In a three-page essay (minimum 750 words), discuss a time when you acted as a leader in a crisis. Your essay should contain the following information:Include an introduction and a description of your

MSL 5200, Crisis Communication Management 1 Cou rse Learning Outcomes for Unit I Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to: 1. Explain the fundamental stages of a crisis. 1.1 Classify the crisis stages of an event : fact -finding, unfolding drama, blame game, and resolution. 2. Assess the different types of risks and crisis situations an organizational leader must acknowledge. 2.1 Identify the steps a leader must implement during a crisis. 2.2 Discuss risks that might emerge during a crisis situation. Reading Assignment In order to access the following resources, click the links below: Jordan -Meier, J. (2012). Appearances do matter: Leadershi p in a crisis. Leader to Leader, 2012(66) , 16 –20. Retrieved from https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc t=true&db=bth&AN=79959594&site=ehost -live&scope=site Jordan -Meier, J. (2011). Crisis management. Leadership Excellence Essentials , 28 (8). Retrieved from https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://libraryresources.columbia southern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=64439173& site=ehost -live&scope=site Jordan -Me ier, J. (2012). Straight talk Is best strategy for dealing with bad news. MWorld, 10 (4), 38 –40. Retrieved from https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://libraryresources.columbia southern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct= true&db=bth&AN=70110439& site=ehost -live&scope=site Simpson, L. (2011). From Columbine To Norway: Planning for today's active shooter events. Continuity Insights, 9 (7), 4 –8. Retrieved from https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&ur l=https://libraryresources.columbia southern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=66584032& site=ehost -live&scope=site Fitzsimmons, K., Pirro, J., & W yrwas, M. (2001) (2001). Crisis communicati ons. Strategic Investor Relations , 12 –17. Retrieved from https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p =ITOF&sw=w&u=oran95108&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA92614341&asid=442998835caaf4b4c35210 3d50d88ddf UNIT I STUDY GUIDE Introduction to Crisis Communications MSL 5200, Crisis Communication Management 2 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title Unit Lesson One of the definitive tests of effective leaders is not so much how they do in calm conditions but, rather, how they lead in a crisis. This course will explore crisis management’s related field of crisis communications. By building our crisis communication skills, we are not f ar from managing the crisis; in fact, a crisis communicator may be the decisive leader who gets a crisis under control. Communication is the lubricant of the social mechanism of leadership. It is through communicating that we work out the dynamics of under standing, agreeing or disagreeing, following, leading, and deciding. The term crisis involves a range of elements for those who confront or specialize in crises. For this course, we will describe a crisis as a significant moment in which normal living a nd routines are disrupted by change (Fitzsimmons, Pirro, & W yrwas, 2001).

The moment can be instantaneous or months long. The change triggering a crisis does not mean we won the lottery; the change here means it caused a disruption. A crisis may be a sudde n tragedy (e.g., the death of a key leader) or a change in conditions or customers’ desires that reduces a firm’s market share. Crisis communication is the leadership - based flow of communication from the organization to stakeholders, the public, media, an d others in times of crisis. The environment can be complex, so organizations or several identifiable groups may be present in the overarching environment of the organization . Do you believe crises communications are simply sharing with audiences ? Ideally , these cris es communications are reflective of the organization’s values and are deliberately crafted to be effective (W yrwas et al., 2001). Communication protects our leadership; surely, we must effectively communicate during crises. Those who care what we do expect it from us. Are crisis’s communications really just communicating to audiences during a significant event, or could anyone with some situational awareness and sense accomplish it on the spot? Judge for yourself after reviewing the vignettes below. Crises and the Effect of Crisis Communications In 1990, America was not focused on Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and the Middle East. Most at tention was turned to Central and Eastern Europe and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact. The concern was what the Soviet Union might do about such reversals in political fortune. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait was a surprise, but then - President George H. W. Bush had a response ready — the buildup of coalition forces for the First Gulf W ar, which was code -named Operation Desert Shield and was later referred to as Desert Storm. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III speaks with Airmen during a base visit at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Welsh met with Airmen to thank them for their service and discuss t he sacrifices and challenges experienced while deployed. (Atkins, 2012) MSL 5200, Crisis Communication Management 3 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title The late U.S. Ge neral Norman Schwarzkopf assumed command of a coalition of thousands of soldiers, who were mostly American but came from many different nations, which required a sophisticated and supportive leader. Aware that the campaign would not be a short one and unde rstanding the need for timely and globally -aimed communications, Schwarzkopf invested much time into meeting heads of state and distinguished visitors, reporting to U.S.

