Generic Crisis Communication Plan for a Technology Company

 

Definition

Crises

Crises have several defining characteristic whereby; it is often connected to the concepts of stress. The term is used in suggesting negative fraught, especially a hazardous event in oriental culture. However, crises are multifaceted condition for our family, economic sector as well as society when we perform poorly (Clear & Weideman, 2012).

Minor crises

The crises involve simpler conflicts depending on the economic distress as well as the growing inequality into the society. The situation is preceded by an action of nature whereby; it triggers an extreme tension (Clear & Weideman, 2012).

Major Crisis

Major crisis is somehow a delicate situation since the impact is hazardous, especially where death is involved. It triggers an extreme tension on individuals as well as the nature. It mainly results to sudden climatic condition as well as changes on employment and financial condition (Clear & Weideman, 2012).

Communication Objectives

Various companies especially our technology company, generally uses the internet as it basic scheme of communication in crisis strategies. As part of this critique our company intend on teaching the employees on how internet for crisis management is used, as the main delivery problem. It is also important to consider various events that probably occur as a result of communication. As a crisis communication team member the objectives are: (Clear & Weideman, 2012).

• To implement accurate steps to the process
• Communicate facts about the issue
• Reduce rumors
• Maintaining orders as well as confidence

Notification of Crisis

Notification has a hidden benefit whereby; it stout crisis on the company and it is able to utilize its communication process at all crises levels, especially violence and terrorist attacks. Notification is an essential tool that provides other side benefits on internal as well as external communication.

Notification Crisis in Brief

Notification system is easily able to deliver it messages in all languages, not only in speech but also texts. Our organization truly value the tool since, is can highly save lives, time money as well as the company’s reputation remain safe. Notification tool is easy to operate especially on mobile phones, PC as well as the internet.

Communication Procedure for Handing a Minor Crisis

Minor Crisis

1. Division Communication takers a look on the company and considers preventable issues.
2. Public Relation personnel formulates probable response to various crisis notification,
3. Division Communication generates an emergency scenario whereby; information is easily uploaded in advance.
4. The team creates a statement of the types of details used following the crises, especially when the company perceives to be more vulnerable.

Major Crisis   

1. Division communication takes an immediate action by generating, a statement of expression for any victim of crisis
2. The Public Relation Department analyzes fundamental facts on the incidence plus, how and why it occurred.
3. PR also generates a timeline as to when the spokesman is to address the media, on company’s communication issues.

Emergency Operational Center Activation

EOP is a communication plan aimed at generating guidelines thus; encourage easy communication within the organization. The plan is aimed on the organization partners as well as external stakeholders, to communicate with UBC’ Point which is a tool in Emergency Management preparation. Many of these emergencies occur with warnings which pose a threat on the company. However, the company should develop preventions of unnecessary information generating on social media.  The Emergency Department must be well equipped with all technological items such as; computers, cellular phones radios as well as maps, thus ready for any kind of threat (Coombs & Holladay, 2012).

Identification of a Spokesperson

After a good illustration in the Emergency Plan, the Division Communication Manager should identify at least three staff members to act as the spokespersons. The identified spokesman should be someone who knows and understands the organization properly.  Any employee that has already been involved in the social media suits as a good spokesperson. Thereby spokesperson includes: (Newsom & Haynes, 2013).

• Division Health Manager
• General Manger
• Safety manager
• Public Relation Officer

Indentified spokesperson is aimed at gathering data on emergencies, as well as able to answer various questions from the media.

Guidelines for a Spokespeople

1. Able to ease delicate arguments in strategic talking conditions and can easily highlight the basic points to appear avoiding challenging questions.
2. Must have the access to the company’s superior administration thus understand the conditions as well as implications.
3. Should clarify all facts by releasing data arranged in statement thus; ready for interview or taping by the media.

Format for Briefing Someone Identified as Spokesperson for Interviews or News Briefing

Spokespeople should be designated with a back-up team which is aimed at filling the position when the spokes peon is not available. The spokesperson as well as back-up team does not only serve as technical experts but also as advisors on finances. However, they should easily generate favorable background whereby;

• Distance is considered from the crises commutation board.
• Location for the interviews is also necessary since, they are created by the communication team.

