CRISIS MANAGEMENT

Chapter TWENTY-ONE

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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

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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

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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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Implementing Issues Management

Tactical implementation of issues management consists of four specific tasks:

Identifying issues and trends

Evaluating issue impact and setting priorities

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Implementation of Tasks continued

Establishing a company position

Designing company action and response to achieve results

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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Questions…..

What organizations can you identify that have faced a major crisis?

What type of crisis were they involved in?

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

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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.

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Planning continued:

3. Identify the cause of the risk.

4. Demonstrate responsible management action.

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Former Red Cross PresidentBernadine Healy

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Do you know what the watchwords are for any crisis plan? Be prepared

Be available

Be credible

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Communication in a Crisis

Do you know the rule?

Tell it all and tell it fast!

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Goals of Crisis Management

Terminate the crisis quickly

Limit the damage

Restore credibility

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Media Relations Steps

During the Crisis:Set up media headquartersEstablish media rulesMedia live for the “box score”Don’t speculateFeed the beast Speed triumphsCable rules

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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

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Trent Lott

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Exercise

In your estimation, were the three goals of crisis management met during the crisis involving Elian Gonzalez?

Explain and defend your answer.