political leaders, and conducting numerous press briefings. During these interviews, which were transmitted live on a global scale by the media (still somewhat new in 1991), Schwarzkopf was consistently poised and confident. W hat a contrast to the Vietnam War, which was still strong in the public’s memory. Generals and spokesmen had earned reputations, perhaps unfairly, of stumbling through press conferences, prevaricating, or asserting standpoints that seemed to have little basis in fact. Also, the Cold War, soon to end, had been a grim business. For years, the Uni ted States had been under the strain of keeping a watch on the free world’s castle walls, and many Americans wondered if the United States could always keep the world safe. As a spinoff of that, because the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) had as sisted the Iraqi Army, the United States took the Iraqi enemy to be far more powerful than they actually were. Coalition forces expected to sustain tens of thousands of casualties. During a key interview, a journalist asked Schwarzkopf about the expected success of the Iraqi defense. In response, Schwarzkopf, who had been serious up to that point, let out a chuckle that caused the journalists to erupt in guffaws of laughter. Schwarzkopf explained his assessments in a professional tone, but he was in comman d of that conference and not because of all of the stars on his uniform. Much of the aura of coalition victory was shaped by the image and reality of its commander and de facto free world representative, General Schwarzkopf. The 2014 –2015 National Footbal l League (NFL) season saw the New England Patriots football team, which was bound for the 2015 Super Bowl, in a thrilling string of conference and league victories but, at the same time, in a crisis of some note. The Patriots organization in general, and q uarterback Tom Brady in particular, were accused of deflating footballs, despite referee and league official safeguards. The purpose of deflating a football was to gain an unfair gripping and flight advantage. The more loyal a Patriots fan was, the angrier he or she seemed to be over the issue that would not fade fast enough. Someone coined the phrase Deflategate in reference to President Nixon’s 1972 Watergate scandal. The reference just made Patriots fans more frustrated. During the scandal, Patriots co ach Bill Belichick gave a briefing where he made a sincere effort to address the controversy. Quarterback Tom Brady was not so forthcoming. He dismissed the accusations and tried to diminish the importance of the issue by making a crude sexual joke. Brady’ s public communication hardly improved the Patriots’ reputation of being a classless and/or dishonest organization. In the eyes of ardent Patriots fans, Brady was railroaded with this accusation and the findings; in the eyes of much of the public, not all with an even -minded outlook on the Patriots team, Brady brought discredit on himself, his team, and the NFL. Did Bra dy fail in crisis communication? W hat other approaches could he have tried? Charles Freeman, U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, converses with Chairman of the J oint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Colin Powell and Gen. Norman H. Schwarzkopf. The men are taking part in a meeting regarding the allied military coalition during Operation Desert Shield . By Lietmotiv , is licensed under CC BY 2.0 (Lietmotiv, 2008) MSL 5200, Crisis Communication Management 4 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title Incident Commander and the Emergency Law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical responders, and others mitigate and lead recovery from disasters or emergencies. By agreement nationwide (encouraged also by federal funding), responders follow the Incid ent Command System (ICS). They take courses and participate in exercises to gain experience in serving with a specialized emergency response asset, on staff, or eventually to be the incident commander of a variety of units (National Park Service [NPS], n.d .). If the response organization is big enough (and it can be as small as two deputies who are the first to arrive when someone calls 911), the command section includes an information officer. This information officer, who has ideally but not necessarily risen from the ranks of one type of responder, is motivated to establish rapport and communicate with the media, situational stakeholders, and the public. Courses, exercises, and other experiences help the information officer to gain confidence to decide what is urgent or otherwise important in communications, including crisis communications and what efforts and techniques will or will not work. Most information officers focus on their own readiness for emergencies, including no -notice emergencies that woul d involve them or their incident commander engaging in crisis communications. They inherit standing crisis communication plans and standing procedures from their predecessor or start their own. Finally, gradual participation in real crises, perhaps as an a ssistant information officer, joins their expertise with experience. Opportunities to gain experience always come. For example, the continental United States (and , on occasion, Alaska) experiences sudden and menacing wildfires. Often, these fires threaten public or residential