Crisis Management Communications Warwick Network, 27 July 2006 Ian Rowley, Director of Communication

Next week, there can’t be any crisis. My schedule is already full. Dr Henry Kissinger, while US Secretary of State

To Cover Today What is a Crisis? (15 mins) Issues Management (20 mins) Dealing with Crisis (25 mins)

Sabotage, Extortion, Product Faults31% Health Risks, Fire/Accidents16% “Dirty Tricks” and Fraud16% Financial Crises15% Hurricanes, Floods, Pollution12% Pressure Groups10% Infoplan 1994 survey of top 250 UK companies What does Crisis make you think of?

Recent “Crises” at Warwick Action Short of a Strike Failure of IT Circuit Board Flooding to Kirby Corner Road/University House Student Death on Campus Sabotage of UniTemps Staff Database Late Opening of Heronbank/Liberty Park Mumps/Meningitis Outbreak on Campus Clinton Visit

What is a Crisis? An event which causes the company to become the subject of widespread, potentially unfavourable, attention from the international and national media and other groups such as customers, shareholders, employees and their families, politicians, trade unionists and environmental pressure groups who, for one reason or another, have a vested interest in the activities of the organisation. Register and Larken, 2005

Impact of a Crisis Consumer confidence – loss of sales or market share Loss of reputation Compensation Pressure on the SMT, especially institutional leaders Distraction from primary business goals

Issues Management – because prevention is better than cure! “An issue, an unsettled matter which is ready for decision” Chase and Jones

Issue Lifecycle Potential EmergingCurrentCrisisDormant Opportunity to InfluenceDifficult to Influence Development Pressure Issue Management Early issue identification Media coverage Hainsworth and Meng 1990

Group Brainstorm You have been invited to be a member of the University of Warwick’s issues management taskforce. Today is the first meeting of the taskforce. Working in small groups (2-3 people) you are asked to: 1) brainstorm possible issues which might impact on the University; 2) list, in order of inevitability, your top 5 issues; 3) formulate a strategy for monitoring one of your 5 issues over time

Successful Crisis Management Successful management of a crisis situation is about recognising you have one, taking appropriate actions to remedy the situation, being seen to take them and being heard to say the right things. Register and Larken, 2005

Points for Consideration 1 Membership of the Crisis Management Team (24 hour contact) Authorisation and Access to Resources Base Camp (plus alternative meeting space) Telephony capacity, emergency call centre “Dark” website Plan for loss of IT and other systems, including cascading home telephone list

Points for Consideration 2 Media – (nearly) always co-operate, provide content Use of the CEO, consistency of spokespeople Concern before cost The rise and rise of activism New Media, threats and opportunities Public Distrust of Science and Scientists

Make internal stakeholders your advocates Co-operate with emergency services Develop third party advocates Importance of Government Special arrangements for dealing with affected families Points for Consideration 3

Dealing with Crisis: Group Exercise