable of
doing tests,” Professor Fisher said. “So, we ramped up very quickly.” Within
days of the first case, temperature checks were happening at Changi Airport for
incoming passengers. This is in contrast to Australia where
passengers arriving recently at Sydney Airport were complaining there were
still no mandatory temperature checks for incoming passengers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">A
key lesson can be learnt from this crisis so far - the internationalisation of
the corona-virus. What was completely unusual about this event was the fact that
even though the disease had been discovered, the escalation was confusingly
slow at first. Media and public opinion did not focus on the possibility of the
battle to control COVID-19. At the beginning of its spread, some
containment measures were discussed in the background but the thought of widely
banning travel, closing down cities and hoarding resources, was not even a
consideration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
global authorities, the World Health Organisation and the United States Centres
for Disease Control, were somewhat confusing through the escalation phases.
Their process lacked the recognition of the rising international threat. There was
also confusion over the causes of the crisis in China. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Another
lesson was the question of leadership communication in every country. National
leaders had different approaches to the problem. Their press conferences lacked
continuity of universal information. Public confidence was severely undermined.
This has been particularly relevant in the US. To quote President
Trump in late March: <b><span style="color: black;">“We’re opening up this
incredible country. Because we have to do that. I would love to have it open by
Easter. I would love to have that. It’s such an important day for
other reasons, but I’d love to make it an important day for this. I would love
to have the country opened up, and rarin’ to go by Easter.</span>”</b> Very little
consideration of the worst-case scenario. The response from Dr. Tina Tan of the
Infectious Diseases Society of America was - <b>"This is the making of a
major public health disaster. I am not sure where he is getting his information
from but it is extremely flawed."</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Leadership
hubris has a problem of underestimation – the tendency to plan for the easiest
public option – the most logical way out. A common statement of underestimation
during the Second World War was “we’ll all be home for Christmas”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
central crisis management responses needed in this continually unfolding crisis
are:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Determining
your organisation’s preparedness.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Constantly
work-shopping a broader set of disruptive scenarios.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Reviewing
the human and technical resources needed to respond.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Become
the central point of leadership communication.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Assessing
the needs of your stakeholders: people, customers, suppliers and others.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Ensuring
the continuity of critical processes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Continually
assess investment strategies.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Date & privacy considerations </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Reviewing
control of supply chains.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Preparing
ahead for recovery and growth.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">In
terms of crisis management for small or large businesses, it will be a case of
riding out the months, and maybe years, of managing the huge number of new
risks. As Dr. Edward de Bono, international author international lateral
thinker, said <b>“the key responsibility as a Risk Manager and Team Leader
is the ability to generate viable risk-adverse alternatives and ways of doing
business that minimise your company’s operational risk.” </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Crisis
management during the COVID-19 outbreak needs a refreshed playbook because this
virus is a historic challenge to contain and recover. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Do you think you could have been more prepared? </span></div>
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<br />Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-57927590942837515802019-06-03T23:33:00.001-07:002019-06-03T23:33:29.432-07:00Hudson River Crisis Control<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Captain Sully Sullenberger, piloting his
Airbus 320, avoided a crisis by landing his aircraft on New York City’s Hudson
River after a massive flock of geese crippled the plane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both engines lost power but the former
fighter pilot landed the plane successfully, saving 150 lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">When air traffic control directed the
pilot to land his crippled plane at a nearby airport, the Captain told them “we’re
unable to reach the runway and we’re gonna be in the Hudson”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With his
co-pilot, the seasoned pilot ran through the checklist to land the plane on the
surface of the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knew what to do
from both his experience and his checklist. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had the technique to ensure the correct combination
of responses to the circumstances and conditions of his potential crisis. He took control.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Every organisation, every business, needs to take control with the immediacy of a crisis plan that
works. There is no time to pull out a threat severity matrix and debate what
level crisis this could be.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Crises generally strike without warning.
A rapid response may well save lives and assets and ensure minimal operational
interruption.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the crisis checklist
in the plan that makes the difference between logical, well thought-out actions
and reflexive reaction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The crisis checklist should be developed
from an experienced and validated process. It should be documented and ready to
use for these reasons:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">To rapidly deliver an orderly and efficient transition
from normal to emergency conditions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">To provide consistency in action and clear guidelines
appropriate for complex and unpredictable occurrences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">To prevent actions inconsistent with corporate
philosophy, reputation and governance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Crisis threat checklists formally establish
the threshold at which a critical event is triggered. They should determine
clear responses – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">i.e.</i> what to do and
when to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This allows for the calm
deliberation of individuals and teams to perform effectively in a crisis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Team Leaders and teams that know what to
do, who is going to do it and in what sequence, will be so much more effective
during a crisis. A single-minded sense of purpose and an absence of role
conflicts, signal an organisation that will win its crisis response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">With social media changing the rules through
the tyranny of distance and time, the keys to successful crisis management are
speed, accuracy, thoroughness and credibility. Captain Sullenberger is a great
crisis manager and a devotee of aviation safety. His book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Highest Duty:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Search for What Really Matters”</i> is worth reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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<br />Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-60661060679899053912018-06-17T00:43:00.000-07:002018-06-17T00:43:47.852-07:00CRISIS IN OR OUT OF CONTROL<br />
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<b>How often have we heard the expression <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“this is completely out of control”</i>?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>A crisis of any magnitude can hit an organisation where it
hurts without a moment’s notice and it doesn’t take long to lose control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only protection is a well-rehearsed
crisis management plan.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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In a matter of minutes, a serious incident or emergency can
run out of control and seriously disrupt a business with catastrophic
effect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some cases, it takes years to
recover.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The right response actions can minimise serious damage and
can quickly put an organisation in control of its destiny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Management needs to consider the organisation
strategically and ask what is the worst thing that could possibly happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fire, financial problems, lawsuits, cyber crisis, product
defect, sexual harassment, act of violence, terrorism, security breach,
technology collapse, executive misconduct or environmental issues to name a
few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the most likely threats in
mind, management can prepare strategies to avoid or manage a potential problem
and control the agenda.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Reading between the lines in today’s media reports of
crises, it is easy to see which organisations have anticipated the problem and
have a planning process in place to deal with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If an organisation is ready, then there will
be a clear message about what is being done and who is doing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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It is not just large organisations that need to have
comprehensive and integrated crisis management plans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All organisations need to anticipate
crises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is so important that small
and medium-sized organisations look at their worst case scenarios - the service industry, government,
educational institutions, professional firms and research organisations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They often face the greatest damage from a
negative event because they may lack the financial and managerial support
required to respond and recover efficiently.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ownership of crisis management planning must come from the
top because most crises end up at the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The top global </span>executives recognise that crisis management is a corporate
governance strategy and endorse its implementation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They know that a crisis out of control is
liable to lead to loss of profits, lawsuits, loss of market share,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>serious loss of reputation and, in many
cases, loss of senior jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
writing numerous plans for organisations, I am totally convinced that unless
complete support of the Chief Executive and top management is assured, the
crisis management program will flounder and never reach its currency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The day the Chief Executive or Managing
Director endorses the organisation’s intentions to install a crisis management
program is the day it really happens.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-7550682113679683812018-01-24T15:01:00.000-08:002018-01-24T15:01:27.341-08:002018 – Are you ready to manage your crisis?<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">n a matter of minutes, a serious incident or emergency can run out of control and seriously disrupt a business or organisation with catastrophic effect. In some cases, it takes years to recover.</span><span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvXFMAnKhc8GZLJGoW5xdkWJIWYtAprx_uAoWL4hNOjLy5EQcemS0CA24NLtLJcyxxjT1WsVPBXGlYHXq3k6ffzWIqnij9jZTznIYDDHI0b6pn7FEAl8223I-8fKMm280RHeIW7lLfFg/s1600/Pic+for+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1024" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvXFMAnKhc8GZLJGoW5xdkWJIWYtAprx_uAoWL4hNOjLy5EQcemS0CA24NLtLJcyxxjT1WsVPBXGlYHXq3k6ffzWIqnij9jZTznIYDDHI0b6pn7FEAl8223I-8fKMm280RHeIW7lLfFg/s400/Pic+for+blog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The right response actions can minimise serious damage and can quickly put an organisation in control of its destiny. Management needs to consider the organisation strategically and ask what is the worst thing that could possibly happen. Fire, financial problems, lawsuits, product defect, sexual harassment, act of violence, terrorism, security breach, technology collapse, executive misconduct or environmental issues to name a few. With the most likely threats in mind, management can prepare strategies to avoid or manage a potential problem and control the agenda.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Reading between the lines in today’s media and social media reports of crises, it is easy to see which organisations have anticipated the problem and have a planning process in place to deal with it. If an organisation is ready, then there will be a clear message about what is being done and who is doing it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It is not just large organisations that need to have comprehensive and integrated crisis management plans. All organisations need to anticipate crises. It is so important that small and medium-sized organisations look at their worst-case scenarios. The service industry, local government, educational institutions, professional firms and research organisations. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The simple questions I would ask any organisation related to crisis management are:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">what is the worst-case scenario that could hit your organisation?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">what is the most inconvenient time for this to happen?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">do you have a plan to deal with it?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">who will lead your response?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">can you contact your key stakeholders rapidly?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">where will you manage the response from?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">have you identified ways to continuing to run your business?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">what are your short-term and long-term recovery goals?</span> </li>
</ul>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The keys to successful crisis management are fast, strategic response from top management, accuracy of information, putting people first and protecting brand and reputation. <b>Credibility in crisis means being ready to handle the worst-case scenario</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-20887508708572800212017-10-25T21:57:00.000-07:002017-10-25T21:57:09.604-07:00Volcano Crisis<b><br /></b>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>The
potential eruption of a volcano in a popular tourist area is a crisis that
require decisions of great consequence to be made on the basis of rapidly changing information,
often under extreme time pressure and frequently under the intense scrutiny of the travelling public and social and news media.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3OljFdLHDV9oROiBSqs7GLD15oYke2VruxyWdUh1o9HYXt1xy6jdsa-SX46CfZDWEmdz790y3btEXGr_dCQXxo7vVsfz2NVHHEFojfI5cVwWjPAEXD54OzQQX-EzcCS808QBObgI7Gc/s1600/Mt.+Agung+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="961" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3OljFdLHDV9oROiBSqs7GLD15oYke2VruxyWdUh1o9HYXt1xy6jdsa-SX46CfZDWEmdz790y3btEXGr_dCQXxo7vVsfz2NVHHEFojfI5cVwWjPAEXD54OzQQX-EzcCS808QBObgI7Gc/s400/Mt.+Agung+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This
escalating threat is facing the island of Bali in Indonesia at the present
time. Mount Agung has been in the initial stages of eruption since early September.
