Speech Appendix N Appendix Crisis Communication About Appendix Today S Business Environment Not Matter Whether Crisis

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APPENDIX V

Crisis Communication

About Appendix V

In today’s business environment, it is not a matter of whether a crisis will occur; rather, it is a matter of

when one will transpire. From social media rumors to natural disasters, there is no limit to the types of

crises an organization might face. Understanding how to identify potential crisis situations and effectively

confirmed crisis facts, telling stakeholders what to do to protect themselves, and explaining what will be

done to correct the wrongdoing and prevent future crises) are identified. Understanding these

characteristics is essential for communicating effectively during a crisis. Finally, a brief discussion of

evaluation, the final step in the crisis communication process, is discussed.

The crisis communication lessons provided in this appendix can serve as a standalone unit or can

be incorporated into existing curricula. For example, a discussion of how crises are caused by unethical

decision–making can be incorporated into Chapter 1 (Ethical Dimensions of Communication) and Chapter

7 (Avoid Excessive Conformity). Many crises can be prevented by simply listening to our stakeholders

when they are upset, which fits seamlessly into Chapter 3 (Listening at Work). Additionally, during a

crisis, stakeholders express their feelings using a variety of channels—social media posts, online reviews,

phone calls, e–mails, blog posts, media interviews, etc.—considering the unique listening challenges

posed by these channels may also be incorporated into Chapter 3 (Barriers to Effective Listening).

Discussion Launchers

1. How might unethical decision–making lead to crises? Share some examples of crises that were

caused by poor decision–making. (Chapter 1)

2. Could some crises be prevented by simply listening to stakeholders? Why, or why not? (Chapter

3. What unique listening challenges are faced by the multitude of channels available for

stakeholders to provide feedback to organizations? (Chapter 3)

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4. How might our own actions—such as our old social media posts—cause crises for an

organization in which we are employed?

5. Why would a spokesperson need to use clarity and powerful language during crisis response?

What are the implications of a misunderstood statement? (Chapter 4)

6. What type of nonverbal communication is appropriate during official statements (both written and

verbal)? (Chapter 4)

7. What steps could an organizational representative take to analyze their audience, the occasion,

and themselves during a crisis? (Chapter 9)

8. What types of presentations occur following a crisis? (Chapter 12)

9. What are some examples of organizations that emerged from a crisis with a better reputation?

12. How might social media be used to help an organization monitor potential crises?

13. Identify a recent crisis that has been discussed in the media, and consider the organization’s

response. Was it effective, ineffective, or a combination? Explain.

14. What type of information would you want an organization to communicate to you about a crisis

that affects you? How fast would you expect to receive this information?

15. What are some dangers of an organization skipping the evaluation stage of crisis communication?

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Classroom Activities

1. Stages of Crisis Communication

Objective: Students will become familiar with the process for identifying potential crises (risks) based on

a variety of factors.

Procedure: Select an organization—such as your own educational institution—that students are familiar

with. Using a medium suitable for creating a 10–column list (whiteboard, Excel spreadsheet, Post–it® Big

Pads, etc.), write down the following column headings: industry, location, size, operations, personnel,

nearby facilities, social/political landscape, reputation, stakeholder expectations, and past crises. Ask

Class Discussion: After all students are seated, engage in a discussion about the potential crises that

were identified:

• How likely is it that these crises would occur? If they did occur, what would their impact be on

the organization?

• How, if at all, could the organization’s leadership prevent these crises? Are any of these crises

unpreventable? Explain.

• What are some expectations that the public (customers, employees, investors, etc.) might have for

2. Stages of Crisis Communication

Objective: Students will critique a crisis response video statement issued by an organization’s

spokesperson.

Procedure: Locate a video clip of an official crisis response statement released by an organization.

Introduce the crisis scenario to the class by providing them with relevant background information. Before

Class Discussion: After you have played the video clip, engage the students in a discussion:

• What nonverbal communication elements stood out to you?

• What verbal communication elements stood out to you?

• On a scale of 1 (mostly incompetent) to 5 (mostly competent), how competent was this

spokesperson? Why do you feel this way?

• On a scale of 1 (mostly ineffective) to 5 (mostly effective), how effective was this crisis response

3. Stages of Crisis Communication

Objective: Students will critique a crisis response statement issued by an organization.

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Procedure: Locate an official crisis response statement released by an organization. Introduce the crisis

scenario to the class by providing them with relevant background information. Provide students with a

handout of the response transcript. Ask the class to label the following strategies* used in the response:

expression of empathy, presentation of confirmed facts, information about how the public can protect

Class Discussion: After students have completed the activity, engage them in a discussion:

• How effective is this crisis response statement?

• What crisis response strategies are present in this response? Are they used effectively?

• What crisis response strategies are missing in this response? Is this void appropriate? How does

this void impact the messaging?

• Is there anything that you would change about the wording or word choice used in this response?

If so, what? If not, why not?

4. Stages of Crisis Communication

Objective: Students will apply fundamental crisis communication lessons to respond to a mock crisis.

Procedure: Create a crisis scenario. It is helpful to draw inspiration from existing crisis scenarios. A

review of news stories about the 2017 United Airlines Passenger Dragging incident could be used to

create a scenario for a mock airline. In your scenario, integrate lessons from the curriculum. As an

example, to apply this exercise to Chapter 3 (Listening), the scenario could be written to indicate that the

Class Discussion: Once each team has discussed the scenario and developed a plan of action and crisis

response statement, engage in a larger discussion comparing/contrasting each group’s approach:

• How did each group account for stakeholders’ feedback during the crisis?

• What types of information must be shared with stakeholders?

• Where/how should the crisis response statement be presented?

• What type of nonverbal communication do we need to be aware of when using such channel(s)?

• What did each group’s response message have in common? What was different?

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Additional Resources

Coombs, W. T. (2014). Ongoing crisis communication: Planning, managing, and responding (4th ed.).

Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Liberman, C. J., Rodriguez, D., & Avtgis, T. A. (2017). Casing crisis and risk communication. Dubuque,

IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

Maresh–Fuehrer, M. M. (2013). Creating organizational crisis plans. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt

Publishing.

DVD

Everett, S. (Director), Burke–Ward, R. (Director), & Mulholland, T (Writer). (2006). Challenger: The

untold story [Documentary]. UK: Pioneer Productions.

Web

Matthew Keys Live. (2013, June 21). Paula Deen’s first apology video [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDOezlc52z0

Matthew Keys Live (2013, June 21). Paula Deen’s second apology video [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu6Us7fpr00

Public Apology Central (2015, September 21). Domino’s Pizza President Patrick Doyle apologizes for

employees’ YouTube prank [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBrt6KigMI4

Ragan’s PR Daily