Managing the Ripples in a Crisis by MWPR, Inc.

Just like when a pebble thrown in a pond creates ripples, within any major crisis there is a ripple affect. There is more than one area of focus and more than one area needing a #strategic plan to address the impact the major #crisis created.

Regardless if the main headline is involving a person, political figure, product, property or performance, more times than not, there are layers to the crisis and they are guaranteed to impact a multitude of areas, associations and affiliations. The ripple affects will also need to be addressed. 

Ok, the crisis hits! The primary target has responded and is managing their story in an effort to lessen the blow and restore trust. 

But, what about the ripples, those who are directly or indirectly impacted by the primary's crisis? Directly or indirectly, each ripple created by the primary (pebble) requires special attention, strategic action, specific answers and subsequent adjustments so they are able to eventual move pass the crisis and prepare for future progress and productivity.

Special Attention:

When the crisis creates the ripples, pay close attention to the initial reports, details and responses given through the media and through the primary target. Listening and learning what has happened and what is being said will help in creating a specific strategic plan directly speaks to your need and position.

Strategic Action:

Based on what has been learned through paying special attention and determining if the primary hit directly or indirectly impacted you, a plan of action must be created that will help draw a distinction between the primary hit and you, the ripple, while also restoring confidence within your immediate and extended touch points (constituents and audiences).

Specific Answers:

Here is where you unpack your story, clear up confusion related to your connection to the primary hit and provide space for questions to be asked and answered, portraying a level of transparency and trust.

Subsequent Adjustments:

Within the management of the ripple affect from another's crisis, due diligence is needed in determining what can be learned by what the primary hit went through. Also, an assessment for areas of weakness, vulnerability, flaws and blind spots that could one day take you from being the ripple to being the primary is needed. 

The best way to prepare for any crisis is to be prepared before the crisis. You don't have to always learn a lesson firsthand. Take the lesson another's mistake creates and adjust accordingly. Go through scenarios identifying possible crises that could occur, or pay attention to your competition, partners, industry leaders, etc. and learn from their past problems. Remember, there is no such thing as a cookie-cutter template crisis plan. So, once you've gathered your research, create an overall crisis plan that speaks to your needs and feel somewhat confident that if/when the time comes you will be ready to stop, drop and roll with the punch.

The bottom-line is no major crisis is a one off. It will create ripples. Having a direct or indirect association with the primary hit calls for you to take the necessary steps to correct and protect your brand, message or business.

#MWPRTips

Research Before Responding

In light of the recent #PaulaDeen brand management fiasco, I thought I would offer some general steps in managing a crisis. I have shared similar steps in the past, however it seems that it continues to be a right on time point to make.

The first priority when faced with a crisis for any business, brand, or person should be obvious - execute the Crisis Plan. IF by chance there isn't one in place prior to the crisis, one should/can be crafted, taking the tactics and best practices used during the crisis you find yourself in as a guide. On any given day, your priorities will be determined by the phase/level the crisis is in. Remain flexible but stay strategic, not defensive.

Best strategies and practices are found in consistent, calm, clear and concise communications. Always stay on point, keep to the agreed plan and make sure each phase has sign-off by all key stakeholders including legal counsel. The reality is there is no cookie-cutter approach to handling a crisis, as each one possesses its own set of unique components. However, there are some staples that can be inserted to ensure the crisis is managed as well as any #crisis can be managed:

• Research before responding to the crisis. 
• Do not allow the crisis to manage you, you must aim to manage it from the start. 
• Just because the media calls, it doesn’t mean you have to take the call. Only respond when you have a clear message to deliver.
• Identify the appropriate spokesperson (s). 
• Acknowledge all, but only own what is yours to own. 
• Pull in partners and supporters if appropriate. 
• Only make realistic promises. 
• Don’t place yourself in a position where you will have to eat your words; this can create a new crisis. Keep messages/responses clear, concise and consistent. 
• Never sound or position your statement from a defensive stance. 
• Utilize more than one means of distributing your responses. 
• Create a strategy in getting your message out, how, where and in the frequency you desire. 
• Strive to control the crisis. 

Monica G. Wood (@MWPRINCight)

Lead Strategist

MWPR, Inc.

Featured Author: PR News' Crisis Management Guidebook, Vol 6 (@PRNews)

When there is a hiccup in your life: Crisis 101

WHEN THERE IS A HICCUP IN YOUR LIFE: Personal Crisis 101

A hiccup (crisis) can come at any time, from anywhere and in any form. The goal when faced with a crisis is to minimize the overall damage. The best way to manage the situation, if it should ever arise, is to not hold your breath until it goes away, but rather:

REFLECT
Reflect, don’t react on what happened. Reflect on the role you played in it. Reflect on how others have reacted to both the situation and to you. Reflect on how you feel. Reflect on how/when/what your response should be.

Honesty, self-reflection push you forward. Lies, misplaced blame and denial push you back.