Over 100,000 people have been evacuated. Mount Agung last erupted in 1963,
killing 1,000 people. Millions of people travel to this idyllic tourist
destination each year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Bali emergency
authorities and the Indonesian Government have worked to reduce the risk of the
eruption on residents and tourists through effective emergency and security
response. Clearly they have developed policies and procedures necessary to
resolve the problems related to an imminent disaster.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I was on
the island a few weeks ago and was impressed by the knowledge locals had about
plans and preparations for evacuation response. I was highly impressed with the polite and
well-prepared updates on dampening down the fear and concern visitors to the
island may experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This is one
of the communications delivered to my hotel room not long after my arrival:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>“</b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Dear Guests, <br />
<br />
Bali is still safe for tourism. <br />
<br />
The volcano has not erupted and there is no volcanic ash.<br />
<br />
Mount Agung is 72 km. from Seminyak and 32 km. from Ubud. Flights in and out of
Bali’s international airport remain normal. <br />
<br />
Even if the volcano erupted, it would not affect aviation unless there is
volcanic ash.<br />
<br />
Nine alternative airports have been prepared for diverted flights. 300 buses
will be available to transport travellers to ferry ports.<br />
<br />
Bali tourism is safe. Do not trust
misleading news.”</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This
crisis could arrive at any time: and it
could come at any speed. It can strike
without warning and destroy people and property. It is through planning that an
island like Bali can anticipate and reduce the impact of that crisis and
hopefully preserve its tourism identity and brand as being a safe place to be
or to come back to. Bali is prepared.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“BY FAILING TO PREPARE YOU ARE PREPARING TO FAIL" – Benjamin Franklin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-31192332383982770322017-07-13T00:11:00.001-07:002017-07-15T23:24:22.816-07:00CEO Action Checklist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">During the Second World War, Britain's Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, took constant naps at the peak of his performance in the War Room, deep beneath London. Leadership in a crisis can only be achieved if a leader is prepared to keep a flexible and rested mind. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Having a single-minded sense of purpose from a leader signals an organisation that is ready to deal with the worst. So what does the CEO need to consider in the face of a major crisis?</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kyLRwC2AhXVOYjrTTQ8qVbHckVg5RuPyAUOvXEvyzjpMzDSHWmnOMW0oVaU3U_3EcyENFK_xZkUgJ24U9-WcA2XdVdeUndYQLVbiMkmCuMr0giZHajCOtPDb3UYKfMVOApkgBWEeqjI/s1600/WC+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="175" data-original-width="288" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kyLRwC2AhXVOYjrTTQ8qVbHckVg5RuPyAUOvXEvyzjpMzDSHWmnOMW0oVaU3U_3EcyENFK_xZkUgJ24U9-WcA2XdVdeUndYQLVbiMkmCuMr0giZHajCOtPDb3UYKfMVOApkgBWEeqjI/s400/WC+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The primary role is to provide corporate oversight and direction on resolving the
problem and to minimise the impact on the corporate reputation, the community,
employees, assets and share value. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Immediately, it is important to confirm the real situation. Getting accurate facts is sometimes difficult
when the pressure is all around, however analysing the facts and identifying
objectives has to be a key corporate consideration in the early stages. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Two streams of action are needed - one to manage the crisis
response and one to manage the daily business. Life goes on, and although a crisis can stop
an organisation in its tracks, business resumption is essential and part of the
immediate recovery process.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Take into consideration at all times the corporate position. Confirm
the message strategy and make sure that one spokesperson is giving a clear,
consistent message right across all stakeholder audiences. The CEO should take the role of spokesperson if the situation is critical.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Research how the crisis is affecting the company’s audiences. Qualitative research
can be very important here. Engaging research to monitor attitudes to the
response can be invaluable on the road to recovery. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Be prepared to lose business and market share initially to gain maximum
results in your response. (Johnson &
Johnson withdrew the Tylenol product in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> after the extortion poisoning,
initially losing market share. They
repackaged in tamper-proof packs under government supervision and quickly
regained brand reputation and market share.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Take the initiative. Be prepared
to tell it as it is. Show the
stakeholders what you are doing and why you are doing it. Emphasise and speak in language the community
understands. Clarify information rather
than promise results.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Don’t let lawyers slow down the crisis agenda. Take good legal advice but avoid being gagged
on disclosure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Importantly, don’t lose control of yourself or your temper. Overreaction can cause confusion in the
response process and a lack of confidence in the direction. There will be dramatic changes in information
and they have to be dealt with responsibly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Keep a close eye on your competitors.
They will use your crisis time as an opportunity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Get on top of your financial audience before they are lead by business
analysts, academics and financial journalists.
Help the financial analysts, the banks and your insurers understand that
you are on top of the issues and controlling market vulnerabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.15pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -14.15pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Enlist industry and government support.
Make sure your industry and the government understand the seriousness of
your problem and do all they can to support your recovery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -14.2pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Most of all, think ahead. Use
lateral thinking to both interpret unintended consequences and how the business
may finish up. Direct your recovery team
to start building bridges and repairing reputation now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">As Winston Churchill said - "we know it will be hard; we expect it to be long, we cannot predict or</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -14.2pt;">measure its episodes or its tribulations".</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; text-indent: -14.2pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -14.2pt;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-80227541567150957262017-04-12T23:58:00.001-07:002017-04-12T23:58:19.256-07:00Managing Bad News to Employees in Crisis<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><b>Employees and families must be told of a crisis
first and fast. Responsible crisis
planning requires management to report on the importance of a critical situation
to every level of the organisation quickly and efficiently. </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCrF3YfmKF_JpPAhV1yd8dLU3dOo1VzSwHCHb5Ijx6qapLkQlm2bjW8J9vimlyx0EP7fezr4gjyqCOYT2h3RRc1cd0-Ll-93IQ2dwDQESZuMzUKDmUcUOG7JY02lyKHK2wZW-1atUi5A/s1600/Pic+for+April+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCrF3YfmKF_JpPAhV1yd8dLU3dOo1VzSwHCHb5Ijx6qapLkQlm2bjW8J9vimlyx0EP7fezr4gjyqCOYT2h3RRc1cd0-Ll-93IQ2dwDQESZuMzUKDmUcUOG7JY02lyKHK2wZW-1atUi5A/s1600/Pic+for+April+blog.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Rumour and innuendo need to be controlled
with the same efficiency that an emergency crew uses to deal with a fire.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And it means a level of communication that
many managers may not have applied before.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sensitivity and strength of message will produce positive results.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">In a world of social media, “tell ‘em nothing” or
“we’ll let them know later” is a certain recipe for disaster.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Addressing employee issues first will enlist
an army of support.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In the case of a
company that is going through a major </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">accident with fatalities in the workplace, the first people the media will seek out for
information are employees.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If employees
have a clear idea of what has happened, then facts lead the story instead of
scandal and hearsay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Employees form their own opinions quickly. Will the crisis destroy the organisation and
will they have a job? Is the company
responsible? Having a plan of action in
place to address employees’ concerns enables a company to move the message to
its other stakeholders with the confidence that the whole organisation
understands the situation. It also
assists in the recovery and business resumption process because employees are
more willing to return to a normal work environment. Also, if people are better informed, they are
considerably more willing to assist in getting the company back on track again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">This
is a highly sensitive communication area, and should be handled by company
executives where company personnel are involved. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Certainly
there are trained counsellors who understand exactly how to approach the
sensitive problem of communicating bad news.
This tragic and sensitive job is often handed to a young police officer
who is usually ill-experienced and ill-prepared to present the bad news to a
family. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Neither
is the police officer prepared to cope with what might follow in terms of a
serious emotional response, physical collapse or at worst, an asthma or heart
attack.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A lesson from a woman in a distant mining town
who tells the story about a policeman waking her from a deep sleep in the early
hours of the morning. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Upon opening the door and recognising the local
officer, he presented the news to the half-awake recipient: “Sorry to tell you
that your daughter’s been killed in a road smash near the town and I’ve got to
get back there fast”. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The policeman had his job to do and couldn’t be
in two places at once so he left the highly distressed and shocked woman to
deal with this tragedy on her own, alone.
<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">She waited for the morning to come, and after
pulling herself together, walked through the local supermarket looking for some
contact with the people of the town. <o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The few people in the supermarket avoided her
with deliberation. They had heard about
the story but did not have the ability or the strength of mind to face this
woman. It wasn’t until later that day
that real help arrived on her doorstep - some of the wives of the mining
community got together and gave her the support that should have come hours
before. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">It is
law in most countries that the police are required to notify families regarding
a fatality first. But this should not be left only to emergency services
personnel, or, even worse, by way of news broadcasts, to deliver the bad news. Companies need to send their own management
team to employees' homes or the hospital to support police and emergency services regarding an accident in the
workplace. Management training on counselling techniques should be
undertaken. Qualified counsellors should
assist in the training process. The following
are suggested guidelines:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.45pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: -36.0pt 35.45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -35.45pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -0.15pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Develop the message so that it is delivered
sensitively.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.45pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: -36.0pt 35.45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -35.45pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -0.15pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Two people should attend when delivering bad news.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.45pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: -36.0pt 35.45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -35.45pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -0.15pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Deliver the message as quickly and concisely as
possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.45pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: -36.0pt 35.45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -35.45pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -0.15pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">If possible do not allow the receiver of bad news
to go to the scene of the incident.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.45pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: -36.0pt 35.45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -35.45pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -0.15pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Arrange as soon as possible, monetary, welfare
and counselling assistance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.45pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: -36.0pt 35.45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -35.45pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -0.15pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Stay in contact with victims after the incident.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt 35.45pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt 35.45pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Remember
employees and victims’ families must be told about crises first and fast. The
first question media will ask is – “have you informed your employees’ families”?
<b>What will be your answer? <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-29046092855223112492017-02-22T15:59:00.000-08:002017-02-22T15:59:20.521-08:00Readiness for global office crises<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A crisis in another country often does not fit into
any known framework. The organisational
response, therefore, has to deal with the problem of finding people to manage
the problem at the same time as anticipating the escalation factor and
providing support for the most exposed aspects of the business.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">There is simply little time for planning,
organising, equipping or training once the crisis is imminent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Importantly, the crisis management approach needs to
ensure that the various operations and projects of an international operation
are in a constant state of readiness and that crisis teams know what to do and
how to do it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Basically, the objectives of any plan should be to
protect the company’s people and assets. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpR_KGQNbt4JipBiZqh2oKCs25Y70pmKaHxlXEbPdWT4f50yqxNYfqtrqydKzkZ_J1w9QlEait3qjfs9tDMD8yIUPuJFg6fuFTs1PYgJ0cSPMFgrRrY4qwYaQeddMk3LzKa4HypE33nw/s1600/Pic+for+February+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpR_KGQNbt4JipBiZqh2oKCs25Y70pmKaHxlXEbPdWT4f50yqxNYfqtrqydKzkZ_J1w9QlEait3qjfs9tDMD8yIUPuJFg6fuFTs1PYgJ0cSPMFgrRrY4qwYaQeddMk3LzKa4HypE33nw/s320/Pic+for+February+blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">International
operations crisis management objectives:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">1. Protect the life of employees and their
families.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">2. Protect assets and earnings by restoring
normal operations rapidly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">3. Protect the local community and
environment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">4. Minimise damage to corporate reputation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">5. Retain effective relationships with
government of the country<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Because international business management and
employees could be cut off for long periods from the parent company by failure
of communication lines, it is important that teams are trained in advance to
follow prescribed guidelines in their crisis response. The way in which the
crisis is tackled will depend on the quality of training and briefing for the
crisis teams before the event. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The plan needs to clearly establish authority and
responsibilities at every level. It is
useful here to define mobilisation actions and list contact points with details
about communication links and notification procedures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Interfacing with external agencies is an essential part of crisis planning in other countries because the crisis management
response may well include support systems from embassies or law enforcement
agencies. But this interface with expected support from your embassy or consulate may not be reliable and needs to be confirmed well in advance of an incident. Setting these communication
links up in advance is vital to the success of the plan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The plan should contain details of the organisation's team roles
and responsibilities, setting out the core action group at each location who
are responsible for managing the problem.
