Is your culture the next crisis?
Is your culture the next crisis?
Under Pressure 17 May 2023
There have been a growing number of crises facing organisations that are coming from within. The focus is now on the culture and what that means to how people work and interact. Where are the boundaries? What behaviour is acceptable?
In all these situations the situation is firmly left at the feet of those at the top of the business. They have the responsibility for both what is happening and how it should change and develop. It make a reputational crisis from the internal culture one of the most difficult situations to respond to and communicate about.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the Metropolitan Police and the political party Plaid Cymru are all facing reputational challenges linked to questions about their culture. This is a growing threat to all organisations but one that we can all get ahead of.
What do we need to do?
Listen to the views of employees and really understand what they feel about the business. Don’t just rely on the annual staff survey go out and listen to them. They will know the problems.
Understand what is happening within our businesses. Look at the trends, the data and insight, and consider what it is telling you.
Know what others think of your organisation, how it operates and any concerns that they may have
Consider what is happening in other organisations and what it means for you, your business and how it operates.
If you are a communicator be prepared to speak truth to those at the top of the organisation. If you don’t do it then who will?
Crisis communication planning is not just for those operational disasters the flood, cyber attack or other event. The same structures, frameworks and plans should be in place to support the response to reputational crises. Review your existing preparations and ensure that they can be used for whatever happens. Ask yourself if you had identified a reputational crisis could you get the business to react quickly, and with the same focus. If not, then make some changes now.
There are lots of case studies that will help highlight the threats a reputational crisis pose to a business, and examples of what needs to be done to improve the response. They should help in discussions with those at the top of organisations.
If you have any questions about how to develop and expand your crisis communication response to include reputational issues get in touch at amanda@amandacolemancomms.co.uk
Challenges of communication - Alberta Wildfires
In the past week there have been wildfires sweeping through Alberta, Canada. Alongside the response came some criticism that featured in media reports. Evacuees complained about the communication particularly gaps and conflicting information. The response was that the situation was challenging and people were doing the best to try and manage the situation.
There is a really insightful post on LinkedIn by Tim Conrad a crisis communicator who has worked in similar circumstances. Read it here. And three crisis response experts have given their views about the challenges that are being faced. Read more here.
If you are interested in considering disaster management and what can be done there was an interesting programme on BBC Inside Science. Listen to it here. Within it Professor Lucy Easthope, a disaster management expert, highlights the importance of ongoing communication to improve resilience.
Remaining Pandemic Prepared
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched an initiative to help countries be more prepared for future pandemics. It follows the recognition that the Covid-19 pandemic may still exist but is no longer a pandemic. Find out more here.
In Brief:
Check out the latest in the #10minuteswith series of discussions. In the latest Amanda talks to Ed Conley who has almost three decades experience working with emergency response as part of FEMA. Watch the chat here.
A recent report from the US outlines how there is an anticipated growth in crisis emergency and incident management software. The global Crisis Emergency and Incident Management Platforms Market was valued at US$ 75.41 Bn in 2019 and is forecast to reach a value of US$ 122.04 Bn by 2027. The details can be found here.
Balancing moving at speed and getting the right message is the challenge for regulatory agencies in the food sector according to a US expert speaking in Scotland. The acting director of the Office of Food Policy and Response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration told attendees at the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) European Symposium in Aberdeen that in a crisis, communication has to be timely. Find out more here.
When and how to express sympathy and make apologies was considered in an article by the CEO of the Institute for Crisis Management. Read more here.
The latest edition of the crisis communication case study Testing Times has been published. It focuses on a reputational crisis for a major institution in the UK. To receive a copy email amanda@amandacolemancomms.co.uk
How to respond to a ransomware attack is featured in an article on the Financial Review website. The article includes details of ways to approach the communication of these challenging situations. Read more here.
An interesting article in PRNews considers the role of podcasts in crisis communication responses. Find out more here.
Training Dates
The next of Amanda’s training sessions is on 15 June and is focused on social media in a crisis. The session will look at the role it plays, the challenges it brings and will discuss strategies to use it effectively. To find out more email amanda@amandacolemancomms.co.uk
Diary Dates:
On 30 May Amanda is joining a panel to discuss personal resilience and wellbeing after a crisis at an event organised by Public Relations Oxford. Find out more here.
On 1 June at 10.30am Amanda will be running her popular webinar on getting maximum impact from a disappearing budget. The session is run through the PRCA and details can be found here.
If you are interested in how to develop a communication strategy, Amanda’s half day training on behalf of the PRCA on 7 June is fully booked but there is another session taking place on 14 September. Spaces are limited. Find out more here.
On 14 June Amanda is running a webinar looking at developing engaging content within the public sector. If you are interested in finding out more go to the PRCA website here.
Amanda is delighted to be part of the CommsRebel conference ‘Unleash Your Inner Rebel’ taking place in Manchester on 14 June. She is running a crisis communication workshop. To find out more go to the CommsRebel website here.