REMOVE
Remove negative thinking. Remove negative/dysfunctional people. Remove yourself from any and all things that could possibly cause you to repeat your mistake or a similar one in the future.

REPLACE
Replace your negative energy, space and inner circle with all things positive, productive and progressive. Don't dwell on the mistake. Take the lesson, walk over the mistake and move forward.

RENEW
Renew your mind by speaking life into your situation. Positive thoughts, lead to positive words which lead to positive actions. Don't define who you are by just the mistakes you made/make or what others will say about you. You are the total sum of all things reflecting you.

Bottom line: Understand what happened. Embrace what happened. Promote your learned lessons. And, remember that "...in ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

We all have a purpose in life to fulfill. The good, bad and UGLY are part of fulfilling that purpose.

It is time to live more proactively in this reactive world. Walk out your destiny.

Helpful Tools: Good PR Tidbit

Lasting Impact: Storytelling Makes Messages Memorable
Posted by PR Blogger Strategic Public Relations on February 9th

PR Tactics editor John Elsasser tapped me to write an article for their latest issue. At more than 800 words, it’s considered blasphemously long for a blog post. But I'm not sure if it’ll be posted online or not so I posted it below. Check out PR Tactics print edition if you prefer the more nostalgic approach to content consumption.

--------We spend countless hours choosing the best message, format and medium to reach our audiences when the most powerful communication device is the one we seem to use the least – storytelling.
Stories make our messages easier to remember and have been used throughout history to help explain concepts more effectively, according to “A Whole New Mind” by Daniel Pink.

Starbucks is built on story. The ubiquitous barista was almost named Pequod Coffee Company after the boat in “Moby Dick.” Starbucks’ founders felt the name would evoke the romance of the high seas.

Thankfully naming consultants were quick to point out that consumers would not stand in line to drink a cup of Pequod. The owners instead settled on Starbuck, the first mate on the Pequod. And today there are more than 13,168 locations in 40 countries worldwide.

A Mix of Fact and EmotionIn "The Elements of Persuasion,"Richard Maxwell and Robert Dickman define a story as “a fact, wrapped in an emotion that compels us to take an action that transforms our world.”

The use of fact and emotion in a story is critical – particularly in public relations. A message focusing just on emotion can be easily dismissed. At the same time, isolated facts are not remembered easily by an audience. In a world cluttered with messages competing for audience time and attention, stories and our messages require both elements to be effective.

What’s the Story?So how do you write a story? Whether it’s three sentences or three volumes in length, stories need to have a basic structure – a beginning, middle and end.

An Appetizing Beginning: Every story must quickly grab reader attention with an interesting hook. This whets their appetite and draws them into the story. And while some basic facts should be established, they should be chosen carefully to slowly reveal the story.

The Meaty Middle: Once the reader is engaged, serve up the story’s main course to keep them satisfied. Any initial problems established or assertions made will play out in full.

End with Dessert, Not Desert: Once a reader is engaged, don’t end the story without the best part. An ending brings resolution to the story. Good or bad the ending leaves the reader with distinct feelings and usually a call to action.

Starting with these basic elements, creativity is the only limit to how you tell your story. And there are some ways to help make storytelling second nature.

Learn by DoingTelling your own story is great practice for doing it on the job. StoryCorps is an organization that encourages you to tell your story. Considered to be the largest oral history project of its kind, StoryCorps transports sound booths across the country with the goal of recording people’s stories in an audio format. Some of the stories are rebroadcast on NPR and all of them wind up in the Library of Congress.

Stories (Don’t) Write ThemselvesImages, audio and video are easier than ever to create and can easily be added to a story to increase audience engagement. But be selective and creative about using these elements to enhance a story.

Before you give an executive some screen time or add a grip and grin photo of the company founder shaking hands with the CEO, ask the question – “does it improve the message?” If audio/visual elements don’t make a message easier to understand, and more memorable, they distract the audience. Even worse, you’re wasting everyone’s time.

Less is MoreWhile images, audio and video can enhance your story; an effective story relies on top-notch writing. Writing more frequently helps improve skills; writing with fewer words makes the end result more efficient and effective.

There are several unconventional online approaches to whittling down the word count. One Word posts one word each day and gives you 60 seconds to write about it. The photo sharing site Flickr is home to The Six Word Story Group where members submit photos with captions no longer than six words. The end result must tell a story.

Make a (Power) Point Anyone still skeptical about the power of storytelling in business should visit SlideShare. The site is YouTube for PowerPoint presentations and it serves up endless examples of good (and really bad) approaches to storytelling through the de facto software for business presentations. As an example, SlideShare has more than 400 presentations on storytelling alone and the site will inspire your use of PowerPoint.

Taking these steps will make storytelling second nature. And as we are continually challenged to gain the attention of time-starved audiences, this proven device will help us meet this challenge.
In the case of Starbucks, the story of its naming is part of the foundation on which the coffee company has built its success. Not bad for a cup of Pequod.