It will be their responsibility to assess the situation and respond
accordingly with the necessary resources required. They will also need to contact and
communicate other teams in the region and the necessary stakeholders affected,
including Head Office in the home country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">In some cases, the crisis management team may only
be one or two people. This is particularly the case for small offices, exploration, research
or transport teams working in far distant locations. It is still important that these teams
have an understanding on how to pinpoint a crisis and what on-the-spot actions
they have to achieve to protect life and ongoing operations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-60369712268989195772016-12-20T19:55:00.000-08:002016-12-20T19:55:28.550-08:00How to Lead in a Crisis<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">In
this borderless world, crisis events escalate within minutes and threaten the
most complex companies and organisations. Whether it be an exploding phone, fraud
at one of the world’s largest banks, a disaster in an amusement park or an act
of international terrorism - high level management preparation, through a
Crisis Management Plan, is vital, particularly for CEOs, corporate boards or
government administrations. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOiQL_oTIS3uAuK253w-9Bf1M4xATrBSi2iRLauSTX6boR6FWR8BTUwdys96sODk2rIJjDz5T-Z5pQciMepicFI1pIsKvboM0YBy-6WO9cMb_b73FZrXiXPf1SzG-owmJ7Cs3-6jLohe0/s1600/Donley_Global_Strike_Command_Press_Conference.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOiQL_oTIS3uAuK253w-9Bf1M4xATrBSi2iRLauSTX6boR6FWR8BTUwdys96sODk2rIJjDz5T-Z5pQciMepicFI1pIsKvboM0YBy-6WO9cMb_b73FZrXiXPf1SzG-owmJ7Cs3-6jLohe0/s320/Donley_Global_Strike_Command_Press_Conference.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
crisis management is to be taken seriously and installed efficiently, it must
come from and be part of the people who run the business. After all, in the end, it is those people who
will have to manage the crisis when it reaches its most ferocious point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
corporate crisis plan has to be part of company good governance and policy and
those who are involved in its creation, instalment, and ongoing delivery, need
to have their accountability listed in their job description.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
crisis plan must be simple and easy-to-use.
People have less time and less attention span to be confused by
long-winded, long-worded, jargon written instructions. The plan needs common language that simply
and easily identifies the goals and objectives, the methods of delivery and
implementation, and the ongoing evaluation and continuity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Accountability
is essential. Senior management
personnel must be given the time and the authority to be accountable for the ownership
of this plan. Once a senior manager is
given the responsibility of validating a crisis management plan, he or she
should be supported and assisted in the review by a dedicated, professional
outside crisis management consultancy. This should not be a PR or emergency
management consultancy but more a provider focused on delivering a strategic
process. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
crisis management budget needs to be set and approved. Some organisations may prefer to link the
crisis management budget with the legal or risk management function. Others may associate it with good corporate
governance and build it into the corporate affairs and public policy area. Some may prefer it to be associated with company
secretary or corporate finance. Manufacturing companies may link their crisis
management plan with their marketing and product recall function. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
crisis management plan must be capable of application at every office, branch, site,
and location. Just as Head Office has a
role to play in managing corporate and business crises, so do divisional
offices, branches, plants, and major sites in managing the same responsibility
on the spot. When a crisis happens, it
must be handled quickly <b>where</b> it
happens. If the location or site is not
given the authority to act, valuable time will be lost and ultimately the
control and the agenda may move to another negative party. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Every
crisis plan needs to have a maintenance process. It must be acceptable to internal auditors,
outside auditors, senior management and endorsed by the Board of Directors. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Education
of team members and support groups needs to be an ongoing process.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Once the Team Leader and core team members
have been familiarised with their roles and responsibilities, it is necessary
to test and review these functions regularly.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Most teams are tested at least one or two times a year with either a desk-top
exercise or full-scale simulation.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Every
crisis team at every location will rely enormously on resources. Control room facilities such as whiteboards, IT
connections and telephones, are all part of the resource kit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">At
RCA, our professionals are recognised experts at installing, developing, and
maintaining corporate crisis management teams. We are routinely asked to
provide counsel on escalating issues and crises.</span> </o:p></div>
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Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-85186042376415364332016-10-09T01:12:00.001-07:002016-10-09T01:12:53.775-07:00Debriefing after Real Crises. The Best Learning<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Financial disaster, major accident, cyber attack, massive recall. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">No simulation or crisis management exercise can ever
replace the real thing. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When a real
crisis occurs, most aspects of the crisis management plan would be applied, but
there will be many more critical issues and intricacies which will appear.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2pTfIoGSe_RQJ8O-w2xFfWJPKbXBztC7y1KsxV-qLmQ_2YfLj-8r7qzl88MsH0KlJ6U0diF7iaIXHmZxYkMFnCQ8hmymRRuUVQlksW5RS3z3F-HQcIXF0-oAk5nkduFJa-kbz-AoB-Q/s1600/Office+briefing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2pTfIoGSe_RQJ8O-w2xFfWJPKbXBztC7y1KsxV-qLmQ_2YfLj-8r7qzl88MsH0KlJ6U0diF7iaIXHmZxYkMFnCQ8hmymRRuUVQlksW5RS3z3F-HQcIXF0-oAk5nkduFJa-kbz-AoB-Q/s320/Office+briefing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">It goes without saying that the strategy behind a solid crisis management plan is to protect the company’s operations and reputation by
providing a secure response. But the
identification of gaps in the response plan can be best discovered after a review of a real crisis situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">A crisis simulation or exercise concludes with an
evaluation and critique where responses are examined and roles and
responsibilities reviewed.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The aim of
these crisis exercises is to improve the effectiveness of the teams in managing
a crisis, at the same time as reviewing the crisis manual and the various human
and technical resources that assist the process.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A real event, aside from its serious consequences,
can offer greater learnings, particularly related to the complex issues of
communication, interactiveness and stress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Any post-crisis evaluation must be done relatively
quickly after the event. The real value
of what has happened, and how crisis teams responded, can be only be learnt
while memories are alert to the central issues of the response. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The purpose of the post-crisis evaluation is not to
investigate the cause of the incident nor items such as emergency response,
product recall action or security performance, but more how the crisis
management team performed in its role.
Was the crisis identified effectively?
Was the team called out efficiently?
Could the team respond immediately and was the response effective?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Post-crisis evaluation is about managing and
controlling the corporate issues related to the future of the business. The following items need to be addressed in
the audit:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">1. A narrative of the actual event. What happened, why and how and what caused
the event?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">2. How was the response managed by the crisis
management team? How did the response
relate to incident and operational response procedures? What
was the decision making process based on? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">3. Were human and technical resources
adequate? Where did they fail and how
could they have been improved?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">4. Is the organisation still at threat from
the problem or similar problems?<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">5. What were the unintended consequences that
came out of the original incident?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">6. Were there any barriers to communication?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">7. Were all stakeholders advised
effectively? If not, what were the
problems?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">8. Was there sufficient co-operation with
outside agencies (emergency services, government, <i>etc.</i>)?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">9. Were the plan, manual and procedures
useful? Where could they be improved?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">10. Were human resource issues and employee communication
handled efficiently?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">11. Were there any barriers to crisis response
from senior management?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">12. Were legal issues dealt with
efficiently? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">13. Was the spokesperson’s role effective? Were messages continual and consistent?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">14. How was business continuity and recovery
managed? What were the problems?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">15. What has been put in place in the short term
and the long term to prevent this crisis from happening again?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">This post-evaluation needs to be carried out by
either outside consultants or a senior management team and preferably not by
the crisis management team. It is
designed to improve operations, decision making, plans, skills and to ensure
the crisis management team has done its job effectively. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The post-evaluation team needs to interview the crisis
management team, management executives, employees and external
personnel/contractors involved in the crisis response. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A post-evaluation project is no easy task. While it has to be done as soon as possible
after the crisis has occurred, it needs time for investigation, review and context. The project team needs the support of the Chief Executive and senior
management, and commitment has to be given to ensure that the learnings from across the business can be incorporated in the overall crisis managing planning
process. This process ensures continual improvement and further development of a best practice response. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><b><i>The learnings of the post-crisis evaluation of a real event should be made available for training and response reference to the crisis management team. </i></b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-60975309898840629362016-06-15T19:34:00.000-07:002016-06-15T19:34:22.935-07:00DEADLY SHOOTING VULNERABILITY<b>It is human nature to avoid the worst case scenario. so it comes as a painful shock when we are confronted by the real world that includes random elements of activity seemly devoid of social concern, motivated by fear, insecurity and often characterised by cruelty and violence. </b><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIoGKFvrl_yjaj6G1WUMbB6HJPRB1vG1CSoLlvZUPzHB9e4vadh0FyzoZppJs32gYiIc4ljrStkPJm9V1rY-qPuMcKdNAAUnpycf3BaL4e6auGdKf5gx2sTS0GNTrylQhaNB4izBghyphenhyphen0A/s1600/Orlando+Shooting+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIoGKFvrl_yjaj6G1WUMbB6HJPRB1vG1CSoLlvZUPzHB9e4vadh0FyzoZppJs32gYiIc4ljrStkPJm9V1rY-qPuMcKdNAAUnpycf3BaL4e6auGdKf5gx2sTS0GNTrylQhaNB4izBghyphenhyphen0A/s400/Orlando+Shooting+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The tragic Orlando shooting with 49 deaths and many critically injured is the worst case scenario. And clearly asks us the question "Is our work place, favourite cinema, nightclub or sporting ground safe?".<br />
The fact is it may not be but globally there is a higher than ever law enforcement and security watch in place than ever before. Importantly it is not just the tactical response to these events that is vital. behind every emergency and incident response there must be a strategic crisis response that provides an orderly and efficient transition from normal to emergency conditions and leaves those in charge free to manage the strategic specifics of an escalating incident.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Organisations that know what to do, who is
going to do it and in what sequence are more effective when a crisis happens. This
whole process begins with a clear identification of security, threats and vulnerabilities.
