AF Comunicación Estratégica

Tag: Crisis

  • Some things we should not do when encountering a crisis

    Some things we should not do when encountering a crisis

    By Amelia Reyes Mora, President de AF Comunicación Estratégica

    In regards to the wave of negative news that has been covering our beautiful tourist destination, I share with my people some reflections as a proud Dominican of its nation. The feeling of lack of control generated by a crisis is one of the most uncomfortable feelings we can have. Even more so when the “crown jewel” of our country is being threatened.

    Without warning, you feel like international public opinion crushes you. In the beginning, you think this will happen, that such a strengthened and powerful destiny will not be affected. That the best strategy may be that of the ostrich, to hide its head. Time goes by, and you realize that, instead of lowering the tide, the sea of ​​rumors seems raging.

    Time goes by, and you conclude that despite the isolated efforts the storm does not calm down, because simply managing crisis in these times is more complex than ever. No previous experience helps you much, because, with social networks, nothing is hidden. The immediacy of digital communication and false news made us a bad move.

    We are learning in the toughest way some of the things we should and should not do when we have the time for the crisis:

    • Not be prepared to face any crisis. This is done before the crisis happens. How much has been repeated and how little is done! We have to be prepared.
    • Reacting slowly can be catastrophic. The first 24-48 hours are essential, yes, hours, not weeks !!
    • Keeping calm is also essential because things can always get worse.
    • Hiding the head is never a good strategy.
    • Blaming others is even worse. Also, it doesn’t solve the problem.
    • Trying to minimize it is self-deception that does not benefit you.
    • The spokespersons must be adequately prepared.
    • When there are victims, the first thing is to show solidarity and express empathy.
    • The main authorities or managers should always be involved since the level of the crisis defines the spokespersons a lot.
    • We need data and facts to offer the media and the whole world.
    • It is the best time to call friends and allies. People with prestige speaking well about us creates credibility.
    • We solve little with exclusively local campaigns if the major problem is abroad.
    • If the target audiences speak English, the communication must also be in English.
    • It is not the same to handle communication in your village than internationally.
    • It is NOT a problem only of the government. We must all come together to address this situation.

    We must take into account three key points that continue to function in all crisis communication: communicate what happened, say what is being done to correct the damage and explain what will be done to avoid repeating the situation.

    I trust collective intelligence, in the diligent action of our authorities, in the business interests of our businessmen, in the common sense of our people and why not, in the powerful intervention of the Virgin of Altagracia. God help us and let there be light because there is no doubt and as the phrase attributed to Don Quixote points out: we are riding!

  • Are you prepared for a crisis?

    Are you prepared for a crisis?

    Some questions that we always ask during our conversations with prospects and clients, and that we now ask you, our reader friend, do you take away from your dream concerning your company? What would you not like to see in the headlines of the newspapers or listen to the news? It has been said that for a piece of news to be good, it must be wrong. The interesting thing and what attracts people’s attention is different, out of the ordinary, and that generates controversy.

    We don’t like to think about crises; some say don’t even think about it!

    A senior executive said, do not think of the crises that later attract the thought. What else would I, and probably you, want to have the power to visualize and realize the jackpot numbers.

    I think this is instead the ostrich’s formula. At some point in our lives, we wanted to hide even a little our head. However, others will take care of getting us to public light, because “there is nothing hidden under the sun” and it is best to be well prepared in case chance, destiny, or our actions require it.

    Imagine for a second that early in the morning, with your cup of hot coffee and with your pajamas on, open the newspaper or turn on the TV and find that your company or, better yet, a competitive company, is the protagonist of a negative headline in the newspaper. You are looking in the mirror of a crisis, an unexpected or unforeseen event, sometimes predictable due to abrupt changes in the environment that can condition the present or future of the company as described by an important international advisor, “unplanned visibility” that can occur at any time to any person or organization.

    This crisis can have different faces; it could be a work accident at your plant, or an accident caused by one of your transport vehicles, a defective product of your company, a scandal for pollution to the environment, a change in the legislation of the country, a lawsuit, a rumor of failure of financial strength of a banking institution, unfounded rumors or not, but in general, an unforeseen event that can become the worst nightmare of a company’s management. Sometimes it reacts quickly and is thriving and strengthened. In other cases, the crisis is so devastating that it opens the door to the beginning of the end of the decline of the business.

    We all know cases at an international and local level that have obtained extensive coverage, even some of these are part of case studies in prestigious universities around the world.

    You and I could make a long list of names of companies that have weakened or are about to disappear, as well as others that have emerged strengthened from significant crises that are the stories that inspire us.

    Surely they remember the case of Tylenol, the leading product of Johnson & Johnson. For reasons of space, we do not detail the incident. We wish to highlight the proper management of a crisis, over which the then President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, praised and expressed his admiration for the ethical and responsible management of this company.

