10 Steps of Successful Crisis Management

Crises affect the best run companies and organizations. They also spring-up with great frequency in less well run companies and organizations. Generally crises are the result of smart people doing dumb things. Sometimes they are the result of poor quality, greed, corruption or worse. Regardless of the reason for crises, it must be handled with the utmost care, speed and professionalism. The ten point outlined below identify the key elements to success crisis management.

1. Identify the problem

What is the crisis? Define it. Not what caused it or who is to blame but rather what it is in clear terms. This can also be referred to as the problem statement.

2. Create a team

Now that the crisis is defined, what areas does it touch? Assemble a team with the owners of the subject matter experts in each of those areas. For a business this generally means: executive management with a representative, marketing/product management, operations, legal, human resources, information technology, finance, PR or media relations sales and research & development. If any of these functions are not necessary, do not include them in the team just to fill a seat. For other organizations such as non-profits it may include: executive leadership, development, IT, member relations, finance, PR or media relations, human resources and marketing.

3. Set up a command center.

Find a place where all the members of the team can meet and updates on the crises can be monitored and tracked. The command center should be manned 7x45 by a representative of each key functional area until the crises has been resolved.

4. Communicate out.

The first thing the team needs to do once the problem has been identified is communicate the problems and what is being done about it quickly and clearly to all appropriate media outlets through PR or media relations. Generally, more information is better. The more senior the person providing the updates is the better also. Ideally it should be the CEO of the company or organization or the most senior person directly involved with the crisis. Also update customers, investors, employees, clients, constituents, and members - anyone with an interest in the company or organization.

5. Problem breakdown

Break down the problem with the crisis management team. Identify what the problem is, what the potential solutions are and which are the most viable courses of action. Bring in other subject matter experts as needed but do not take the accountable functional areas owners out of the loop or off the hook. They own a successful resolution from their area.

6. Receive communications in.

Concerns of customers, employees, shareholders and constituents need to be addressed. Set up phone hotlines and email folders related to the crises. Have knowledgeable people take the calls. If they cannot, have a mechanism so every call is returned with an answer in 24 hours. The same holds true with e-mails.

7. Resolve the problem.

Nothing is more important than resolving the problem or crises because it is a disruption to everyday business. It could ruin the reputation of the business or organization. For a company it can destroy shareholder value. For other organizations it can impact membership, causes, careers, lives and worse. The crisis team needs to commit their time, money and energy and also grab the best and the brightest internal or external to the company or organization to resolve the problem or crisis quickly.

8. Provide updates and resolution.

Communicate updates through all outlets and communicate final resolution of crisis at the most senior level available. Communicate frequently. Communicate in a timely fashion. Do not hold information back. Make leaders, functional owners and subject matter experts available to questions from the media (all forms). Have all communication controlled through the command center i.e. centrally.

9. Investigate (the post mortem). 

After the crisis has been resolved establish a team to investigate what happened, why, who was responsible and what actions need to be taken to insure that it does not happen again (or is minimized). Insure the team has full access plus as much time and budget as they need to do their jobs effectively.

10. Integrate improvements

Integrate the findings of the team into business as usual. Take the learnings from the crises to change the business or organization so there is a minimal chance of the crisis repeating itself. Make these changes know to all the company's or organization's stakeholders.

Crises happen - no matter how careful, quality conscience and integrity focused any company or organization considers itself. And when they do, it is up to the leadership to establish a crises team and command center quickly. By following these 10 steps, the best will be made out of any bad situation.

George F. Franks, III is the founder and President of Franks Consulting Group – a growing Bethesda, Maryland management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the International Coach Federation and the Institute of Management Consultants. His web site is:http://franksconsultinggroup.com His e-zine on career and leadership topics is: http://careerandleadership.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_F_Franks_III

Long-dormant volcano erupts in Indonesia

By the CNN Wire Staff

August 29, 2010 -- Updated 0741 GMT (1541 HKT)

Mount Sinabung spews thick smoke after erupting in North Sumatra.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Officials say there are no reports of casualties or injuries so far
• Mount Sinabung was inactive for more than 400 years
• State media reports that 12,000 residents have been evacuated from 14 villages

Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) -- A volcano that had been inactive for more than 400 years erupted in Indonesia early Sunday, causing thousands of people to flee their homes, officials said.

Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra province had been inactive since the 1600s, but spewed volcanic ash nearly a mile into the air Sunday, said Surono, head of the country's volcanology and geology agency.

"We don't know the character of this volcano because it's been dormant for so long," he said.

There were no reports of casualties or injuries.

"The situation is under control. Emergency response teams are already on the scene," said Priyadi Kardono of the National Disaster Management Agency.

Officials have evacuated 12,000 residents living in 14 villages near the volcano, which erupted just after 12:15 a.m. Sunday (1:15 p.m. ET Saturday), the official Antara news agency reported.