Some of the possible threats identified in a recent counter-terrorist vulnerability
analysis were:</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0cm;">Airport
attack</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0cm;">Armed
intrusion</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0cm;">Arson</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0cm;">Biological
attack</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0cm;">Bomb
explosion</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0cm;">Chemical
weapons</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0cm;">Contamination</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0cm;">Extortion</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0cm;">Hijacking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0cm;">Hostage
taking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0cm;">Industrial
espionage</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0cm;">International
terrorist attack</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0cm;">Kidnapping</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0cm;">Murder</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0cm;">Nuclear
attack</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0cm;">Sabotage</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0cm;">Utilities
attack</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Identifying
vulnerabilities involves analysing who will be affected, how they will be
affected and what will be needed in response.
Once threats are anticipated, crisis, incident and emergency teams can rehearse
appropriate scenarios for managing the situation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Such
plans need to include procedures for alternative evacuation in the case of
chemical spills or attacks, for communicating with both employees and the
community, and for interfacing with external emergency services. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As
with any crisis, the key elements in an organisation’s defence strategy against
terrorism are prevention and control. While we don’t often hear about such
tactics, there are numerous cases of law enforcement agencies pre-empting acts
of terrorism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">To control
serious effects of terrorist attacks, training the general public, employees
and communities to be alert to possible attacks is a fundamental requirement.
In cities such as <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:city></st1:place>,
where terrorist attacks are all too frequent, people go about their daily lives
with a naturally heightened awareness. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Many
have learnt from experience, but most have been trained to be the eyes and ears
of the security and law enforcement agencies, on the lookout for unusual
circumstances.</span></div>
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Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-78393354591522380982016-03-02T15:47:00.000-08:002016-03-02T15:47:07.549-08:00Stakeholder Control in a Crisis<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>When a crisis team meets in the first 90 minutes of managing
a critical incident, one of the essential priority actions has to be identifying key
stakeholders. There is no doubt that a stakeholder checklist can be prepared
by crisis managers before an event happens but many of these stakeholders can
only be identified on the day.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This proactivity is about getting ahead of your key audience
agendas. It doesn’t take long to call
and tell a politician, a senior police officer, a journalist, a regulator, a stockbroker, a
banker or indeed your own executive and managers about your emerging problem and how you are dealing with
it. They become a credible source in understanding and communicating your response. It’s not a time to
bury your head in the sand and say nothing.
The bunker mentality may feel good for a few hours but it’s the fastest
way to lose the high ground and encourage the rumour mill.</div>
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The court of public opinion wants to know what
happened from you and social media plays a large part in early news transmission. Very quickly they will form opinions as to whether you are guilty or not guilty. If your stakeholders understand that you are on top of the situation making every effort to fix it, they will be an asset to your response.</div>
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Commercial Union, one of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Britain</st1:country-region>’s
largest insurance companies, had their offices blown apart in <st1:place w:st="on">London in the 1990s</st1:place> as a result of a terrorist
bombing. Much of the incident and emergency management was
handled by the London Metropolitan Police in a very efficient manner, however
the company played its part in dealing with a large group of audiences of its stakeholders. The CEO and crisis Team Leader showed strong leadership and split the business
management team into two, one to deal with the day-to-day running of the
business and the other to deal with the crisis. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97RzENMice2jR85AWr8uyFDteQijsuZJY3e1HpBJ5_hN1Tn5j4030i-KcP6PUq8r2W_l0FzLsraZ8cp-uFPzfYyHLmNTyNVphySbOAk3toi66vv6X7mxRRvw1sITb3auvBoswwzn7Jjc/s1600/CU+building.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97RzENMice2jR85AWr8uyFDteQijsuZJY3e1HpBJ5_hN1Tn5j4030i-KcP6PUq8r2W_l0FzLsraZ8cp-uFPzfYyHLmNTyNVphySbOAk3toi66vv6X7mxRRvw1sITb3auvBoswwzn7Jjc/s400/CU+building.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This explosion killed three people and injured 30. Four hundred tons of glass and debris were
spread across the street and the city of <st1:place w:st="on">London</st1:place>
was brought to a virtual standstill.
The Commercial Union premises were totally inoperable. The management team went straight to their
crisis plan which outlined management teams and established priorities. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As part of their damage limitation, assessment and action
planning, they were quickly able to audit their employees to identify injured personnel and make contact with families.
They had procedures for effective liaison with emergency services. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Plans were in place to make their building safe and secure, particularly related to the company's information and communication capability. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All meetings were documented as were all discussions. They moved immediately into recovery mode to
restore communication links and it wasn’t long before they had established
alternative premises and replacement of their main switchboard and computer
information facilities. They established a temporary communications centre
while they were moving into their new building and they were able to follow a
plan of where to go, what to do and who does it.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In terms of communication,
they made themselves available and distributed information to their staff, the
public, media, customers, shareholders, brokers and the insurance
industry. Commercial <st1:place w:st="on">Union</st1:place>
particularly honed in on immediate and longer term plans for staff to encourage
morale, goodwill and enthusiasm.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Admittedly, Commercial Union were the victims of a terrorist
bomb that blew up outside their 23-storey building. They certainly had the support and
understanding of the British population behind them. However, regardless of this support, they had
to ensure company, corporate and brand survival at the same time as showing that they
were able to manage the situation. They
ensured continuity of operations and control of the situation. </div>
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Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-65069518719533443502015-12-03T15:39:00.001-08:002015-12-03T15:39:56.088-08:00Paris Terrorism Crisis<div class="Section1">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Terrorist attack! It comes as a painful shock when confronted by the real world, a world that includes random elements of activity devoid of social concerns, motivated by fear, insecurity and greed, and often characterised by incredible cruelty and violence.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUO5Q0lbQgRr2AI84ZeM9UZ4JWO0qQ-PwUjBGjC0hRAPsAXt8D0Aub5wFFDLT6ix2r_TVQx4MvuhbkcMg_dK8elR5vy0u5JG7pngT1j_n003vM7S-4ZBEQlmPmlOQ7ROESK0R-7fSyiCQ/s1600/Paris+photo+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUO5Q0lbQgRr2AI84ZeM9UZ4JWO0qQ-PwUjBGjC0hRAPsAXt8D0Aub5wFFDLT6ix2r_TVQx4MvuhbkcMg_dK8elR5vy0u5JG7pngT1j_n003vM7S-4ZBEQlmPmlOQ7ROESK0R-7fSyiCQ/s1600/Paris+photo+1.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The coordinated <st1:city w:st="on">Paris</st1:city> terrorism attacks on Stade de France, Rue Bichat, The Bataclan and La Belle Equipe, like the terror attacks in Mumbai, Bali, <st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city> and 9/11, are a dreadful reminder of the need for crisis planning, not just at the emergency response level but also the strategic organisational level.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Can any crisis plan provide acceptable solutions to unpredictable large-scale events? The fact is that the impact of any crisis can be reduced with the establishment of a contingency plan. Above all, the executive teams of organisations - business, government, infrastructure - need to know what has to be done immediately when they are faced by the unpredictable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">What is the likelihood of a terrorist threat in your city, at your workplace, in your community? Certainly prevention and prediction capability has increased but it is also vital for organisations to be kept informed of the nature and extent of possible security threats. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div class="Section1">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Identifying vulnerabilities involves analysing
who will be affected in your organisation, how they will be affected and what will be needed in
response. Once threats are anticipated,
emergency and security teams can rehearse appropriate scenarios for managing
the situation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Some of the possible threats identified in a
recent counter-terrorist vulnerability analysis were:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; text-indent: -18pt;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;">Airport
attack</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Armed
intrusion<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Arson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Biological
attack<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Bomb
explosion<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Chemical
weapons<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Contamination<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Data
Theft<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Extortion<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Hijacking<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Hostage
taking<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Industrial
espionage<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">International
terrorist attack<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Kidnapping<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Murder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Nuclear
attack<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Sabotage<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Utilities
attack <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As with any crisis, the key elements in an organisation’s defence strategy against terrorism are immediate response and control.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">To control serious effects of terrorist attacks on organisations, training CEOs, senior management and Boards of Directors to be alert to the response to possible attacks is a fundamental requirement. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
Organisations must be able to see crisis response to an act of terrorism as part of their corporate responsibility. Authority levels must be recognised and accepted. Time should not be spent legitimising response, but rather doing it. A single-minded sense of purpose, organisational cohesion and absence of role conflicts, signals an organisation that is ready to respond to, and control, a critical incident whether it be within the organisation or part of an attack on a business district, suburb, town, city or country.</div>
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Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-34582530329014509612015-10-05T16:47:00.000-07:002015-10-05T16:47:48.348-07:00Volkswagen’s Emission Crisis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5_8l9hOFQek_jYsWQ_vOVgoz10nMRfYAzBbXUJ9TH6r4dOkmFzO7xdtODvINtW1NV7T4Ha-3rUXoUVKZ0c9PXUAWhW8Mj3f3fcWdYBZh7psaUDPvBMZ34kcDKXCZPF_gyBnSaiC68uw/s1600/VW+pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5_8l9hOFQek_jYsWQ_vOVgoz10nMRfYAzBbXUJ9TH6r4dOkmFzO7xdtODvINtW1NV7T4Ha-3rUXoUVKZ0c9PXUAWhW8Mj3f3fcWdYBZh7psaUDPvBMZ34kcDKXCZPF_gyBnSaiC68uw/s320/VW+pic.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The recent allegations that VW
engaged in corporate fraud to deliberately manipulate emissions data and
deceive environmental regulators has been met with global shock.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The ire of the US and German
Governments in particular, as well as the United Nations, was quickly
forthcoming; Barack Obama and Angela Merkel weighed in to demand answers and
swift resolution. Then, the dismay of its loyal customers and workforce who
have been faithful to the brand became overwhelming.</div>
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The level of scrutiny and outrage
that the world’s largest auto manufacturer is now subjected to is enormous.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
What has been witnessed since the scandal broke is sure to fit anyone’s definition of crisis; a black swan event with
company destroying potential. It is simply one of the largest corporate crises
this decade and, in the annals of history, will likely sit alongside Enron,
Tesco, Barings Bank and News Corp’s similarly shocking scandals.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>The Immediate Effects<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
From a strategically focused
corporate crisis management perspective, an almost irreparable amount of damage
has been done, which, at a glance, is immense:</div>
<div class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">The Global CEO, Marin Winterkorn, delivered an unreserved
apology prior to resigning.</li>
<li>The President and CEO of VW Group <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region>,
Michael Horn offered a blunt apology acknowledging “<i>we totally <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>screwed up</i>”.</li>
<li>Senior Research and Development staff have been stood down
pending investigations.</li>
<li>VW faces financial liabilities of up to US$18B, based on 11
million cars worldwide that may be affected. Already, VW has set aside US$7.3B
from the third quarter; an indication of how serious they suspect this could
be.</li>
<li>VW’s value has shed approximately 30% in the immediate days
after the scandal broke.</li>
<li>The crisis contributed to the European market slumping 3% immediately after the announcement.</li>
<li>Many rival auto manufacturers saw sympathetic price drops
as wary investors avoided the auto sector for fear of how the crisis could
deepen and spread. Even Nissan, who do not manufacture diesel cars for the <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> market, saw
a price hit.</li>
<li>The United States Department of Justice has launched a
criminal investigation into VW. The Environmental Protection Agency has also
launched investigations as have similar branches within governments from
countries including <st1:country-region w:st="on">Germany</st1:country-region>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Italy</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">United
Kingdom</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on">South Korea</st1:country-region>.</li>
<li>In addition to criminal investigations by the US and German
Governments, there are, at the time of writing, 34 class action law suits filed
in the US alone. <st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region>
has also filed a handful of law suits as have Investors and Superannuation
funds. Understanding how far the legal liabilities extend will be a gargantuan
task requiring nothing short of a small army of lawyers.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><b>The cost of lost reputation</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The costs of VW’s goodwill is
where one of the biggest hits will likely be felt. Goodwill, the value of the
brand which also includes intellectual property and patents, measures the
company’s value beyond the assets it owns. It can also include future growth,
brand value and human capital. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Interestingly, VW’s goodwill was
estimated at around US$67B (before the crisis), or 16% of its total assets.
