Comments on: Crises in communications http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/08/25/crises-in-communications/ The strategic role of the senior executive Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:35:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jim Stroup http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/08/25/crises-in-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-7649 Jim Stroup Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:36:46 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/?p=762#comment-7649 Hello Wally, I appreciate your reference to the Welch book. I haven't read it - yet another (undoubtedly valuable) reading assignment from you. The assumptions you quote are the voice of well-considered experience and focused judgement. They are also presented for deliberation in exactly the right order. Thanks for stopping in with this! Hello Wally,

I appreciate your reference to the Welch book. I haven’t read it – yet another (undoubtedly valuable) reading assignment from you.

The assumptions you quote are the voice of well-considered experience and focused judgement. They are also presented for deliberation in exactly the right order.

Thanks for stopping in with this!

]]> By: Wally Bock http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/08/25/crises-in-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-7626 Wally Bock Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:45:37 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/?p=762#comment-7626 Nice post, Jim. As you point out, the framing of the definition as having negative press coverage at its core begs the question of the what the crisis is. It implies that you have solved the crisis if you have dealt with the media side of the issue. That's dangerous thinking. That kind of thinking leads you to denying legitimate issues when dealing with the media. In today's "everything will be found out" world, that is dangerous in the extreme. That kind of thinking also slides by the issues associated with fixing the underlying problem and re-arranging things so it's unlikely to recur. The best advice that I've seen in how to deal with a business crisis is in Jack & Suzy Welch's book, Winning (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0060753943/wallybock/). Here are his planning assumptions from chapter 10, "Crisis Management: from 'Oh, God, No' to 'Yes, we're fine.'" The problem is worse than it appears There are no secrets in the world and everyone will eventually find out everything. You and your organization's handling of the crisis will be portrayed in the worst possible light. There will be changes in process and people. The organization will survive, ultimately stronger for what happened. Nice post, Jim. As you point out, the framing of the definition as having negative press coverage at its core begs the question of the what the crisis is. It implies that you have solved the crisis if you have dealt with the media side of the issue. That’s dangerous thinking.

That kind of thinking leads you to denying legitimate issues when dealing with the media. In today’s “everything will be found out” world, that is dangerous in the extreme. That kind of thinking also slides by the issues associated with fixing the underlying problem and re-arranging things so it’s unlikely to recur.

The best advice that I’ve seen in how to deal with a business crisis is in Jack & Suzy Welch’s book, Winning (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0060753943/wallybock/). Here are his planning assumptions from chapter 10, “Crisis Management: from ‘Oh, God, No’ to ‘Yes, we’re fine.’”

The problem is worse than it appears
There are no secrets in the world and everyone will eventually find out everything.
You and your organization’s handling of the crisis will be portrayed in the worst possible light.
There will be changes in process and people.
The organization will survive, ultimately stronger for what happened.

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