Develop a crisis communications plan for your stakeholders, including a social media policy. The plan should include ideas you have offered in essays and assignments you have already submitted in this

MSL 5200, Crisis Communication Management 1 Cou rse Learning Outcomes for Unit VII Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to: 8. Develop a communication plan for a crisis situation that fosters employee morale. 8.1 Develop a crisis communication plan for your stakeholders. Reading Assignment To access the following resources, click the links below: In her article, Garavatti supports planning as the critical step in crisis communications to ensure more efficient communications. Garavatti , K. (2016). A practical guide to emergency communication. People and Strategy , 39 (1), 39 –41. 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=112590904 &site=ehost -live&scope=site Kinder shares steps to crisis com munication preparation and execution by identifying how time and effort can result in effective communications. Kinder, P. (2012). Worst -case scenario. Utah Business, 26 (3), 43 –47. Retrieved from https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=C AS&url=https://libraryresources.columbia southern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bwh&AN=79934066 &site=ehost -live&scope=site Marszalek identifies the importance of relying on information and cooperation from various enti ties in obtaining information and establishing an open line of communication. Marszalek, D. (2016). Obstruction of journalism. Broadcasting and Cable, 146 (32), 8 –11. Retrieved from https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc t=true&db=bth&AN=118191334&site=ehost -live&scope=site Whitt describes how a crisis communications program can be established to prepare for efficient and confident decision -making skills in the wake of a crisis. Whitt, M. (2014). Building a proactive crisis comm unication s program. University Business, 17 (11). Retrieved from https://libraryresource s.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://libraryresources.columbia southern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=101099377 &site=ehost -live&scope=site UNIT VII STUDY GUIDE The Crisis Communications Plan MSL 5200, Crisis Communication Management 2 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title Unit Lesson Having gained some apprecia tion for crises and crisis communications, an organizational leader can research, draft, coordinate, and get executive approval to publish a crisis communications plan. A spokesperson is usually a part of the organizational staff; this person, along with o ther conscientious people on the organization’s staff, is usually an organizational leader as well. As staff leaders, they shoulder assigned responsibilities to support and assist their executives and use their leadership skills to resolve issues while alw ays bearing in mind what it is like working in the subordinate operational sections. Accordingly, good staff members working as a team should be able to assist a spokesperson in drafting the concept for a crisis communications plan; conducting research to find out answers that go into the plan; making good suggestions when the draft circulates for comments; and preparing to act in accordance with the approved, final version of the plan. This productive work can only happen after the spokesperson/crisis comm unications planner begins. Good plans still begin with a sharpened pencil and a blank sheet of paper (or favorite electronic equivalent). Developing the Draft Crisis Communications Plan This unit will look at components of a written plan, including suggestions to go out of the office and research or coordinate parts of the plan. An active, engaged, and situationally aware spokesperson is the hallmark of a good staff leader. When drafting the plan, he or she must know the formats for organizational documents and how executives will accept the library of documents that make up the plan. Purpose and Scope Most documents will have a title page and then introduce the topic with “purpose” and “scope” paragraphs, briefly stating what the crisis communications plan will guide users to do and specifying the individuals, departments, or groups within the organization to which the plan applies. Situations and Assumptions This section will describ e the expected settings for a crisis and the likely threats to the organization. Not everybody or everything labeled as a threat is malevolent — in fact, executives may not allow the word to be used in this plan —but, in this context, the term applies to an e ntity that has caused a crisis for the organization. This section and the initial phase of planning both require research. The spokesperson’s research will seek to answer the following questions: What might happen? W hat is most likely to happen? Likely, t hreats may be human - or nature -generated . They may be floods near an organization’s physical structures or living areas; major storms, such as earthquakes, in certain earthquake -prone areas; severe heat waves; or cold snaps. Electrical power, water lines, or natural gas delivery may fail at the organization’s facilities. W hat the organization provides as a business or service may be flawed or interrupted; what the organization may aim to prevent may happen anyway. A crime or fraud may be perpetrated against the organization or its members or other stakeholders. An active shooter may intrude onto the organization’s grounds. A disgruntled terminated employee may have to be escorted out. A columnist may write an article that is critical of the organization. A w histleblower may accuse the organization of something (and he or she may be right). A political candidate may publicly attack the organization. Activists may protest the organization or its industry. A community may stop acting as a willing stakeholder and end, or threaten to end, for example, favorable terms for a license or taxes. An