Looks like I may be on the road a lot in 2012. Turns out there is some interest in a session idea I have for Social Media, Marketing, Public Relations and Crisis Management conferences around the globe this year. I also submitted it to the Penn State Web Conference, but I’m not expecting anyone to have the courage (certainly can’t blame them) to accept it. It’s still quite an oppressive environment for those dumb enough to open their mouths. Anyway here’s the abstract:
21st Century Crisis Management: How Cronyism, Ignorance and Bravado Are No Substitute for Strategy, Knowledge and Talent. A Worst Case Study
“We live in a world where [organizational] reputations are fragile and where crises seem to be occurring more and more. The role of the communicator in this environment is critical. Furthermore, the communication planner who might foresee and prepare for such eventualities is a significant player in our interconnected and changing world.” -Risk Issues and Crisis Management, Michael Regester and Judy Larkin
A traditional understanding and warning by proven leaders in the public relations world. But what happens when your communicators measure in the hundreds, or even thousands and extend beyond the traditional understanding of influencer, stakeholder, empowerment and even employment? The Social Web spreads out that role of communicator, and it’s significance, throughout an organization and beyond, blurring the lines between organization and public.
In the case of Penn State University, there are 96,000 students, 67,000 direct and indirect employees, 557,000 living alumni, and countless stakeholders and fans. Penn State pursued a reactive change strategy and adhered to a precautionary principle which left the organization with little agility in the face of crisis and alienated all the people in a position to help, leaving them disempowered, uninformed, vulnerable and largely impotent at the time of the greatest need.
21st century crisis management (and Penn State University) requires a sense of urgency, humility, agility, openness, cooperation and a profound ability to change what could be centuries old norms, ideals and behavior. This session addresses the models and tools of modern crisis management principles, online and off.