Compared to Daimler (4%) and BMW (3%), some may conclude that VW’s ‘goodwill’
is overvalued. Already, some estimates
put VW’s loss of brand value at around $US10B.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
What is certain though is that
their brand has taken a seismic hit. If their goodwill is potentially
overvalued (by comparison of other major auto makers) there may still be
massive write downs of their valuation to come. If their brand value was
brought into alignment with their competitors then the quantitative drop could
be huge. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>The Broader Strategic Issues<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The effects of VW’s crisis are
severely threatening the auto manufacturer’s long term viability. Given that it
employs over 600,000 people worldwide, 270,000 of whom work in Germany alone,
this is very concerning. The German Government has a vested interest in keeping
the wheels of the beleaguered auto company turning, from both a financial and
social stand point. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
At a time when Germany is baring
the large brunt of the humanitarian crisis affecting Europe, it needs VW to remain a viable integral cog in German
industry. While the crisis has a course to run, German Government involvement
to keep VW alive is likely and we can expect to see continued diplomatic
efforts and involvement by Angela Merkel to ensure transparency and complicity
with US Authorities.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
From a reputational perspective,
VW has suffered a near knockout blow. Similarly, the overarching reputation of
any item that has earned “<i>Made in Germany</i>”
status has been affected. The global psyche has always associated German
engineering as being amongst the best on the world; it is a shame to have seen
that engineering prowess focused into deception over innovation in their
attempts to break the back of the key US auto market.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Beyond Germany’s interplay within
this burgeoning crisis, the global automotive industry has been reshaped,
particularly the philosophy of diesel powered cars. Certainly, in the US, VW
has likely delivered a significant set-back for diesel technology take-up
compared with its gasoline competition. VW’s future revenues associated with
the US market are likely to have suffered greatly as a result.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
When the United Nations weighed
in on the issue in the days following, it did so in the knowledge that it needs
the automotive sector on-side to meet its own agenda related to climate change.
The mere notion of diesel possibly not being as green
as they were led to believe, may have consequences for other
industries related to how the UN advocates for meeting climate change
objectives. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In some respects, VW’s future
being so intertwined with Germany’s strategic direction is in the auto
manufacturer’s favour. It would be catastrophic for Germany if VW went under
and, bemusement and anger aside, it would be a global travesty too.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Where to from here for VW?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
VW have replaced outgoing CEO,
Martin Winterkorn, with Matthias M<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">ü</span>ller the former head of its subsidiary, Porsche. This
move has generally been received well in terms of providing clear leadership
focused on resolution and recovery.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Apologies by the former CEO,
Winterkorn, and President and CEO of VW Group America, Michael Horn, have been
delivered. There has been no ambiguity in taking responsibility for the scandal
and both pledged the transparency demanded by global stakeholders.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As a company, VW is complying
with authorities, Governments and clients, which bodes well for repairing many
of the bridges that have been broken. The test for VW is maintaining this
solidarity in the face of mounting conflict; particularly with increasing lawsuits.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Broadly there need to be displays
of strong leadership, rapid action to control the event, effective two-way
communication and sensitivity to stakeholder concerns. So far these attributes
have been displayed, signposting how the company intends to continue responding.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
VW’s stakeholder concerns have
been given strong attention and there is likely to be an acute awareness of the social
impact this crisis has had on its customers, workforce, suppliers and
contractors, government and global audiences. All these stakeholders are key to
VW succeeding at rebuilding its reputation and re-earning trust on the back of undoing much of the 55 years it has spent building its image.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In parallel, VW must demonstrate
a drastic departure from the behaviours which landed it in this scandal. Their
culture, transparency and risk-management processes must be robust to ensure
this type of crisis can never occur again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Indeed, holding those responsible
or involved to account will deliver a twofold outcome: It will satisfy the
insatiable desire of the public for those responsible to be dealt with
appropriately but also demonstrate that VW intends to abolish the seeds of the
toxic culture which caused this scandal.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This all needs to be done
carefully to confirm to employees that it is not a witch-hunt but a lesson in
accountability and ensuring a new culture founded on moral integrity is formed.
There is a need to protect those hardworking, honest and intelligent employees
who are the life blood of the world’s largest auto manufacturer. VW will likely
be focused on retaining as much of its workforce as it can. It simply cannot
afford to lose the good people who remain in the company. If it does it will be
that much harder to rebrand itself as an innovative car manufacturer making high
quality products.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In an ironic way, it is usually
these high impact, low frequency events which drive the most notable
change-for-good in companies and industries. Whilst the current saga for VW is
undeniably damaging, the company has a real opportunity to rebuild, rebrand and
reshape itself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Many of the processes that have
contributed to this crisis will be exposed and eradicated. Internal structures
that were difficult to change prior to the crisis will be modified; from
moving, removing and elevating individuals through to the removal of
inefficient corporate systems that create slow-burn issues. All of this change
will be scrutinised under the microscope of public, Government and regulatory
attention. And, importantly, if investors like what they see in the future direction of VW, they will re-invest their capital.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>The Lessons<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In the same way that Nick Leeson
brought down Barings Bank, a group of high powered individuals operating with a
lack of oversight has inflicted major strategic damage to VW. The actions and
inactions of a relative few have threatened one of the world’s largest
companies, tarnished the reputation of diesel technology and the hard won reputation of German industry, threatened the careers and livelihoods of a largely innocent workforce and added risk to the
financial and social stability of a nation. Certainly, white collar crime must
remain high on the corporate threat agenda.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Disproportionate power divisions
are always going to be present. It therefore underpins the critical role that
Boards must play in the Governance of companies and ensuring they remain
objectively aware of strategic corporate risk. The independence of Boards is one key element that makes them strong and gives them the positioning to take a helicopter view
of the company so that they can ensure the company remains appropriately led,
managed and governed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
More practically, the VW crisis
underscores the need for all companies to have robust procedures in place to
quickly respond, manage and recover from high impact low probability events.
Processes must be endorsed and championed from the top, be implemented with a
strategic focus and regularly rehearsed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Crisis Management Teams must be
able to interface with the board, understand each group’s role and control the
strategic threats emanating from any major event. It should not matter whether
the event is physical, non-physical, acute or slow-burn in nature. What needs
to be continually assessed is how bad a situation could get and understanding
the worst case scenario.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Companies that establish high
level frameworks of corporate crisis management, with defined links between the
Board and the executive crisis management team, respond quicker and more
thoroughly to events with company destroying potential. Their response is
governed by an understanding of how to rapidly control the strategic exposures
occurring across communications, human-resources, legal, financial, risk,
operations and recovery.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
VW has responded effectively so
far but a long path to recovery remains. There are many
strategic threats that still need to be addressed. But it is not beyond them and
there are opportunities to prosper and recover strongly through strategically
focused crisis management and recovery. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-946729080740390212015-08-17T22:16:00.000-07:002015-08-17T23:28:49.147-07:00Responding to Unpredictable Crises<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Malaysia Airlines' two tragic incidents of an
aircraft disappearing in flight and another crashing into a war zone are international
worst case scenarios. The massive oil spill in the </span><st1:place style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;" w:st="on">Gulf of
Mexico</st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> was beyond a crisis of usual circumstances. A terrorist
shooting in a coffee shop in </span><st1:city style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sydney</st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">
is an unusual and rare event in that city.</span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><b>A Crisis Management Plan
has to outline courses of action to be taken in the event of a critical
incident or catastrophe. Importantly, worst case scenario response to threats have to go as
far as possible in providing orderly and efficient transition from normal to
critical conditions. A plan must provide specific guidelines appropriate for
complex and unpredictable circumstances.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGiuhxjCUeeElrIqD_E1kb0e2NuE48JcfWDRP36sYxk_JLd-gYfvBlAbbtKNCQ2nWRJ5StI1ISgcQWOPwgD1bbW-ANYYeYateI0XaSEob3zNqepDmcx7WDYrrJpHfAmgrF4c_nlyfWmBo/s1600/Emergency+response.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGiuhxjCUeeElrIqD_E1kb0e2NuE48JcfWDRP36sYxk_JLd-gYfvBlAbbtKNCQ2nWRJ5StI1ISgcQWOPwgD1bbW-ANYYeYateI0XaSEob3zNqepDmcx7WDYrrJpHfAmgrF4c_nlyfWmBo/s400/Emergency+response.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;">The crisis you don’t expect or plan for will be
the one that’s likely to cause the most damage. And while a lot of
pundits believe that a good manager is automatically a good crisis manager, it
is important to understand that many managers cannot cope with the stress,
pressure and abnormal behaviour that occurs during a crisis. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Most normal management behaviour is
reversed. One minute you are managing a business, the next minute you
have to manage a crisis. Different skills under different pressures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">How many managers can move rapidly from the
normal pace of a business meeting to the hectic, urgent demanding pace of life
and death decisions, evacuation, emotional trauma and split-second timing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Containment is the key. Managers who are
prepared, rehearsed, educated, trained and aware are those that can make the
transition when crisis hits and contain the situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">If there is a single, critical feature to being
prepared for crisis, it is in treating crisis management and recovery as an
ongoing<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>process</i>.