accident may cause harm or death to someone or inadvertent pollution of the environment. Sales, revenue, or the stock market may suddenly dive. The federal or state FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg visits the Emergency Operations Center at the agency’s headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland , where experts are monitoring, assessing, and responding to the impact of Hurricane Sandy on facilities and products. (Ermarth, 2012) MSL 5200, Crisis Communication Management 3 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title governmen t may pass new legislation that is inconvenient for the organization. The executive or other top management may be caught in a scandal. The organization may merge with another, or split into two, causing disruption of routines and working relationships amo ng its members. The Situations and Assumptions section of the plan will list and describe the selected threats, explain the expected situation of a breaking crisis, and give the assumptions that have to be made to frame the situations. The described situations will all ha ve the characteristic of something suddenly having happened that triggers the crisis. Assumptions may include how news and social media may be addressing the crisis, what resources can be counted on, and what organizational leaders will be present or acces sible to approve messages. Audiences To know the audiences expected to listen, watch, or read the planner’s organizational communications is to know about the organization and its stakeholders. A planner will need to remember that stakeholders are organiz ational members on the payroll, but they can also be present contractors and people who are important to, or in the proximity of, organizational centers. A thorough communications outlook considers both external and internal audiences; internal ones someti mes get overlooked, but one part of taking care of your employees is keeping them informed in times of crisis. Stakeholders include neighbor residents, suppliers, customers, stockholders, and possibly a trade association chapter of a local chamber of comme rce. In a more overarching sense, stakeholders, or at least the listening public, may be everyone who can hear news about your organization and your crisis communications. The Crisis Communications Decision Process A crisis communications plan adds value to organizational planning. It can be studied before it is needed and used as a quick guide when a crisis is at hand and users are pressed for time. Useful process descriptions include what executives and staff members will assemble as a crisis team, when and where message drafts will be presented for approval, and how results will be assessed and feedback returned to the decision team for further decisions and guidance. If unforeseen circumstances make a set process hard to follow, who can authorize a cha nge? Who has authority to approve messages if a leader is involved in the crisis and cannot approve them? Key Communication s Strategies A key strategy is to present the facts as they are known early in the crisis. To be fast and first, if possible, counts. Earlier, we discussed how information can flow around the world within minutes. Organizational leaders have only minutes to decide courses of action and approve messages because hiding behind organizational walls in fear and uncertainty invites doom. Other strategies include showing optimism and/or empathy for others. An apology does not necessarily confirm guilt in a public forum; instead, expressing sincere concern contributes to the buildin g of goodwill, even in the face of damage and injury. An offer of help may be extended as a strategy. In the case of an intruding active shooter, emergency instructions to follow may be communicated. A description of what the organization is doing or will continue to do in the face of a crisis is a final strategy that shows readiness to act, a commitment of resources, and the attributes of a good corporate neighbor. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson met with federal, state, and local officials in South Carolina and viewed ongoing response and recovery efforts in areas affected by severe flooding. (Bahler, 201 5) MSL 5200, Crisis Communication Management 4 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title Responsibilities As coordinated with the staff and subordinate organizational divisions (and with the plan amended or overridden by the executive leadership), this section of the crisis communications plan articulates who is the proponent for what function. Perhaps the communications supply section will supply handheld radios, the security section will request law enforcement assistance, the IT office will restore connectivity in a certain priority of work, and the engineers will start backup power generators, or leaders will get the word to let most people go home if work cannot be comfortably performed at the office.

Some of these suggestions should be a part of a crisis response plan but will also support a crisis communications plan by helping with communications deve lopment and implementation. Technical offices may be responsible for providing ad vice and expertise concerning certain technical aspects of a crisis or crisis response, which will assist in the development of sensible messages. Evaluation and Feedback On ce crisis communications have begun, the organization’s spokespeople will want to “stay in touch” with the situation by learning how well their messages are being received. Are any messages contradictory? Did a government assistance agency move the locatio n where water bottles are being distributed? Was the message too complicated and/or contain professional jargon or acronyms that the public did not understand?

Are the presented facts now inaccurate because new information has emerged? Did the message make the organizational leaders look detached and above the public? Did the expressed concerns seem insincere?