Rules established for the media must be followed, because media requires an escort during interviews (Newsom & Haynes, 2013).

News Release

The company establishes a genuine emergence response in the release, following policies of reliable as well as safety communication.

Circumstances that may require News Release

 

• Environmental issues such as health and possible surrounding threats that might affect the workers.
• A terrific air pollution on the organizational environment especially from within
• Information on incidents which are likely understood by employees since, it is all over the society
• Destruction incidents such as fire, accidents plus delicate injuries on workers

Writing an Initial Statement for the Release

News writers aim at gathering all facts by creating statements showing acknowledgement of its usefulness. The media ensures that the company is able to understand it importance. An example is whereby:

 

              

    “The organization creates genuine emergency responses because; it is easily able to convey messages to all the concerned stakeholders. Our organization takes priorities in major losses especially on employees and assets.”

Information Appropriate for Release

In various emergency conditions, there must be a data released for the workers as well as the media. Thereby communication department should (Griese, 2011).

• Provide facts of the entire situation
• Provide witnesses during the witness as well as how many individuals were affected
• Include all the company necessary details such as address (Newsom & Haynes, 2013).

 

 

Information that is not appropriate for Release

 The incidence consists of huge information whereby; most of it is unnecessary.

1. Do not provide media with company’s private details, it is important to be keen while giving details on the incidence because media information spreads widely.
2. Spokesperson should be genuine with the report whereby; it is unnecessary to overreact on the incident.
3. It is unnecessary to estimate the exact amount on the destroyed property because; it might lead to misunderstanding on the insurance company.

Writing a News Release

Our technology company aims at informing the citizens of an incident which, occurred and how it all happened.

• First the spokesperson should understand all purpose responses as well as assets statements. This is essential because one is easily able to get through all inquiries from the media.
• It is important to understand the; who, what, how and why because this easily a draft that is more inclusive in the statements.

Messages for the News Media during Environmental Crises

Statement that aims at helping the company communicate its environmental issues are;

1. Our company workers are highly equipped with safety tools and educated on ways to deal with any delicate situation
2. The organization ensures that all technological equipments are handled with care, by employing experts who are sure of protecting our privacy
3. We are at all time ready to track hackers since the company has all the requirements for its safety.

 

Audiences during Crisis

Company’s crisis conditions are always framed by the media thus; suggesting that the reporters are the first audiences involved. The other audiences are the internet browsers whereby, we are easily able to communicate to them vial Smartphone and emails.  A company betters its role as vibrant part of the environment by renewing its connection to the public. Workers are a major audience thereby; an organization opts to be large enough for every employee to be known by his or her name.  Clients are other important audiences whereby; the organizational information concerns them at a 100% (Newsom & Haynes, 2013).

 

How people receive information

The organization ensures that the intended audiences receive information effectively. However, effective communication depends on the awareness of various elements causing the environment climate. Each audience considers various sources in communication processes (Griese, 2011).

• Reporters majors on the security services involved, eye witnesses as well as interest on other media
• Employees main concern opts to be on their managers, their health conditions as well as news by the media
• Client being the main audiences majors on the company’s reputation, media view as well as public view.

Tools to use During Crisis

Organizational tools aids in managing all responses impacts as well as the major planning conference. It is useless for an emergency response to lack work tools especially in the time of crisis. Some main example of these tools involves; News release, media contact, map as well as communication process chart (Fink, 2013).

References

Clear, A., & Weideman, L. (2012). Dynamics of public relations and journalism: A practical guide for media studies. Lansdowne: Juta.

Coombs, W. T., & Holladay, S. J. (2012). The handbook of crisis communication. Chichester, U.K: Wiley-Blackwell.

 

 

Fink, S. (2013). Crisis communications: The definitive guide to managing the message. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.

Griese, N. (2011). How To Manage Organizational Communication During Crisis: A seminar guide and primer of best practices for public relations professionals. Tucker GA: Anvil Publishers.

Newsom, D., & Haynes, J. (2013). Public relations writing: Form & style. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.