Seeing it as an integral part of an organisation's everyday business activities,
not merely as a plan that is created, approved, then shelved until needed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">It is a process that has the whole organisation -
from site management to CEO and Board - trained, tested and involved in a
crisis management plan that is integrated seamlessly across the whole
organisation. And regularly monitored, reviewed and audited, just like any
other quality control policy that is demanded by compliance factors in today’s
business environment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">To achieve this, there are a number of critical
features of a crisis plan that facilitates speedy business resumption.
Whether the crisis is an aircraft incident, cyber crisis, oil and chemical
spill or explosion, a tainted food product or charges of business corruption,
or an act of terrorism a crisis management plan must:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">Have tactical decisions made at the crisis location and quickly. (This is where the public focus will be initially)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">Localise the response while maximising corporate and strategic assistance.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">Provide training and support to give executive management the skills and confidence so they can manage the early stages of a crisis.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">Create a tailor-made plan around uniform standards, organisation-wide</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">Develop realistic simulations and training exercises.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">Start planning for recovery before a crisis occurs.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">What fundamentally distinguishes crisis-prepared, from crisis-prone organisations, is their overall cultural view of crisis management and recovery. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Strategic actions, technical and structural
response, communication initiatives and psychological support have to be part
of an integrated management plan and checklist process that immediately puts
the organisation in charge of its own destiny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">The worst case scenario requires more than
critical risk analysis. It needs to go beyond the ordinary critical event and
consider extreme escalation. This planning is essential for effective
inter-organisational response. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-16345444615470722782015-04-20T23:23:00.002-07:002015-04-20T23:23:52.374-07:00RELOCATING IN A CRISIS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSRJzMearIRVm_D9BLIa-JbOkhnzfXfNuo1xXqeHmsu2UDqphQa8Z-0S9I-Rhc0hy_NZ4tgQvTT9dwJYNpAcADqsPbYLdy2KeRlbYfzfme0KoM9LecNIxUj22LbGUgoIaZESb03kvCtc/s1600/Building+collapse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSRJzMearIRVm_D9BLIa-JbOkhnzfXfNuo1xXqeHmsu2UDqphQa8Z-0S9I-Rhc0hy_NZ4tgQvTT9dwJYNpAcADqsPbYLdy2KeRlbYfzfme0KoM9LecNIxUj22LbGUgoIaZESb03kvCtc/s1600/Building+collapse.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">What happens when your head office is
compromised in a major crisis? You must leave your building and can't return
for some time. This can happen </span><span style="font-family: Arial; letter-spacing: -0.15pt;">as a
result of a natural disaster, a man-made disaster, a systems collapse or an
energy failure. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>All of a sudden
there is a need to move to temporary or new premises.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">During a crisis exercise workshop, one of the
first questions for the Crisis Management Team is: "Where would
you manage the crisis from if you couldn’t manage it from here?" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Probably the most important element of any Team
Leader’s responsibility is to ensure that the organisation can continue to function
even though it experiences a major incident or accident.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Losing your building, your office, your site,
your location or your precinct, should be an essential element of risk recovery planning. The fundamental element in this situation is the back-up
premises. The time to prepare for this is well before an emergency
occurs, not when an emergency occurs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Long before the horrendous World Trade Centre
catastrophe, in one of the worst terrorist attacks in the City of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city></st1:place></st1:place></st1:city>,
the Commercial Union building was literally blown to pieces. This Head
Office building was rendered totally inoperable. Three people lost their
lives and 30 people were injured. Almost immediately, the huge British
insurance company was able to locate alternate premises. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Their temporary crisis management team moved to
a specifically identified location and managed the crisis issues from that
office while the company set up an empty building to move all their staff and
management into over a weekend. Telephones, computers and
communication systems were rapidly brought on line and staff were contacted
about the move to this new location and briefed on the changing situation that
had rendered their normal office unusable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Their recovery plan allowed the firm to get back
in business virtually over a weekend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Some organisations have made their crisis
management team and its facilities portable. In other words, they have
prepared a comprehensive crisis and recovery transportable unit for dealing
with a situation that prevents them from using their normal crisis control
room. The portable unit (a crisis case) allows them to respond quickly at any location
with the appropriate equipment and supplies such as mobile and sat. phones,
manuals, contact lists, maps and checklists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Organisations that want to keep their losses to
a minimum and need to take immediate control of a crisis situation, should
identify alternative premises to manage a crisis well in advance. These
premises can take a number of forms:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">1.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Close sites. </b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>These can be alternative and temporary
premises close by. Usually these premises are linked with sufficient immediate communication access to the organisation’s main line of
information. This allows a switch-over to support the database and
telephone system.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">2.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> <b>Friendly
neighbours</b>. This is a back-up site for full or temporary
operation. It might not have the immediate technical communication lines
to link computers and telephones, but can give immediate access to key
stakeholders and is still within close access to the original operation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">3.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Corporate regional office
location. </b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>This can be
one of your organisation’s offices that is located some distance from the
original organisation location. It provides “hot”, instantaneous links to
databases, telephones and email, but takes you away from the location of your
crisis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">4.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> <b>The portable
location</b>. This is more a mobile situation which has been pre-organised
to give you an ongoing temporary back-up facility. It can be set up from
suitcases, in a van, bus or local hotel, and can provide the necessary
switch-over to back up databases, telephones and communication
systems. This unit is often used by the transport industry and
emergency services for managing protracted events that happen at distant and
inaccessible locations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-39420610925538623512015-02-25T17:53:00.001-08:002015-02-25T17:53:32.009-08:00Frozen berries recall crisis and Hepatitis A<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>An Australian company, Patties
Foods, has been hit with a serious product recall of Nanna’s Frozen Berries and
Creative Gourmet Mixed Berries after the Victorian Health Department advised
them of a potential Hepatitis A virus contamination. These products originate from <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region> and are
distributed by Patties to major supermarkets – Woolworths, Coles and IGA. The
outcome of this recall and public outrage over the source of the products and
their labelling could have serious ramifications for the business and has led
to a large sell off in Patties shares.</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMk5XBNNPOTDJ2ULDWbj61gaIZoHCg7rBwEUY1d5nzbPg7zC4U2obG0FiGCS_sTwSP8Zrcdqek7eda2dZbt7UHw0QBGTh4fHVUGf-WfEktJRAt1dAoxIokEGLGzlt9XZhtWYFWDxtNY4I/s1600/Steven+Chaur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMk5XBNNPOTDJ2ULDWbj61gaIZoHCg7rBwEUY1d5nzbPg7zC4U2obG0FiGCS_sTwSP8Zrcdqek7eda2dZbt7UHw0QBGTh4fHVUGf-WfEktJRAt1dAoxIokEGLGzlt9XZhtWYFWDxtNY4I/s1600/Steven+Chaur.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMiWXsF3pfLjM8MHUhdobLJRjWN5IawikU59YZwRwz4CTGqJ3wvWWNniKYjFstySbVwsOj42vM0cWXrVbxIOkxQ2fANTToVW1O4-JM32zOJElYRSVxMTGrtiSyoOVXrkHLR-bk4noUEw/s1600/Frozen+berries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMiWXsF3pfLjM8MHUhdobLJRjWN5IawikU59YZwRwz4CTGqJ3wvWWNniKYjFstySbVwsOj42vM0cWXrVbxIOkxQ2fANTToVW1O4-JM32zOJElYRSVxMTGrtiSyoOVXrkHLR-bk4noUEw/s1600/Frozen+berries.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The recall has also created a
crisis in confidence regarding the Nanna’s brand of frozen berries. The Chief
Executive, Steven Chaur, went public early with a well-structured statement: “While our quality
control testing to date has not revealed any concerns with the food safety of
either product, further detailed testing is being done and the recall is an
important step to ensure public safety and confidence. We have decided that all
our frozen berries should be recalled until such time as we receive the results
of further laboratory tests.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
While consumers have expressed their
concern regarding the frozen berries products through social media and talk
radio, the company has been on the front foot with the general and financial
media. The ABC’s Peter Ryan on the
current affairs program “The World Today” asked Steven Chaur – “in
terms of managing the situation or, some would say crisis management, how many
hours of the day is this taking for you as Chief Executive?” Steven Chaur
said - “it’s something we’re taking very seriously: we’re all working around
the clock to work with the departments and working with our suppliers and
indeed our customers to manage the situation. We are fielding lots of consumer enquiries: we
were taking nearly up to 8,000 calls a day last week on our consumer hotline.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Not planning for a product recall
escalating to crisis leaves a business, its brand and reputation extremely
vulnerable. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
Globally, there is a tightening of product safety controls although product
labelling is still sadly lacking in detail in terms of product origin.
Regulators are looking for a more thorough, fast response to recalling a faulty
or contaminated product in terms of consumer contact and recovery of products.
The fact is incidents of product recalls escalating to crisis are occurring with
greater frequency than ever before. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
Corporations need to establish crisis teams that can respond fast to a critical
product recall. <b>Threats need to be identified well in advance.</b> Product recall
processes need to include a crisis trigger.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
Running regular product recall and integrated crisis/risk exercises will
anticipate and deflect or reduce the impact of the worst case scenario.</div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span>Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-70634787569149093192014-12-18T21:09:00.000-08:002014-12-18T21:14:29.773-08:00Lindt crisis management response to siege<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>The
dramatic events in Sydney this week resulting in the tragic deaths of Katrina D<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>awson and Tori Johnson by a radicalised individual
represents not only a dark day in Australia’s history but is a sobering
reminder that all organisations must be prepared for the unexpected. Over 17
hours the eyes of the world focussed onto the Lindt Café in the otherwise busy <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Martin Place</st1:address></st1:street> and
the extensive response by the New South Wales Police Force’s Tactical Operations
Unit.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">With
the national terror alert recently elevated to ‘high’ by the Federal Government
in September 2014, the realisation that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region></st1:place> is not immune from the
effects of violent extremists was brought to the forefront of our collective
mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This
week’s horrific events should clearly cement the fact that the threat of a major act of violence must
remain high on the corporate threat agenda.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In
the coming weeks and months there will be debates, questions, reviews and
constant differing opinion about this event. What is clear is this critical
incident again highlights the need for organisations to have up-to-date, rehearsed
and seamlessly integrated Incident and Crisis Management Plans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What are the
learnings for business?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Firstly,
a critical event can affect any organisation at any time. Response must be immediate to take control.
