The importance of readiness
The importance of readiness
Under Pressure 22 August 2021
The importance of readiness
When I was carrying out some training sessions recently I talked a lot about readiness and the speed of response. Now, communicators have a golden 20 minutes, which is the time by which they have to have said something about the crisis they are going to face. Failing to act quickly enough will mean you have more to do to reach an effective crisis communication strategy.
Being ready is more important than people realise. Why? Because it means you are able to focus on the issue at hand as lots of details will already be in place. You will know what needs to be done and ready to step up to deal with it.
Preparation is key. I heard people in New York being reminded of the importance of being ready for the hurricane that is due to hit today (Sunday 22 August). We all need to think about how we can be ready for changing circumstances. Whether it is the extreme weather conditions, financial challenges, pandemic or something else, life brings with it uncertainty. How we deal with it is the issue.
Here are five simple ways to become crisis ready:
Have a clear plan for any crisis
Build resilience - store some tins, have a bag ready to evacuate, keep some savings
Understand the risks that may affect you
Test your plans on a regular basis
Talk to others to see how you can be ready together
If you want to find out more about how your team or business can become crisis ready then get in touch - amanda@amandacolemancomms.co.uk
More on how to be prepared will feature in the next edition of Under Pressure to mark National Preparedness Month 2021 in the USA which starts on 1 September.
Building resilience report
I recently published the latest in a series of crisis communication and issues management reports. The Building Resilience in an Uncertain World report looks at what we can do as individuals, teams and organisations to more ready to face difficulties that lie ahead. It makes a number of recommendations for us all, for those who employ communication staff, and also for the PR industry. To find out more contact me for a copy of the report - amanda@amandacolemancomms.co.uk
UK: Plymouth shootings
The recent shootings in Plymouth, England, shocked the country and while investigations into both the incident and previous police actions are ongoing it was interesting to read about action taken by local journalists. According to Press Gazette, the local reporters refused to knock on the doors of affected residents in the immediate aftermath. They have also refused to picture the face of the gunman in a move that is similar to action taken by New Zealand President Jacinda Ardern following the 2019 terror attack.
It is interesting to see if this approach will be taken in the future by other journalists working where such emergencies occur.
In Brief:
A social media toolkit to tackle Covid-19 disinformation has been published by the UK government and is being promoted by the World Health Organisation. It is focused on healthcare practitioners and more details can be found here.
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has launched PreventionWeb a way to keep up to date with research in disaster risk reduction. It is well worth checking out all the information that is included. Take a look here.
Check out a recent SASIG webinar looking at post pandemic leadership challenges that was hosted by Amanda. Details can be found here.
You can read Amanda’s recent blog about the situation in Afghanistan here.
Diary dates:
Amanda will be at the Emergency Services Show on 7 September. She is presenting a seminar on crisis, communication and leadership at 1.45pm. To find out more check the session out, or get in touch for details of what the session will cover. If you have time to catch up for a chat during the show get in touch - amanda@amandacolemancomms.co.uk
If you are interested in crisis management Amanda is running a PRCA webinar on the subject on 15 September. Find out more here.
Developing a corporate communication strategy will be the subject of a half day workshop Amanda is running on behalf of the PRCA. It takes place on 15 September. Find out more here.
If you have a subject you would like to see covered in a future newsletter then get in touch amanda@amandacolemancomms.co.uk