Time to get crisis ready

Under Pressure 19 January 2023

Time to get crisis ready

Being ready for a crises and issues is an important skill for any communication professional. It starts with effectively managing issues that may occur and goes right through to being ready to recovery once the incident has concluded. Getting prepared for a crisis is often put on the ‘when I get time’ list. The day-to-day demands eat up time with the here and now problems.

But if the past two years have shown anything it is that we never know what is around the corner. Investing a little amount of time now can help us to respond more effectively to whatever happens. It gives us a framework that we can use, tips that we can fall back on and some confidence in our decision-making.

Amanda is running a series of training sessions between January and June that can help give communicators the confidence to tackle issues and incidents, and ensure they feel crisis ready. The sessions have been developed following feedback about what matters to people so they are:

• Effective issues management

• Preventing a reputational crisis

• Crisis communication exercise

• Social media in a crisis

Sessions cost £50 and places are strictly limited to ensure that participants get the most from the training.

If you are interested in the training and would like more details of the sessions or want to book a space email amanda@amandacolemancomms.co.uk

Artificial Intelligence and Crisis Communication

There is a lot of discussion about ChatGPT and what it means for communication and PR. It can be seen as a threat or an opportunity. For those working in crisis communication there are some opportunities that it provides. Amanda has given an outline of her thoughts on it in a recent blog. (Read it here). But also check out the thoughts of crisis communicator Philippe Borremans (Read it here) and tech expert Andrew Bruce Smith gave his views in a recent article. (Read it here)

Are you really ready?

According to Forbes a recent survey showed that half of CEOs didn’t feel they were prepared to manage a crisis. This is a worrying situation given the uncertain state of the world in 2023. Less than half felt they were ready for a pandemic or another global health crisis, and there was also a lack of preparedness for a cybersecurity issue and financial instability.

The report by The Conference Board, C-Suite Outlook 2023, surveyed 670 CEOs around the world. It is a sharp reminder of the importance of both risk and crisis management and of being prepared to manage them operationally and with effective communication. (Read more here.)

What next for UK policing?

Many will have seen the recent horrific case of a Metropolitan Police officer who admitted rape and sexual assaults over many years. He was sacked earlier this week and is awaiting sentence. But this follows a number of other high profile issues that have threatened to damage public confidence not just in the Metropolitan Police but the UK police service. After working for two decades in policing, Amanda has given her views of what needs to happen next in a recent blog. Read it here.

WCFA launches Speaker Bureau

The World Communications Forum Association has launched a new Speaker Bureau online. Amanda is pleased to be supporting the platform which aims to create unique collaborations and makes the process of finding expert speakers easier. The Speaker Bureau is available on www.wcfaglobal.com

In Brief:

• Amanda gave her views of some of the top crises hitting businesses last year in a recent Provoke Media article. Find out what was said here.

• Psychology Today recently highlighted five key elements for crisis leadership. It is no surprise that communication was among the five points identified. Find out what the others were here.

• Like many significant crises, the pandemic has not disappeared from our considerations. This week the World Health Organisation revised its guidance on the use of masks. Find out what the new advice says here.

• George Hutchinson, founder of agency River Effra, has spoken about how you can use risk methodology to address crisis communication. Amanda is part of the River Effra network. Listen to the PR Moment podcast here.

• The Business Continuity Institute has looked at resilience from the perspective of Ukraine. The report considers resilience in a time of conflict. Find out more here.

• Amanda was part of a panel for the second anniversary event to remember PR and crisis expert Michael Bland who died two years ago. The session provided more details and updates on ‘Bland’s Law’ that every crisis brings with it opportunities. Find out more about Bland’s Law here.

• A blog hosted by the Public Policy Institute of California gives an insight into the communication problems during recent natural disasters affecting the area. Read more here.

Diary Dates:

• NEW BOOK: Amanda’s popular Crisis Communication Strategies book has been updated and a second edition will be published on 3 March. Pre-orders are available now through Amazon and publishers Kogan Page. More details in a future edition of Under Pressure.

• Amanda will be running a half day session focused on how to develop a communication strategy in February. The session for the PRCA takes place on 7 February 2023. Find out more here.

• On 16 February, Amanda is running a full day session looking at how to manage an in-house communication team. To find out more go to the PRCA website here.

• Amanda’s popular crisis management webinar run on behalf of the PRCA takes place again on 7 March. Find out more about it here.