Moreover the effects of “<i>someone else’s</i>”
crisis could rapidly become your crisis; drawing you into a situation for which
you may not be prepared. A routine morning coffee quickly escalated to involve
multiple organisations whose employees were tragic victims. In this case <i>Lindt Chocolate Australia</i> and <i>Eight Selborne Chambers</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Secondly,
if your organisation has identified the threat of an act of violence or armed
intrusion as a risk to its operations then the Lindt Café siege is confirmation
of that risk’s validity. Not all events can be prevented, however your
organisation can control its response through the application of crisis
management best-practice process and response.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Every
Chairman and CEO should confirm that their organisation is prepared to deal
with the worst case scenario. Does the organisation have a validated Crisis
Management Plan that manages people issues immediately while strategically positioning
the business to respond and recover from adversity? If the answer is ‘<b><i>No</i></b>’
then now is the time to reinvest in protecting your business and brand from company
destroying events.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The age of social
media<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The
Lindt Café siege again has highlighted the immediate power of social media. It
confirms the necessity of incorporating this communication platform into your
organisation’s response. Social media must be a front-line integrated part of the
arrowhead that is your organisation’s crisis response.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The
high profile effects of social media were visibly seen: The hostages were
directed by the perpetrator to use it to communicate during the crisis, the
solidarity characteristics of the crisis spawned the viral and global trending
of the <b><i>#Illridewithyou</i></b> hashtag and the NSW government used it to
communicate with affected publics. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">An
equally valuable learning for business was also demonstrated through Lindt <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region></st1:place>’s
social media response. Within the early stages of the siege unfolding, Lindt delivered
through social media a caring and concerned message strategy that was timely,
appropriate and consistent. They demonstrated their compassion through an
explicit stating of what their corporate priority was: <b>People</b>. Within two hours of posting their first message on their
two Facebook sites (<i>Lindt Australia</i>
and <i>Lindt Chocolate Café Australia</i>)
there was a combined 35,000 likes, 2,000 shares and 2,000 comments. This
necessarily excludes those who simply viewed the message only. As the situation
developed, more messages appeared and their priority remained steadfast.
Business leaders would be well served to familiarise themselves with Lindt’s
social media response by viewing their Facebook page.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>The
Lindt communications response is a valuable contemporary learning that
demonstrates the positive reach of social media. Conversely a poor message
strategy could indeed create a secondary crisis for an organisation. The court
of public opinion can be an unforgiving arena; if you do not get your message
out fast and correctly someone else will fill the void with an alternative,
inaccurate and potentially damaging message.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-66723088126896330062014-10-20T22:36:00.000-07:002014-10-20T22:38:54.073-07:00Don't blame the media in a crisis<div style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Presidents, Prime Ministers and CEO's are given to blaming the media during a crisis. It doesn't work because crises are news and there are hundreds of leading journalists, commentators and broadcasters who must get the facts to satisfy the ever-increasing public demand.</b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Don't blame the media. They are doing their job and if you are not involved in a crisis, you would expect them to give you the news. </span>All too often journalists are blamed for being too intrusive. But, if they don’t give us the facts, we soon ask why.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8MYdeccxRjjhcF3fMW3RSSXCuoZTU1ZloxH4uVutLPlTAMbbindjjFkGgNeagjdtt-_Dz6vsU3RBoBkjzuMVt2FC6m9BfoOh2t1l1fCbBgtwxTrhaFQAOG_IbVd84sbLcOZkredCTdA/s1600/Media+scrum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8MYdeccxRjjhcF3fMW3RSSXCuoZTU1ZloxH4uVutLPlTAMbbindjjFkGgNeagjdtt-_Dz6vsU3RBoBkjzuMVt2FC6m9BfoOh2t1l1fCbBgtwxTrhaFQAOG_IbVd84sbLcOZkredCTdA/s1600/Media+scrum.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%;">Of course the media is interested
and if they can’t get it immediately, they will go somewhere else. They must have a spokesperson to lead their
story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">The prospect of taking the high
ground and doing the interview or press conference may strike terror into the heart of most
corporate leaders, however it must be one of their early priorities.</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%;">There seems to be a mind-set in some management
circles that by providing the media with facts early on, they are going to be
accused of mayhem.</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%;">It is just the
opposite.</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%;">Every fact that is provided in
the early stages will release the pressure from both the spokesperson and all
the internal stakeholders.</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the case of one therapeutic
products company during an escalating product recall, the leading network
“warrior” interviewer demanded he spoke to the Chief Executive so he could get
the news “right from the horse’s mouth”.
He shouted down the phone that there would be hell to pay if the company
didn’t come good and give the network the story. “I will stand outside your plant with the
company name in the background,” he shouted, “and tell the story as I see it
until you submit”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The CEO was experienced in media
interviews and took on the task of meeting the “warrior”. His organisation’s image and, to a degree,
his reputation, was on the line.
Certainly there was going to be some difficulty in getting the message
across and there will be traps and perhaps his words will be twisted, but he
must tell the story. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">The CEO met the “warrior”
and turned the setback into a springboard.
Questions were asked about the quality of the product and its future in
the market place. The CEO positioned the
product as essential and vital to saving lives and identified the problem in
the product recall as being controllable and the company as being in control of
that problem. He offered cool, clear and
instant advice to the public about how to get advice or information on the
situation and by the end of the interview, he had total clarity on the
company’s confident approach to managing the situation. He retained the initiative throughout and
was never outmanoeuvred. The sad end to this story of investigative dynamics
was that the interview was never used.
Was it too good to be true or too true to be good? </span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For the uninitiated, a period of
media attack can be disastrous. A
barrage of cameras, microphones and tape recorders coming at you from every angle. How do you avoid being ambushed by the early
questions and how do you contain the situation without looking like you are on
the defensive? You understand what the
media will want well before an incident occurs.
You plan, prepare and practice.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Radio and Television News
Directors’ Association in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region>
was surveyed on media expectations of an organisation during a crisis
or disaster. They wanted to find out how
television stations covered an incident.
They also interviewed people from
the public relations industry who had been involved in a crisis. The most important responses were to the
question of “when a crisis occurs, how often does your organisation want
updated information?” The most frequent answers were “constantly”, “immediately”
and “as soon as possible”. Respondents
to the research also wrote “as soon as new developments warrant the public
being informed”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Don't blame the media. Have a plan to respond when they come and communicate your core message from the start of any critical incident. Move to the high ground with your spokesperson and be seen as the centre of information. Work with the media to win and hold the high ground.</span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
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Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-91547650505300334352014-07-03T20:40:00.000-07:002014-07-03T20:40:55.738-07:00Crisis apology from CBA - from CAN'T to CAN.At last, under the threat of a Royal Commission, the Commonwealth Bank's Chief Executive has apologised unreservedly for its multi-million dollar financial planning scandal. In such high-profile corporate crises, "no comment" is no win. It is only a few days ago when a spokesperson for the Bank said "the CBA does not comment on rumour and speculation". <br />
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The Bank's highly-promoted brand slogan, "Can", categorically became "Can't" in their initial response to this critical and escalating disaster. When a strong brand and reputation need the protection of an early executive response, it is essential that the top management come out fast, loud and clear. And in this case, the Australian Treasurer, Joe Hockey, says the Bank did not act quickly enough to address the problem. And he should know. His own mother-in-law was affected by the scandal.<br />
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Public outrage must be managed fast, particularly in this age of social media igniting rumour and innuendo. Malaysia Airlines. Costa Concordia. BP oil spill. All criticised for early failure of a corporate message strategy to key stakeholders.<br />
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Corporate crisis communications pre-planning is central to the management of how an organisation delivers information to others during a critical event. This process should identify:<br />
<ul>
<li>who are the stakeholders who will be seriously affected by the event and must receive information immediately?</li>
<li>what is the message strategy (not the media strategy but the central message strategy for all stakeholders)?</li>
<li>how will the messages be delivered with pace and priority?</li>
<li>who is the most appropriate spokesperson at the top of the organisation? If it's a major negative event, it has to be the CEO. There is no hiding place.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Communicating with employees, customers, shareholders, government, media or regulators is an essential part of deescalating a crisis situation. This requires strategic pre-planning, constant monitoring and feedback. As the crisis develops, it is vital that communication is analysed and that the receipt of central messages to key audiences is confirmed. This is now more important than ever with social media driving messages further and faster from the hub of the incident through the organisation nationally and internationally.</div>
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In a round of recent executive exercises with 10 sites in Asia, one common factor kept feeding back to our facilitator in the hot debrief - "our communication of key messages to stakeholders was too slow - we needed faster approval of corporate messages and clearer pathways to our key audiences".<br />
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Without doubt, "no comment" is no win. Early communication allows those who are affected to know what is happening and that it is being managed effectively.</div>
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Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-43692749411924811492014-03-13T16:03:00.001-07:002014-03-13T16:03:26.113-07:00Catastrophes and best practice crisis management <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Regarding the recent terrible flooding
crisis in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region>, I have
just returned from that country and seen first hand the devastating flooding as
torrential rain has caused the worst weather in <st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region>’s
history, with much of the <st1:place w:st="on">Somerset</st1:place>
area that I saw looking more like an inland sea.</div>
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As <i>The Guardian</i> newspaper quoted then - “public anger has risen as inexorably
as the filthy waters in thousands of homes.”
The Prime Minister, David Cameron, took a while to get there which presented the question in the court of public opinion of “why has he taken so long”?
Once there, he seems to have been very community active but he could
have learnt a lot from the early leadership stance of then Premier, Anna Bligh, to the floods
in <st1:state w:st="on">Queensland, Australia</st1:state>. She walked and talked to the community from the start. Leadership spokespeople in crises must arrive early and say and make things happen.</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">2014 will see the timely launch
of a new British Standard for Crisis Management for both business and
government organisations and most applicable for strategic response to major events such as floods,
fires, riots, explosions, critical accidents and major product disasters. </span><br />
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The new Standard will be aimed very much at executive management and those with strategic responsibilities in developing crisis management capability within their organisation. To quote the British Cabinet Office Public Available Specification facilitated in advance of the new Standard, "crises present organisations with complex and difficult challenges that may have profound and far-reaching consequences, sometimes irrespective of how successfully they are seen to be managed. These consequences can be very damaging, especially where it is perceived that the organisation failed to prepare for, manage or recover from a crisis."</div>
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This is very relevant as countries and organisations around the world develop their crisis management capability at a more high-level context to respond to catastrophes. Malaysia Airlines and the Malaysian Government are experiencing this level of executive response under the microscope regarding their missing 777 aircraft where airline officials and government leaders are presenting information with very mixed and misleading messages.</div>
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Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-18834621389690161322014-01-21T16:50:00.000-08:002014-01-21T18:40:22.424-08:002014 Crisis Management Imperatives<b>In 2014, crisis management has moved further forward to support risk and resilience management. The unexpected crisis, both for government and corporations, has become a high priority. While hospitals, fire fighters and law enforcement response organisations continue to upgrade their capability, many executives and senior managers are not prepared either intellectually or emotionally to face rapid, escalating tragic events such as major accidents, corporate collapses, infrastructure failures, massive product recalls or acts of terrorism.<br />
<i></i></b><br />
Even though some organisations have been through a major crisis, management avoids talking about the subject, often because they equate crisis with bad management and events like that do not happen on their watch. <br />
<br />
The most rapid advancement in crisis management preparedness is the speed of communication. CEOs and managers at every level need to know and share information rapidly. In today's world of instant media coverage and social media commentary, if an organisation doesn't get its message out clearly and distinctly at the beginning of a crisis, someone else will take the high ground. The moment of control will be lost. <br />
<br />
Then why are some organisations better able to take control of a crisis rapidly? The key elements are:<br />
<br />
* The CEO and CFO have a commitment to crisis management and contingency planning for response to<br />
threats that can harm the organisation's personnel, property and reputation.<br />
* Divisional, subsidiary and affiliate management develop similar contingency plans in their areas<br />
of responsibility consistent with the organisation's policies and procedures established by senior<br />
management.<br />
* There is a clear identification and measurement of threats.<br />
* Executive teams, divisional teams and site teams are trained and ready.<br />
* The plan is tested, validated and current.<br />
<br />
The crisis best practise organistions I work with understand that these are bottom line issues. They recognise that crisis management planning is a resilience strategy. They understand that uncontrolled crises can cause high employee turnover, interrupted workflow, massive asset damage, lawsuits, loss of market share and, in a corporate environment, a detrimental effect on share price.<br />
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Make 2014 the year to ensure that your people and your plans are functionally up-to-date. Take advantage of new technology to share information rapidly. Make sure your human resources, legal, risk, corporate governance and corporate affairs processes are linked with your executive rapid response. Err on the side of over-disclosure - credibility is the key to perception. <br />
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Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-26934968965029158752013-10-31T19:58:00.000-07:002013-10-31T19:58:39.350-07:00Corporate readiness for crisis<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>The crisis you don’t expect or plan for will be the one
that’s likely to cause the most damage.