structures. In California and Arizona, among other states, many people have lost their homes to wildfires despite the best attempts to save them. The National Fire Protection Service (n.d.) reports that 2015 was the worst year in a decade for wildfires with over 2,600 homes destroyed. In Arizona’s Yarnell Hill fire of 2013, a sudden reversal of fire direction caused the deaths of 19 firefighters. Does prior planning help a crisis communicator? What abilities are needed when the unexp ected occurs? What must an information officer consider? Potential or ongoing audiences for crisis communications can include the following parties:  customers;  media, which is general or specialized in the area, such as business or travel journalists;  other stakeholders, such as vendors, neighbor residents, and adjacent city governments;  peer or competitor organizations;  the organization’s remaining leadership (i.e., not everyone may have perceived the crisis unfolding at once);  the organization’s perso nnel; and  the public at large. The Emergency Operations Center is staffed during a disaster like Hurricane Sandy by personnel who are expert s in a variety of public health and regulatory areas. They work with incident management teams in the field to monitor the impact of the storm and help shape the agency’s response. (Ermarth, 2012) MSL 5200, Crisis Communication Management 5 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title As shown above, the audiences for crisis communications can include small groups of people or virtually anybody. Because of today’s connectivity, anyone in the world can see posted news and reports about your organization an d your communications, and anyone can offer an opinion about your situation through various outlets. It is now normal for a firm to suffer a deep stock price drop one day and have bloggers in Asia analyzing the reasons for the event overnight. We will dis cuss crisis communications planning and execution in upcoming units. For this unit, we will close with one final issue: how crises unfold. Jordan -Meier (2012) provides four stages of how media reports crises:  Fact -finding : This entails news reporting as t he event unfolds and is focused on facts and observations of events. Currently, this reporting can happen in a matter of minutes!  Unfolding drama : In this stage, fact reporting is accomplished, and the media focus shifts to the event’s impact on people (wh o could be victims), what response is underway, and who is leading the response effort.  Blame game : During this stage, opinions on the event are formulated, posted, and debated, including who is responsible for what happened.  Resolution : With the event’s c onclusion, dialogue shifts to exploring lessons learned and reaching a new understanding regarding who tends to do what to precipitate similar crises. Jordan -Meier’s (2012) crisis analysis is useful because it describes the social dynamic of how people an d organizations interact when sudden and dramatic events occur. The media is actually not on center stage in this four -stage model. The media is performing its core function of reporting, but the effect of the reporting links the organization involved with the public. When that takes place, reputations are made or undone. As organizational leaders often say to conclude a briefing or similar phase of ideas exchange —more to follow. References Atkins, K. (2012 ). Senior leader visit [Image] . Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/usairforce/16159339115/in/photolist -qBWQx6 -rxdwpy -kUwzzg -pbAcL1 - rhVvYW -5pdVi1 -iLS9xs -bepPnP -dNLpx6 -6iSos2 -8S8HJu -cwfqLY -c3J83A -c3GTDf -7ju4Wc -6tu55J - cvGfM5 -6zdu3s -94iGZq -bjMmCs -dyAtqL -bBoEcC -rskYLT -qE11 Uw -ehETYu -eh4y1B -oKopif - Ermarth, M. (201 2). Hurricane Sandy, FDA's Emergency Operations Center [Photograph] . Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/fdaphotos/8145999931/in/photolist -dpQnYF -mCKynZ -bDVYsb - 8YW7TT -pSDKkz -accSM s-dwqhZz -dBJUbF -9ss3JY -f6j3ZW -nUSt1W -cSmEPu -9XCXfp -dcfXwR - 9tg1gw -HfsvfJ -a7DSo7 -9oS7Lf -fjmuoE -p3Xxaa -oVQrZt -bvpKK3 -pSDhRn -bNidDt -pA99CX -6BopUG - 9qB37K -oV Fitzsimmons, K., & Pirro, J., & W yrwas, M. (2001). Crisis communications. Strategic Investor Relations , 12 - 17. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=oran95108&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA92614341 &asid=442998835caaf4b4c352103d50d88ddf Jordan -Meier, J. (2012). Appearances do matter: Lead ership in a crisis. Leader to Leader, 2012 (66), 16 -20. Retrieved from https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc t=true&db=bth&AN=79959594&site=ehost -live&scope=site Lietmotiv. (2008 ). Operation Desert Storm [Photograph] . Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/edoug/2965271555/in/photolist -dGQtqs -iuciYf -iubTRL -5w2MAT - 5w2MMp -cbAQxs -5w78tQ -5w2MVD -5w78bd -5w2N9g -dHNdox -5w2MjD -5w2MDH -5w2MGv - 5w2MUZ -5w78os -5w78jQ -5w78mW -5w2MBK -5w78kw -dJbXca -dHNdhV -5w2MEZ -tpH7wK National Fire Protection Association. (n.d.). Outdoor fires. Retrieved from http://www.nfpa.org/news -and - research/fire -statistics -and -reports/fire -statistics/outdoor -fires National Park Service. (n.d.). Incident Command System (ICS). Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/fire/wildland -fire/learning -center/fire -in-depth/incident -command -system.cfm