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Saturday, April 08, 2006

Running a business without a crisis management plan is like running with scissors.

I had the great honor to be a guest lecturer last week at the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication at Washington State University. Professors and students alike were most intrigued by the topic that I like the most too, crisis management.

The experience of working with such welcoming administrators, fine teachers and enthusiastic students as those at the Murrow School will always be a highlight of my life. The name alone evokes goose bumps for a journalism major like me, and the experience was heightened by the new building decorated with Murrow memorabilia.

I lectured about creating memorable messages for the first set of classes, but as the word spread about my second topic, crisis management, it became the preferred choice of two more professors. The reason: it’s not a universal topic being addressed in public relations schools today.

PR students learn news release, newsletter and grant writing; special event planning and execution; and campaign planning. All of this is the “pillow” that cushions an organization in times of crisis. The pillow may be part of a planned project, but the project is relatively short-lived. What’s missing is long-range planning for the inevitable—what to do when things go wrong.

I’m constantly amazed at the organizations and businesses who think they can wing it when a crisis occurs or, even worse, choose to ignore crises. Of course, that’s what allows me to earn my living researching potential crises and preparing crisis management plans.

Let’s face it, it’s like running with scissors to run a business without a crisis management plan. If you have a crisis management plan, what motivated your avant-guard thinking? If not, why not?

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4:40 PM | 1 comment(s)

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Ethics: A Moving Target? Part II

Where do your personal ethics end and your employer’s/client’s ethics begin? Or are you among the lucky few whose personal views mesh perfectly with your job 100 percent of the time?

For example, if you are an attorney in a large firm, do you have the right to turn down a client? Or if you are a copywriter at an ad agency? Or work for a professional association or for a government agency?

A big news topic today is whether pharmacists must inventory and dispense contraceptives and the “morning after” pill. Physicians can not turn down a patient in an emergency room, but she can decline a patient in her private practice.

I began my own business so I could work with people whom I respect and whose ethics and goals mirror mine. This is not an option for most people. When facing some of the conflicts I encountered in previous jobs, I usually did as asked. As the years went by, I became less willing to do that. Some would say I became less “politic.”

In the field of public relations, whether for an agency or other employer, what would/do you do when confronted with a task that goes against your grain? Is it your responsibility to your employer or client, or to yourself?

What would you say to your employer if you don’t want to handle a certain issue? Would you put your job on the line? Or is your greater responsibility to the people whom your income helps support?

Are there degrees of tolerance? When will you know when you’ve reached the line beyond which you can’t/won’t go?

I’m looking forward to this discussion!

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5:16 PM | 15 comment(s)