Nov
10
Crisis Preparation
November 10, 2008 | Tagged Auburn, crisis, student | Leave a Comment
Crises can happen to anyone or any kind of organization. Whether you are working at agencies, big corporations, non-profit organizations or working with politics, there is always something that can go wrong. According to Murpheys Law, if something bad happens, everything can go wrong. Firms need to think and plan for the worst-case scenarios.
I was driving with my boyfriend when he started to talk about how bad work was getting. He stated that his boss was making threats about his job. I went into a whole spill about all the bad that could happen. “Well if you get fired then you are basically screwed. Your car is not working and if you get fired, no car dealership is going to finance you for a car. You will also not be able to find a job since you have no way to get there.” As soon as I stated my case he said, “Do you have to be so negative all the time.” I then went on to say, “Hey, I am a public relations major, we are trained to think the worst.” Even though this was kind of laughed off as a joke, it is so true.
Being a public relations practitioner, no matter what the situation you are in, you have to think about the worst possible thing that could happen. By thinking of the worst-case scenario, you can prepare for what could possibly be coming. So, it is not the fact the all public relations practitioners are negative, it is just that we like to be prepared.
There are so many examples, both good and bad, that have been major crises for companies. In 1982, the Tylenol crisis was huge. Several people died after taking Extra-Strength Tylenol medicine capsules which were laced with cyanide. Tylenol acted very smart by recalling their products. They eventually created stronger guidelines for the packaging of over the counter medicines. Even though this was a horrible crisis that Tylenol had to deal with, it ended very well. Today, not many people remember this crisis at all.
Another example of a crisis in an organization involves HealthSouth. Richard Scrushy, the CEO, was accused of directing his employees to falsely report on the earnings that were being made in order to meet stockholder expectations. Scrushy was fired and changes were made within the organization. The company was able to avoid a Chapter 11 bankruptcy and, it seems, is out of the danger zone.
In dealing with crises, you need to take responsibility if your company is at fault. You need to be honest. Also, it is important that you never say “no comment”. Many times when this is said, it makes you look guiltier, whether you are or not.
To be a successful organization, you need to have a crisis management plan ready to go. As a public relations practitioner, you need to prepare your company for the worst thing that could possibly happen. In doing this, you will be wasting no time if and when that crisis arrives.