And while a lot of pundits believe that a good manager is automatically
a good crisis manager, it is important to understand that many managers cannot
cope with the stress, pressure and abnormal behaviour that occurs during a
crisis. </i></b></div>
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Most normal management behaviour is reversed. One minute you are managing a business, the
next minute you have to manage a crisis.
Different skills under different pressures.</div>
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How many managers can move rapidly from the normal pace of a
business meeting to the hectic, urgent demanding pace of life and death
decisions, evacuation, emotional trauma and split-second timing?</div>
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Containment is the key.
Managers who are prepared, rehearsed, educated, trained and aware are
those that can make the transition when crisis hits and contain the situation. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
If there is a single, critical feature to being prepared for
crisis, it is in treating crisis management and recovery as an ongoing <i>process</i>.
Seeing it as an integral part of the company’s everyday business
activities, not merely as a plan that is created, approved, then shelved until
needed. </div>
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It is a process that has the whole company - from site
management to CEO and Board - trained, tested and involved in a crisis
management plan that is integrated seamlessly across the whole organisation.
And regularly monitored, reviewed and audited, just like any other quality
control policy that is demanded by compliance factors in today’s business
environment.</div>
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To achieve this, there are a number of critical features of
a crisis plan that facilitates speedy
business resumption. Whether the crisis is an oil and chemical spill or
explosion, a tainted food product or charges of business corruption, a crisis
management and recovery plan must: </div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -14.15pt;"> Have
tactical decisions made at the crisis
location, and quickly. (This is
where the public focus will be</span><span style="text-indent: -14.15pt;"> initially.)</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -14.15pt;"> Localise the response, while maximising
corporate and strategic assistance.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -14.15pt;"> Provide training and support to give
staff the skills and confidence so they can manage the
early<br />stage of a </span><span style="text-indent: -14.15pt;">crisis, and back them up with appropriate technology.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -14.15pt;"> Create a tailor-made plan around uniform
standards, company-wide.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -14.15pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -14.15pt;">Develop realistic simulation and training
exercises.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -14.15pt;"> Start planning for recovery before a
crisis occurs.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -14.15pt;"> Instil a company-wide recognition of the
potential impact of a crisis.</span></li>
</ul>
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What fundamentally distinguishes crisis-prepared, from
crisis-prone organisations, is their overall cultural view of crisis management
and recovery. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Strategic actions, technical and structural response,
communication initiatives and psychological support have to be part of an
integrated management plan and process that immediately puts the organisation
in charge of its own destiny.</div>
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This process must be a crisis management corporate preparedness program of total commitment
by its executives and staff to key stakeholders.</div>
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Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-25746871511026943092013-08-18T16:10:00.000-07:002013-08-18T16:10:49.677-07:00Sporting venue crises
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While drugs in sport represent an escalating crisis for many
sporting bodies, sporting venues also have a need for crisis management
planning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thousands of people gathered
in arenas, stadiums or theatres can be a crisis waiting to happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ineffective evacuation management of
these people in an emergency can turn the reputation of a sport or theatrical
production into a horrific, memorable event that affects gate sales for many
years to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Emergency planning at the tactical level needs to be supported
by strategic crisis management that provides an orderly and efficient planning
process to identify, quantify, reduce and control significant high-level
threats to protect the organisation and its future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The British tragedy at Hillsborough was a terrible tragedy
involving thousands of people in a mass of confusion and terror that was being
televised live as it happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Five
thousand Liverpool football fans watching a semi-final at the Hillsborough
stadium were, because of over-crowding, put into a position of being unable to
get through turnstiles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crowds were
re-directed into a tunnel which forced them to an area that was virtually caged
off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emergency gates were not open and
crowds were pushed up against wire caging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many people were killed and injured and the media turned the tragedy
into an even greater tragedy by printing dreadful pictures of victims’
suffering in the crush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rumour and
innuendo related to the drunken state of the fans and the difficulty the police
had to face in dealing with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact, the crowd was a victim of lack of planning and bureaucratic bungling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The South Yorkshire Police did have a plan for re-routing
the crowds, but the plan, rather than protecting people, was very much aimed at
protecting the football ground from being invaded by people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was not a plan it seems for a major
crisis of panic and chaos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In another sporting incident in Australia, a peaceful,
annual international sailing classic, turned into one of the world’s most
serious rescue operations in yachting history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is held annually after Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The yachts sailed out of picturesque Sydney Harbour on a
sunny, beautiful day, but as they made their way along the East Coast of
Australia, a shocking storm hit the 115 boats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Winds of 80 knots whipped up huge waves. The yacht race became a race
for survival as a huge rescue operation was mounted by the Australian Maritime
Safety Authority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Certainly plans were in place to assist the yacht race in rescue
should some of the boats get into trouble, but no in-depth plans were in place
to deal with mass havoc caused by wild seas, snapping masts and the tossing of
many of the crews into the sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thirty
fixed wing aircraft and five Navy and Air Force aircraft, together with police
and rescue helicopters, were joined by Australian Navy warships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Six people were killed and crews were
injured. </span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The world watched through CNN and BBC television as the
massive rescue took place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In one
particular piece of television coverage, a live camera on one of the yachts
showed the intensity of the waves smashing on to the deck as the mast was
snapped and one of the yacht’s personnel was swept over the side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The emergency plan for this race was without doubt
responsible for saving many lives, but the investigation that followed asked
the question of whether the race should have been abandoned earlier when it was
known that the weather was going to develop to a critical situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Questions about the experience of the crews and the
capability of individual crew members for dealing with the intensity of severe
weather conditions were reviewed by coronial and yachting officials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was long legal discussion about whether
the yacht race should have been cancelled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Clearly the yacht race today has greatly improved plans for
managing the worst case scenario, obviously providing contingency plans for
response to threats that could harm people and the future of this sport.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395411044495015190.post-20175826736448711372013-05-29T23:33:00.000-07:002013-05-29T23:33:01.399-07:00Crisis agenda control - your organisation must be heard<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Do you want the head of a SWAT team, a fire chief, or a corporate watchdog from a government agency speaking publicly on behalf of your company? Very often, many different outside service organisations and government departments can be involved in a crisis response. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">These groups can dominate your organisation’s location and, if not effectively managed, can become the face of your company, at the same time as dictating the mainstream of messages coming out of the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important to ensure that an organisation’s crisis plans incorporate ways and means of dealing with outside support groups working in the same response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">In the response of TWA Flight 800 that was bound for <st1:city w:st="on">Paris</st1:city> and literally crashed into the sea near <st1:place w:st="on">Long Island</st1:place>, more than 50 disaster and emergency services operations and government agencies came together to initially deal with the disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least 20 agencies went on to investigate the event, deal with the pollution caused on the coastline, counsel friends and relatives, and work towards recovery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The mayor of <st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state> became intensely involved in advising next of kin, problems of environmental pollution and getting the message out to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region></st1:place> and international public.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Coastguard was involved in underwater salvage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other Federal officers from a number of agencies were involved in the complex range of investigations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">This disaster became a major news item across the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region></st1:place> for several months as many families and members of the public believed the handling of the whole situation was a crisis in itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the post-incident evaluation sessions emphasised the need for greater collaboration between emergency services and government authorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All these organisations have their separate response plans which eventually need one common planning and communication thread.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Eric Jacoby Jr., Director of the New York State Emergency Management Office,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>indicated there will be a number of changes in local government crisis management procedures following the response to the TWA Flight 800 crash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is working towards a greater linking of disaster and emergency policies for future crisis planning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Reading the reports from the Contingency Planning Exchange Incorporated, it identified what TWA had to face was far more than an emergency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">It was:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">dealing with distraught families<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">managing an emotional public<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">coping with a huge press response<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Agendas run high in crises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Political agendas, personal agendas, corporate agendas, emergency agendas, legal agendas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In TWA’s case:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p>N</o:p></span><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">ew York</span></st1:state></st1:place><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">’s Mayor, Rudolph Guiliani, was concerned about<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>notifying victims’ families, the environmental damage and telling the public.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The Coast Guard was concerned about<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>recovering evidence from the water and dealing with retrieval of bodies and managing the area of water where the wreckage was located.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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The New York Police Department were concerned about the huge security problems at JFK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to the normal airport traffic, there were literally hundreds of other people making enquiries.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The FBI<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>was concerned about the federal and international implications of terrorism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Lawyers<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>from around the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place> wanted to represent the families and the businesses affected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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There were in fact 21 agencies involved in the investigation, cleaning up the beaches, security of the airport, investigations at the airport, counselling grief-stricken families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Twenty one agencies who were dealing with the crisis management team at TWA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Something like 2,000 people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Five hundred media representatives set up operations at the airport and coastguard stations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The importance of crisis planning and communication was emphasised in all the post-incident evaluations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Planning and communication - <u>two</u> areas in which TWA was - quote “woefully inadequate” - said Mayor Guiliani on <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region></st1:place> television.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">TWA received criticism from many fronts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result of much of the criticism and the Gore Commission for the US Congress, changes have been made to future crisis management strategies.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Pre-empt the worst case scenario for your organisation. Take control of the agenda in a crisis and make sure you are heard early and continually throughout the crisis response. </span></div>
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Ross Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413270324180182306noreply@blogger.com1