Organizational staffs can seek feedback by planning a system for interviewing a sample of the population, e - mailing surveys, collaborating with journ alists or government officials, or gathering suggestions from the organizational crisis leadership team. Social Media Guidelines Social media is not mainstream media, and its unique evolution requires actions to match its characteristics and potential attributes (see Unit VI). Certainly, a crisis communications plan is on a good footing if the organization is already engaged in soci al media, with accounts or websites already opened, designed as desired, monitored, and kept current. Then, upon leaders’ approval, communications in a crisis could be a matter of posting a special announcement with instructions and perhaps an estimate of when the next update will be posted. Some social media can accept posted videos, photos, and links, but spokespeople need to confirm that the links go where intended. Again, as with mainstream media, speed in terms of minutes is the key. Followers have no problem posting what they think of the crisis on your page within minutes! Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Surge Capacity Force member s Kathy Cruso (center ) and Kirk Hunt (right ) speak with Bill Knoop while canvasing Almond Street in Staten Island, N ew York on Dec ember 8, 2012, looking for residents affected by Hurricane Sandy who might not have registered for assistance. (Kleponis, 201 2) MSL 5200, Crisis Communication Management 5 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title Annexes or Appendices Not everything a crisis communications planner wants to include in the plan b elongs in the main plan. Planners are often tempted to include all available information pertaining to the plan’s topic, and the unknown factor of a contingency plan tends to make a planner want to hedge bets by making it all -inclusive. Details are importa nt, but providing more details than an organizational leader or staff leader can grasp indicates that some belong in annexes or appendices, consolidated by subject. An example of a useful annex to a crisis communications plan is a list of contact numbers a nd e -mail addresses of organizational leaders and staff. When this information changes, the whole plan does not have to be revised, but perhaps just this annex has to be republished. Maintaining the Crisis Communications Plan After executive approval, th e spokespersons and/or crisis communication planners deserve a celebration dinner! And afterward, the planning cycle continues. Continued work in the organization may reveal the need for changes in the planned approval processes or sample message drafts. L eaders may make new decisions, including hiring new leaders from outside of the organization who may have new or different outlooks on crises. Experience gained in public communications and mainstream or social media may indicate the need for plan changes. Sometimes, watching what another organization does is instructive as to what to do in a crisis or what not to do. New annexes or appendices may be needed. The plan proponents, which we have assumed are crisis communications planners or spokespeople, shou ld know when it is time to revise the plan, re -staff it throughout the organization, and present a revision for executive approval. If events have not driven a need for revision, the organization should have an administrative rule requiring a revision afte r one year or so. Time rarely leaves a contingency plan alone; sooner or later, a spokesperson can expect to revise it. In some areas, spokespeople may be fortunate enough to join a working group of spokespeople, which can be a mixture of government, nong overnmental organizations (NGOs), and business organizations who meet to discuss contingencies and historical or suggested responses. The information shared may help everyone, adding efficiency to the crisis communications processes in a community or regio n. Organizations’ plans or plan excerpts may even be shared among member organizations. Courses in communications and public speaking may be offered, and if funding can support a spokesperson to attend, the advantages gained from more training may one day prove key in the success of the organization. Crisis communications planning and operations may seem daunting to a new staff leader, but crisis communications are, in general, simply a matter of people speaking to other people. References Bahler, B. (2014). Secretary Johnson travels to South Carolina [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/dhsgov/22115375526/in/photolist -dqqcN6 -dqCK95 -dqpZU3 -pQYmB2 - duwPri -qpokrs -dqCaY3 -dqxzip -oUaSZn -dpQwwG -dpQngv -dqqcPz -qasH3T -dqxAzw -niSkDB - duUpRu -dqxAsE -qrAPzG -dpQnvt -dqjtJt -fDEWZM -pvRhMm -nPsToH -fDEWT4 -aircuw -dqjtDe - nMosS6 -pR3y Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Deputy Administrator of Federal Emergency Ma nagement Agency Joseph Nimmich meet with state and local officials and observe response and recovery efforts in areas of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, affected by severe flooding on August 18, 2016 . (Bahler, 2016) MSL 5200, Crisis Communication Management 6 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title Bahler, B. (2016). Secretary Johnson's visit to the Baton Rouge area [Photograph ]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/dhsgov/29287919926/in/photolist -N9r7y7 -NjJGNP -N13q4K -MurbF1 - LZ2cM5 -MurbgU -MTsGRC -Murb2W -Mryhew -r6xsZZ -rR3PkV -rkGK8f -rkGA1h -r6r4Wh -rnSvop - rnZAx2 -qr12QW -rkGJp1 -r6r1cJ -qr1bZs -qrhKwZ -rnWNDt -rnYunL -LF3QVk -KJbHGV -LC5geh - KJbEw6 -LC5f Ermarth, M. (2012). Hurricane Sandy, FDA's Emergency Operations Center [Photograph ]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/fdaphotos/8145997543/in/photolist -dqC2zF -dqC2DV -dpusFk -drwZt7 - dqEzhT -pywhLY -dAKGz4 -dqCFq3 -dqC2TT -dq C2tz -dvwJFv -dqCaCW -dr1ey3 -dpQnYF -qbhxsU - dVYdP4 -dqpTyG -dqpS9F -drwZxq -dqqcN6 -dW4NU5 -dqpZU3 -dqCK95 -pQYmB2 -duwPri -dVYeJX - dqCaY3 -dq Kleponis, C. (2012). 121208 -H-CY134 -006 [Photograph ]. 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