The day the world changed

Under Pressure 7 March 2022

War in Ukraine

It is more than a week since Russia invaded Ukraine and the world became more uncertain than ever. The news features terrible scenes of people suffering and devastation across the country. There is a growing refugee crisis situation as more than 1.7million people have been forced out of their homes. It is something most people have never seen before and for many the world has changed.

Just a few weeks ago we were worried about the Covid-19 pandemic and wearing face masks, while now there are concerns about global stability and whether businesses have Russian connections. For communicators it demonstrates how important environmental and horizon scanning is. Communication and actions that may have seemed appropriate in January 2022 may now not be acceptable or the right thing to do.

This is also a time when communicators can make a big difference. They can provide important information, data, insight and feedback to those at the top of the organisation. They can reflect back the mood and tone both in the world and within the business. They can question plans and actions that may seem out of step with the wider society or the brand values. You may say ‘why do I have to do this’ as people are exhausted after the pandemic.

We saw the central role that communication had during the pandemic, and it is the same now during the war. This means tackling disinformation, helping to give visibility to credible sources, and supporting employees who may be directly affected or feel worried about the situation. Be ready to take up the challenge but remember these three things;

1. You can only keep giving and dealing with challenges if you prioritise looking after yourself.

2. Remember what you are doing this all for, which should be the people who are suffering at the moment.

3. Keep up-to-date with developments but don’t let the news reports overwhelm you.

It has been good to see the PR community come together to look at how they can help at this terrible time. Whatever you can do will all make a difference to someone, somewhere.

Amanda

Testing Times

The March edition of the crisis communication case study Testing Times has been published. This edition looks at the humanitarian crisis that has emerged as people are forced to flee Ukraine. For a copy email amanda@amandacolemancomms.co.uk

New style training

Developing your crisis communication skills and putting your plans and decision making to the test usually have to happen in separate sessions. Amanda has developed new training that combines both elements. Participants will learn the key elements of crisis management as they follow a scenario and have to decide what action to take. Feedback to the training style has been overwhelmingly positive. If you want to find out more about the training and how it may benefit your team get in touch with Amanda by emailing amanda@amandacolemancomms.co.uk

Davos Communication Awards

The Davos Communication Awards run by the World Communications Forum Association are now open for 2022. Amanda is delighted to have the opportunity to act as the Jury Chair for the awards. The early bird deadline for entries is 10 March. Find out how you can submit an entry here.

In Brief:

• The Business Continuity Institute has recently published the latest Emergency and Crisis Communications Report. It highlights that organisations are putting more funding into emergency communication tools. Find out more here.

• If you are interested in risk and crisis communication a new association is being launched this week. The International Association of Risk and Crisis Communication is a non-profit organisation that promotes research, knowledge exchange and professional development in Risk and Crisis Communication worldwide. Find out more here.

• The Chief Executive Net website has provided some useful points for those leading organisations while dealing with geopolitical crises. Find out more here.

Diary Dates:

• A new two day Crisis Communication Masterclass will be run by Amanda on 14 and 15 March. The sessions will focus on planning for the new reality and the future of crisis communication. Run on behalf of P World events you can find out more here.

• Amanda will be running the popular Producing Engaging Content in Public Sector Communications on behalf of the PRCA on Thursday 17 March. Find out more about the session here.

• The CIPR North West are running a Crisis Communications: Learnings from a terrorist incident on 31 March. The session will feature Amanda talking about her experiences managing the police response to the Manchester Arena terrorist attack in 2017 alongside Andrew Duggan, Head of Communications, Marketing and Engagement at Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust talking about the incident on 14 November 2021. Find out about the event here.