    • So what can we do? We recommend reflecting on the following questions.
    • Who will inform us if a case of crisis occurs outside working hours?
    • What are the scenarios that concern us in the company?
    • Do we have an official spokesperson identified?
    • Is the spokesperson adequately trained to handle the media?
    • What are your company’s messages?
    • Do we have a contingency plan?
    • How will we inform the different audiences?

    During the crisis, the company’s ability to react adequately to get out of a problematic situation is tested. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare with time, before the crisis happens, long before we face the pressure of the media, customers, communities, authorities, or shareholders.

    It is a great help in this preparation process, to evaluate the potential risks to which your company is exposed due to the nature of the business. Define what are your points of greatest vulnerability and the impact that an unexpected event can have for the organization. To better illustrate, what a day without the operation of your production plant can mean in economic terms; other examples, what economic implications make the mass withdrawal of its products have from the places of sales; or cash withdrawals in a financial institution because of a rumor of illiquidity.

    We must be able to handle bad news with transparency and promptly. Be careful not to give in to the temptation to think that if we do not communicate a contrary fact or do not talk about it, nobody will know, or things will solve themselves. However, as is well known by communicators, the bad news is like fish in poor condition, they get worse over time.

    Of course, the most effective management of a crisis is when it has not yet reached the media. However, this is not always possible, so we recommend sparing no effort to be prepared appropriately, emerge stronger and more mature as a company, learn from experience and prevent the crisis from knocking at the door again.

  • The role of communication in a crisis situation

    The role of communication in a crisis situation

    The examples are frequent and allow to learn from the mistakes

    The crisis acts as a kind of magnifying glass, highlighting the deficiencies in the communication and leadership skills that the managers of an organization have. Those are the “moments of truth,” in which you can know who everyone is; Well, when the situation gets difficult, you have to use all personal and professional resources to deal with the storm and emerge with the least amount of damage possible.

    Information published in the Wall Street Journal Americas questioning the leadership and communication capacity of the president of Toyota Motor amid the crisis the company is going through. In this sense, it is striking that they are precisely their employees, members of their team, who are questioning their ability to lead.

    Right now when that company requires a greater focus on all personnel, high cohesion, and teamwork, identification with the organization and its leaders, alignment of all internal and external communication, it is doubting whether the ship’s captain will be able to cope to the temporary

    Dangerous

    Situations of this nature are hazardous for any organization, as it can generate the “last syndrome that turns off the light.” The concern is more significant because generally, the best talents are the first to find another job opportunity, even in times of shortage.

    In this context, internal communication as a tool for transmitting new beliefs and organizational values ​​constitutes an essential instrument in managing change and adapting organizations to new challenges. Therefore, today, it never shows its relevance and impact on companies.

    There are often publications on this subject in different media, but there is still a great place to go. The importance of internal communication is often afloat when it comes to crises.

    It would be much more efficient and economical if a good communication plan is developed when it seems not necessary when the business is running correctly to have a cool head and think rightly about the strategies.

    Within this plan, the development needs of the communication skills of the leaders for the proper management of the organization and its people must be considered. The higher an executive is within the company, the greater the demands, and therefore, they are placed in a more vulnerable position to their audiences.

    Knowledge

    In these changing times, an excellent tool to deepen the skills of a good manager is to know what resources he has used to face challenges within the companies in which he has previously worked.

    Communication is vital, a lot of time is spent evaluating job-specific technical skills, and sometimes it is forgotten that other competencies are fundamental in the true success of a professional.

    If you can fill these spaces in executives, there will still be a need for another essential element, which is an excellent internal communication plan.

    To start

    You can start by dusting out your Internal Communication Policy Manual, and if you don’t have it, this is an appropriate time to develop it. You may need to perform some previous measurements, so it is suggested to consider carrying out a communication audit.

    It is essential to clearly define what the organization’s messages are, evaluate the internal media or channels, determine how fluid and effective communication is in every way. The messages must be aligned with the strategy of the organization and with the external environment that is lived daily. It is necessary to act with coherence. There are cases of companies that seem schizophrenic, where discourse and practice are contradictory.

    The strategy goes beyond the press

    In some organizations, contradictions are observed for lack of a communication strategy. They say one thing, project another and do something different. This theme goes for long; any resemblance to reality is not pure coincidence.

    It is good to reflect a little more on the matter in question; it is continually said that the great crises motivate great opportunities, to which the questions sometimes arise: Opportunities for what? To leave the market or to strengthen? This depends on many factors, but what is certain is that the better the communication organization is prepared to face the challenges, the higher the chances of getting something good out of them.

    Communication is not only related to the radio press but also written and televised. It is much more than that, is to have management strategies in internal relations so that the staff is unified in common objectives of the interest of the organization, is to have

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