"We felt strong tremors last night. It was a volcanic quake," Indonesian Red Cross worker Muhammad Isral told the agency. "After that, the crater of Mount Sinabung spewed glowing lava. And trees in the mount slopes were burnt. It was followed by thick clouds that caused visibility to be only about five meters."

On Saturday, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation issued a warning and ordered evacuation of a 6 km (3.7 miles) radius around the volcano.

Surano said investigators are monitoring and studying the volcano. Based on the data they have now, he said, a large, destructive eruption is unlikely.

No hazardous gas had been detected after Sunday's eruption, he said.

CNN's Andy Saputra contributed to this report.

President leads Cabinet meeting on RI-Malaysia ties

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 08/23/2010 4:34 PM | National

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held on Monday a plenary Cabinet meeting to discuss Indonesia-Malaysia ties following a recent incident in Tenjung Berakit waters in Riau, which has sparked an anti-Malaysia drive.

Yudhoyono said talks on border issues between Indonesia and Malaysia were pressing to solve territorial disputes facing the two neighbors.

The President called for proportional diplomatic measures in dealing with any dispute, but underlined that Indonesia would defend its territorial integrity at all cost.

“This is an era of cooperation, not war. Nevertheless if it concerns our territory and sovereignty we will do whatever we can [to defend national integrity],” Yudhoyono said as quoted by Antara news agency.

Malaysia has released three fishery and maritime patrol officers suspected of trespassing Malaysian territory, while Indonesia set free seven Malaysian fishermen accused of poaching in Indonesian waters. The deal, however, has failed to appease the public and politicians alike, who regretted the compromise.  

The Cabinet meeting also discussed efforts to maintain food security in the wake of global natural disasters, which occurred in, among other countries, China, Pakistan and Nigeria.

Teknik Wawancara Yang Baik

Wawancara merupakan salah satu bagian terpenting dalam tugas jurnalistik. Wawancara merupakan proses pencarian data berupa pendapat/pandangan/pengamatan seseorang yang akan digunakan sebagai salah satu bahan penulisan karya jurnalistik.

Wawancara VS Reportase

Apakah wawancara sama dengan reportase? Jawabannya adalah tidak. Reportase memiliki ruang lingkup yang jauh lebih luas daripada wawancara, sedangkan wawancara merupakan salah satu jenis teknik reportase.Reportase dapat diartikan sebagai proses pengumpulan data yang digunakan untuk penulisan karya jusnalistik. Objek pengumpulan data tersebut dapat berupa manusia, makhluk hidup selain manusia, buku-buku, tempat bersejarah, dan sebagainya. Suatu reportase disebut sebagai wawancara jika objek reportasenya adalah manusia.

Ada beberapa jenis wawancara, yaitu:

1. Man in the street interview. Cara ini dilakukan bila kita ingin mengetahui pendapat umum masyarakat terhadap isu/persoalan yang hendak kita angkat menjadi bahan berita.

2. Casual interview, atau disebut juga wawancara mendadak. Ini adalah jenis wawancara yang dilakukan tanpa persiapan/perencanaan sebelumnya.

3. Personality interview, yaitu wawancara yang dilakukan terhadap figur-figur publik yang terkenal, atau bisa juga terhadap orang-orang yang dianggap memiliki sifat/kebiasaan/prestasi yang unik, yang menarik untuk diangkat sebagai bahan berita.

4. News interview, yaitu wawancara dalam rangka memperoleh informasi dan berita dari sumber-sumber yang mempunyai kredibilitas ataupun reputasi di bidangnya.

Wawancara yang Baik

Agar tugas wawancara kita dapat berhasil, maka hendaknya diperhatikan hal-hal – antara lain – sebagai berikut:

1. Lakukanlah persiapan sebelum melakukan wawancara. Persiapan tersebut menyangkut outline wawancara, penguasaan materi wawancara, pengenalan mengenai sifat/karakter/kebiasaan orang yang hendak kita wawancarai, dan sebagainya.

2. Taatilah peraturan dan norma-norma yang berlaku di tempat pelaksanaan wawancara tersebut. Sopan santun, jenis pakaian yang dikenakan, pengenalan terhadap norma/etika setempat, adalah hal-hal yang juga perlu diperhatikan agar kita dapat beradaptasi dengan lingkungan tempat pelaksanaan wawancara.

3. Jangan mendebat nara sumber. Tugas seorang pewawancara adalah mencari informasi sebanyak-banyaknya dari nara sumber, bukan berdiskusi. Jika Anda tidak setuju dengan pendapatnya, biarkan saja. Jangan didebat. Kalaupun harus didebat, sampaikan dengan nada bertanya, alias jangan terkesan membantah.

Contoh yang baik: “Tetapi apakah hal seperti itu tidak berbahaya bagi pertumbuhan iklim demokrasi itu sendiri, Pak?”

Contoh yang lebih baik lagi: “Tetapi menurut Tuan X, hal seperti itu kan berbahaya bagi pertumbuhan iklim demokrasi itu sendiri. Bagaimana pendapat Bapak?”

