Crisis Management at Home and Abroad

Transcription

1 Crisis Management at Home and Abroad Brad A. Goldberg, CMP, TriGold Consulting, LLC Learner Outcomes: Identify important elements of a good crisis management plan Incorporate helpful risk management tools to have at your disposal Consider additional elements and resources for your plan when involved with an event abroad 1

2 Disclaimer The handouts, visuals, and presentation are provided with the understanding that the presenter and sponsoring organization are not engaged in rendering legal or professional services through the distribution of the materials nor the presentation. If expert assistance is required, the services of a professional should be contracted. Notable Quotables A Crisis Management Plan Is Like An Insurance Plan- You hope you never have to use it, but if you do, you want the plan to be the best plan possible! Anonymous Accidents happen, mistakes occur, crises strike when you least expect; nothing's going to change that, but what meeting planners and suppliers can change is how they deal with bad things that are a threat - Unknown 2

3 Up Front You can not always stop a crisis You can plan for the consequence You can not be reactive to every issue You can be proactive to limit the consequences Definitions Risk: The potential harm that may arise from some present or future event Risk Management: The process of analyzing exposure to risk and determining how to best handle such exposure Crisis Planning: The process of predicting issues or events that may impact a future event Contingency Planning: Approach seeking to anticipate future events that are not expected to occur but are possible Consequence: something produced by a cause or necessarily following from a set of conditions 3

4 Quick Refresher: What Defines Crisis Situations? Crisis situations are novel, unstructured and outside of an organization s or individual s typical operating framework Crises require non-programmed decision responses Crises are highly uncertain, complex situations Crises are characterized by an overload of incomplete, conflicting information Source: Reilly, A.H Preparing for the Worst: The Process of Effective Crisis Management. Industrial and Environmental Quarterly. Vol. 7, No. 2. Page 118. Three Rules of a Crisis Rule 1: Get accurate information Best bet: Primary sources If no primary sources: Use government sources Rule 2: Provide that information to the right people Decision makers: DO NOT EXCLUDE VENUES Attendees: Their input may make the decision for you Rule 3: Provide it at the right time 4

5 Characteristics of Ineffective Decision Making in a Crisis A shortened time span, with attention focused on the immediate Potentially ignoring long-range consequences Premature decision-making or procrastination to wait for certainty Failure to keep an open mind Natural tendency to react emotionally, thus ignoring rational decision making Principles of Effective Crisis Leadership Timely and accurate information is the key to managing a crisis Rapid response is essential, but media pressure must not force or delay decisions Crisis management requires a team approach A major crisis will have a profound and long-term impact on our industry People come first 5

6 Who Is Impacted by the Crisis? Attendees Venue/Vendors Planners Clients Four Key Areas of Contingency Planning Natural (weather, disasters) Accidental (medical or health-related) Technology (power, water) Human Frailty (crime, strikes, rude speaker) 6

7 Natural Types Weather Disasters Characteristics Not always unexpected Requires both deliberate and crisis planning Accidental Types Medical Combination Characteristics Usually unexpected Requires crisis planning 7

8 Technology Types Power Disasters Characteristics Over-reliance Requires both deliberate and crisis planning Human Frailty Types Internal (alcohol) External (crime) Characteristics Easiest to plan/train for Mostly focuses on crisis planning 8

9 Two Types of Planning Deliberate Conducted principally prior to a meeting, is accomplished in prescribed cycles that complement other facets of the meeting planning process Uses known information to formulate responses and methods to address potential scenarios Is the basis for the Contingency Plan associated with any meeting or event Crisis Conduct in a time-sensitive environment usually immediately preceding or during the meeting or event Uses circumstances that exist at the time to respond or formulate responses to a crisis Requires an immediate decision making process be implemented KEY TO BOTH - COMMUNICATION Communication Basics Language Audience Location Technology Available Limited Completely Out Adaptability Number of recipients Crisis mode 9

10 Final Points Building a contingency plan is not going to be the silver bullet Training is not just important, it s the difference between professional and amateur 1 day once a month = big dividends Be realistic and be practical Use your resources BUT remember, every meeting is different Blogs, websites, professional consultants Case Study 10

11 Practical Exercise What I hope you understand Understand the constant tension between convenience and risk Deliberate planning will always enable you to handle crisis action planning Appreciate the value of information When in doubt, communicate 11

12 Thank you for participating! Please complete your session evaluation online! Did you scan your badge? This is for CEU credits and also helps PCMA develop education for YOU! Crisis Management at Home and Abroad Presenter: Brad A. Goldberg, TriGold Consulting, LLC 12