24 April 2012

Showing Leadership in a Crisis: Blood on the Floor or Name Adored?

Webinar by Jane Jordan-Meier

Jane Jordan-Meier

• President of Jane Jordan & Associates, boutique consultancy specializing in high-stakes communication – coached 0000’s of senior execs

• Author of “The Four Highly Effective Stages of Crisis Management: How to Manage the Media in a Crisis” (May, 2011) – to rave reviews

• Pioneered four-stage methodology for crisis management adopted in Australia, New Zealand and North America

• Pioneered mentoring program for SF IABC Chapter

• 20 years plus experience in issues and crisis management incl. Sydney Olympic Games

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Agenda

Part 1: Presentation

Setting the Scene

- What is a Crisis?

What makes an effective leader during a crisis?

- Characteristics, Case studies

Role of Corporate Communicators in a crisis

Part 2: Q & A

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What is a Crisis?

• A show-stopping, people-stopping, product- stopping, country-stopping event

• Media spotlight is firmly on you, your brand, your response

– Significant business interruption

– Single moment in time

ALL crises have TRIGGERING events

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Why Crisis Management has Changed Forever

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Crises are Defining Moments 6

Question

What are the essential characteristics

of crisis leaders?

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Crisis Leadership: Core Competencies

Leaders fall into

three types:

1. Strategic

Thinkers

2. Tactical Planners

3. Operational

Doers

Source: CDC 2009

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Connectivity Situational Awareness

Decisiveness

Credibility Emotional Effectiveness

Courage and Perseverance

Integrative Thinking

Team Leadership

Communication

Crisis

Leadership

Competency

Model

Essential Characteristics

• Truly authentic – unwavering honesty

• Credibility is CRITICAL (nanosecond)

• High level of Integrity – comes from “inside”

• Sensitivity – demonstrates compassion, yet impassive to drama & excitement

• Steadiness – rock hard concentration, decisiveness

• Stamina – must accommodate fatigue & retain responsive edge

• Superior Communication Skills

• Strategic and detailed

• Vision and Courage

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Why some Leaders Shine and Others Fail

• Unconditional honesty from start

“The number of casualties,” he

said, “will be more than any of us can bear ultimately.”

• Excellent communication skills

• Appropriate mix of shared loss and consuming anger, Churchillian-like

• Obfuscation "The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean,"

he was quoted as saying by Daily Mail. "The volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume.“

• Blame game "This was not our accident … This was

not our drilling rig ... This was Transocean's rig. Their systems. Their people. Their

equipment."

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Understand & “fall in love” with We

“… our best efforts failed and we are deeply sorry. This is the

toughest situation we have faced in 100 years as a company. We know

this has shaken your confidence in us; I commit to you that our actions

are guided by putting your interests first”(Maple Leaf Foods, 2008).

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“We” takes us into hearts of audience

“We are Queenslanders, she said. We’re the people they breed tough of the

border. We’re the ones that they knockdown and we get up again. It might be breaking our hearts, but it will not break our will.” Anna Bligh, Premier,

Queensland, Australia, 2010

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Impressions Matter: Your Values on Display

“most humble day of my life” Rupert Murdoch, July 19, 2011

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Values are on Display: Does leader support them?

• "Tragically, our products have been linked to illness and loss of life. To those people who are ill, and to the families who have lost loved ones, I offer my deepest and sincerest sympathies.“ Michael McCain, CEO

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"We’re sorry for the massive disruption it’s

caused their lives. There’s no one who

wants this over more than I do. I would

like my life back." Tony Hayward, BP

What can Corp. Comms do?

• Know the end game

• Be courageous

• Pick the panic to stay one step ahead

• Build dollars in trust bank

• Train, test and validate key spokespeople

• Encourage training of front-line leaders

• Advocate one voice, many people

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Crisis Management Ten Commandments

1. You shall always have a crisis plan and keep it handy. 2. You shall tell it all, tell it fast and tell it honestly. 3. You shall stare the devil down and be brave. 4. You shall love the media, new and old and embrace them. 5. You shall communicate widely, consistently and be action-based. 6. You shall have a crisis management team. 7. You shall practice and train and you shall like it. 8. You shall have trained spokespersons, including the front-line,

and use them consistently. One voice, many people. 9. You shall refuse temptation to blame, speculate and muddy the

waters. 10. You shall demonstrate compassion.

Adapted from Evan Bloom, MD of Crisis Communications Consultancy

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Final Thoughts

“What happens in Vegas stays on Google” Scott Monty, social media guru, Ford Motor Co

“Internet is written in ink not

pencil” Mark Zuckerberg’s girlfriend in movie “The Social Network”

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Jane Jordan-Meier

www.crisismanagementbook.com

@janejordanmeier (Twitter)

jane@janejordan.net

“The Four Highly Effective Stages of Crisis Management: How to Manage the Media in the Digital Age” published by CRC Press, May 2011 USA: +1-707-386-9864

Australia: + 614-14 645 507

Thank You! Do connect.

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