Contoh yang tidak baik: “Tetapi hal itu kan dapat berbahaya bagi pertumbuhan iklim demokrasi itu sendiri, Pak.”

4. Hindarilah menanyakan sesuatu yang bersifat umum, dan biasakanlah menanyakan hal-hal yang khusus. Hal ini akan sangat membantu untuk memfokuskan jawaban nara sumber.

5. Ungkapkanlah pertanyaan dengan kalimat yang sesingkat mungkin dan to the point. Selain untuk menghemat waktu, hal ini juga bertujuan agar nara sumber tidak kebingungan mencerna ucapan si pewawancara.

6. Hindari pengajuan dua pertanyaan dalam satu kali bertanya. Hal ini dapat merugikan kita sendiri, karena nara sumber biasanya cenderung untuk menjawab hanya pertanyaan terakhir yang didengarnya.

7. Pewawancara hendaknya pintar menyesuaikan diri terhadap berbagai karakter nara sumber. Untuk nara sumber yang pendiam, pewawancara hendaknya dapat melontarkan ungkapan-ungkapan pemancing yang membuat si nara sumber “buka mulut”. Sedangkan untuk nara sumber yang doyan ngomong, pewawancara hendaknya bisa mengarahkan pembicaraan agar nara sumber hanya bicara mengenai hal-hal yang berhubungan dengan materi wawancara.

8. Pewawancara juga hendaknya bisa menjalin hubungan personal dengan nara sumber, dengan cara memanfaatkan waktu luang yang tersedia sebelum dan sesudah wawancara. Kedua belah pihak dapat ngobrol mengenai hal-hal yang bersifat pribadi, atau hal- hal lain yang berguna untuk mengakrabkan diri. Ini akan sangat membantu proses wawancara itu sendiri, dan juga untuk hubungan baik dengan nara sumber di waktu-waktu yang akan datang.

9. Jika kita mewawancarai seorang tokoh yang memiliki lawan ataupun musuh tertentu, bersikaplah seolah-olah kita memihaknya, walaupun sebenarnya tidak demikian. Seperti kata pepatah, “Jangan bicara tentang kucing di depan seorang pecinta anjing”.

10. Bagi seorang reporter pers yang belum ternama, seperti pers kampus dan sebagainya, kendala terbesar dalam proses wawancara biasanya bukan wawancaranya itu sendiri, melainkan proses untuk menemui nara sumber. Agar kita dapat menemui nara sumber tertentu dengan sukses, diperlukan perjuangan dan kiat-kiat yang kreatif dan tanpa menyerah. Salah satu caranya adalah rajin bertanya kepada orang-orang yang dekat dengan nara sumber. Koreklah informasi sebanyak mungkin mengenai nara sumber tersebut, misalnya nomor teleponnya, alamat villanya, jam berapa saja dia ada di rumah dan di kantor, di mana dia bermain golf, dan sebagainya.

Media Cetak VS Media Elektronik

Bagaimana cara memperoleh/mengumpulkan berita? Caranya adalah melalui reportase, yang bertujuan untuk mengumpulkan sebanyak mungkin data yang berhubungan dengan karya jurnalistik yang akan dibuat. Pihak yang menjadi objek reportase disebut nara sumber. Nara sumber ini bisa berupa manusia, makhluk hidup selain manusia, alam, ataupun benda-benda mati. Jika nara sumbernya berupa manusia, maka reportase tersebut bernama wawancara.

Dengan demikian, ada sedikit perbedaan antara reportase dengan wawancara. Wawancara merupakan bagian dari reportase, dan reportase tidak hanya dapat dilakukan terhadap manusia.

Namun perlu diingat bahwa wawancara untuk media cetak berbeda dengan wawancara untuk media elektronik. Wawancara untuk media elektronik biasanya dikemas semenarik mungkin. Sebelum wawancara berlangsung, seringkali dilakukan briefing antara pewawancara dan nara sumber, yang bertujuan untuk menjaga kelancaran wawancara. Hal ini dilakukan karena wawancara untuk media elektronik merupa kan “produk” tersendiri yang “dijual” kepada pemirsa/pendengar.

Sedangkan dalam media cetak, yang terpenting bagi pembaca adalah tulisan yang dibuat berdasarkan hasil reportase, sehingga proses wawancara tidaklah penting bagi mereka. Karena itu, wawancara untuk media cetak dapat berlangsung tanpa kemasan yang menarik ataupun briefing antara wartawan dengan nara sumber. Satu-satunya persiapan yang perlu dilakukan adalah persiapan wartawan itu sendiri, yang mencakup bahan wawancara dan pengetahuan umum mengenai materi wawancara. Sedangkan proses wawancaranya dapat berlangsung dalam berbagai situasi dan tempat. Bisa di kantor, di restoran sambil makan siang, lewat telepon, sambil berjalan menuju halaman parkir, sambil ngobrol, dan sebagainya (dari berbagai sumber yang direduksi)