CRISIS MANAGEMENT Chapter TWENTY-ONE

21-2 Issues Management Is the capacity to understand, mobilize, coordinate, and direct all strategic and policy planning functions and all public affairs/public relations skills, toward achievement of one objective: meaningful participation in creation of public policy that affects personal and institutional destiny. W. Howard Chase, l976

21-3 Issues Management is a five-step process that: Identifies issues with which the organization must be concerned Analyzes and delimits each issue with respect to its impact on constituent publics Displays the various strategic options available to the organization Implements an action program to communicate the organization’s views and to influence perception on the issue Evaluates its programs in terms of reaching organizational goals

21-4 Issues Management contains the following elements: Anticipate emerging issues Identify issues selectively Deal with opportunities and vulnerabilities Plan from the outside in Bottom-line orientation Action timetable Dealing with the top

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21-6 Implementing Issues Management Tactical implementation of issues management consists of four specific tasks: Identifying issues and trends Evaluating issue impact and setting priorities

21-7 Implementation of Tasks continued Establishing a company position Designing company action and response to achieve results

21-8 Risk Communication An outgrowth of issues management began in the l990’s Modeled on the concept that “perception is reality” Emotions and the lack of understanding and knowledge is at the base of risk. Frequent, forceful communication is needed to inform, educate, and lessen emotion.

21-9 Planning a risk communication program 1. Recognize risk communication as part of a larger risk management program and the program is based on politics, power, and controversial issues. 2. Encourage management to join the communication loop and help them to deal with the news media. 3. Develop credible outside experts to act as news sources for journalists. 4. Become an in-house expert in your own area of risk to enhance credibility with the media.

21-10 Planning a Risk Program continued 5. Approach the news media with solid facts and figures before they approach you. Verify the veracity of data. 6. Research perceptions of your organization by the media and other publics to gauge credibility and help determine if your messages will be believable. 7. Understand your target audiences and how the news media can help you communicate effectively.

21-11 Managing a Crisis What is a crisis? A crisis is a situation that has reached a critical phase for which dramatic and extraordinary intervention is necessary to avoid or repair major damage. Harvard Business Review

21-12 Questions….. What organizations can you identify that have faced a major crisis? What type of crisis were they involved in?

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21-14 What are the warning signals that appear? Surprise Insufficient information Escalating events Loss of control Increased outside scrutiny Siege mentality Panic

21-15 Can you plan for a crisis? Planning can be done with the following: 1. For each potentially impacted audience, define the risk. 2. For each risk defined, describe the actions that mitigate the risk.

21-16 Planning continued: 3. Identify the cause of the risk. 4. Demonstrate responsible management action.

21-17 Former Red Cross President Bernadine Healy

21-18 Do you know what the watchwords are for any crisis plan? Be prepared Be available Be credible

21-19 Communication in a Crisis Do you know the rule? Tell it all and tell it fast!

21-20 Goals of Crisis Management Terminate the crisis quickly Limit the damage Restore credibility

21-21 Media Relations Steps During the Crisis: Set up media headquarters Establish media rules Media live for the “box score” Don’t speculate Feed the beast Speed triumphs Cable rules

21-22 General Principles for what should be said to the media Speak first and often Don’t speculate Go off the record at your own peril Stay with the facts Be open and concerned, not defensive Make your point and repeat it Don’t wage war with the media Establish yourself as the most authoritative source Stay calm and be truthful and cooperative Never lie

21-23 Trent Lott

21-24 Exercise In your estimation, were the three goals of crisis management met during the crisis involving Elian Gonzalez? Explain and defend your answer.