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)
What does Crisis make you
think of?
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Sabotage, Extortion, Product Faults
Health Risks, Fire/Accidents
“Dirty Tricks” and Fraud
Financial Crises
Hurricanes, Floods, Pollution
Pressure Groups
31%
16%
16%
15%
12%
10%
Infoplan 1994 survey of top 250 UK companies
Recent “Crises” at Warwick
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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
Opportunity to Influence
Difficult to Influence
Pressure
Media coverage
Issue Management
Early issue identification
Potential
Emerging
Current
Crisis
Dormant
Development
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
Points for Consideration 3
• Make internal stakeholders your
advocates
• Co-operate with emergency services
• Develop third party advocates
• Importance of Government
• Special arrangements for dealing with
affected families
Dealing with Crisis: Group
Exercise