We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat

We’re Gonna Need a Bigger BoatWeb Communication Before, During and After a Crisis

Tonya Oaks Smith HighEdWeb Florida 22 April 2013

#hewebFL @marleysmom

Monday, April 22, 13

Flickr photo by SchizoDelightMonday, April 22, 13

Flickr photo by Bird EyeMonday, April 22, 13

Flickr photo by TelemalMonday, April 22, 13

Flickr photo by jonathon_simon Monday, April 22, 13

JAWS

Monday, April 22, 13

On the Agenda...

• Who am I?

• Who are you?

• What is a crisis?

• What can we do before crisis?

• What can we do during crisis?

• What can we do after crisis?

Monday, April 22, 13

@marleysmom

Kittenshark by @radiofreegeorgyMonday, April 22, 13

Photo by @shelleykeith

Who are you?

Monday, April 22, 13

What is a Crisis?

An organizational crisis is a specific, unexpected and nonroutine event or series of events that create high levels of uncertainty and simultaneously present an organization with both opportunities and threats to its high-priority goals.

- 2011, Ulmer, Sellnow & Seeger

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Crisi-tunity.png

Monday, April 22, 13

Specific, unexpected, nonroutine?

Offers opportunity?

Monday, April 22, 13

Flickr photo by Doug88888

Surprise!

Monday, April 22, 13

Flickr photo by donnagrayson

Threat or opportunity?

Monday, April 22, 13

Don’t say you’re starving. You’re not. Children in

Africa are starving. You’re

just hungry. @bekahsayshey

Perspective

Marley photo by @bootsmcMarley photo by @bootsmc

Monday, April 22, 13

What qualifies

as a crisis?

Monday, April 22, 13

Your star quarterback comes down the flu and has to miss a game.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51438986@N07/5019396750/Flickr photo by naturalhomecures34

Monday, April 22, 13

Specific, unexpected, nonroutine?

Offers opportunity?

Monday, April 22, 13

A dorm burns down, forcing many students to find new

housing in the middle of finals.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3abr/2376313418/Flickr photo by Abdullah AlSaeed

Monday, April 22, 13

Specific, unexpected, nonroutine?

Offers opportunity?

Monday, April 22, 13

A dean at your college travels extensively out of the country and you find he’s been filing expense

reports twice for each trip. Flickr photo by ksbuehler

Monday, April 22, 13

Specific, unexpected, nonroutine?

Offers opportunity?

Monday, April 22, 13

Real crises...

Monday, April 22, 13

Flickr photo by jptully85

Rudy Giuliani and 9/11

Monday, April 22, 13

Flickr photo by Talk Radio News Service

BP spill and Tony Hayward

Monday, April 22, 13

Photo from The New York Times

Horace Mann and abuse

Monday, April 22, 13

http://t3chgeek.wordpress.com/2008/10/27/uca-update/

UCA and campus shooting

Monday, April 22, 13

Amity Island and the shark

Monday, April 22, 13

Flickr photo by bennettdesigns

Answer. It. Now.

Monday, April 22, 13

What do we do to take advantage of the opportunity

inherent in crisis?

Monday, April 22, 13

The book

Monday, April 22, 13

Before

Accept that crisis is quick and unexpected and that the threat of a crisis is relative.

Monday, April 22, 13

Before

Determine goals and develop good intentions prior to a crisis.

Monday, April 22, 13

Before

Engage in simulations and training.

Monday, April 22, 13

Before

Develop strong, positive relationships with primary and secondary stakeholders and a positive organizational reputation.

Monday, April 22, 13

Before

Establish effective organizational leadership.

Monday, April 22, 13

During

Communicate early about crisis, acknowledge if you do not know something, and

then promise to stay in contact.

Monday, April 22, 13

During

Do not attempt to deny or cover up crisis. Be open and honest.

Monday, April 22, 13

During

Avoid certain or absolute answers to the public and media unless you are sure.

Monday, April 22, 13

During

Build a case for who responsible for the crisis and why - if it’s not you.

Monday, April 22, 13

During

Accept that your stakeholders - including members of the media - are your

partners in managing crisis.

Monday, April 22, 13

During

Listen to your stakeholders. Cooperate with them and work to build consensus.

Monday, April 22, 13

During

Do not overassure stakeholders about crisis impact.

Monday, April 22, 13

During

Help the public with advice about how they can help themselves.

Monday, April 22, 13

During

Ensure that your organizational leadership is visible and adaptable.

Monday, April 22, 13

After

Be prepared to question how your organization thinks about and conducts business.

Monday, April 22, 13

After

Acknowledge that positive things can come from crises.

Monday, April 22, 13

After

Look for and cultivate opportunities for organizational renewal.

Monday, April 22, 13

After

Generate support from stakeholder groups for change in an organization.

Monday, April 22, 13

After

Evaluate crisis response and adapt future responses to make improvements.

Monday, April 22, 13

Amity Island and the shark

Monday, April 22, 13

Before

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34517293@N05/4522289200/

Flickr photo by Julius Pascua

Before

Monday, April 22, 13

During

Flickr photo by erik neufurth

During

Monday, April 22, 13

After

Flickr photo by Quernus Crafts

After

Monday, April 22, 13

Marley photo by @bootsmc#dolesswrong S/O @bpmore and @carriehphillips

It all comes down to this...

Monday, April 22, 13

Questions?

tosmith@ualr.edu @marleysmom 501.324.9896Monday, April 22, 13