In a essay discuss a time when you acted as a leader in a crisis. Your essay should contain the following information:
Include an introduction and a description of your crisis.
Apply and explain Jordan-Meier’s four fundamental stages of the crisis.
What happened during the crisis?
What risks emerged during the crisis situation, and how did you handle the situation as the leader?
How did you handle the crisis with others on your team?
Identify the steps you took to remedy the situation?
Research sources to link your experiences to theories, and support your ideas. Include a minimum of two sources, Cite and in-text cite your references in APA format.
AMA CAT_BOS Faculty Photos 38 American Management Association MWORLD WINTER 2011-12 BY JANE JORDAN-MEIER “Tell it all, tell it fast and tell it straight” is the mantra of crisis management, and when it comes to bad news about jobs and layoffs—particularly in this stressed economy—that’s exactly what managers need to do. But getting the communication right is the tricky part. The subtleties in delivering bad news are more complex than we think, and deserve attention and discussion. We may all agree that showing empathy is a crucial element of the message when communicating bad news, but research tells us that how we say our message is even more critical, and often counterintuitive. For example, saying “the situation looks pretty bleak right now” is actually a more empathic piece of communication than saying “everything is under control.” Over-reassuring people, “emphasizing the positive,” or “calming them down” are also way off the mark. Your employees and fellow managers, suppliers, and customers too, will have a sense or even know firsthand that the “situation is bleak,” so to deny or ignore that fact is a risky message strategy. It’s best to be upfront, and share the problems and the bad news early. The longer you wait, the larger the “negative” becomes and the more difficult it is to discuss and indeed manage. Regular, frequent conversations mean that the problem areas will be smaller and easier to talk about. Take the example of the large multifaceted organization that is currently working with a workforce of several thousand in preparation for a factory shutdown next year. The management has already confided in their workforce about this big change which will have a huge impact on those employees’ futures. Instead of blabbing about the impending shutdown, that workforce has kept that sensitive information to themselves. They understand that if they let the information out too early, it will only hasten the shutdown as customers move away. Trust is a factor, clearly, but so too is being open, honest, and transparent with your employees. The simple fact is that people can handle bad news much better than we think. Employees want to know ahead of time if they are going to be laid off. For example, waiting until after Thanksgiving or Christmas to tell people they no longer have a job is, in fact, a Straight Talk Is Best Strategy for Dealing with Bad News 39MWORLD WINTER 2011-12 American Management Association mistake. Some companies think that it is “kinder” to wait, but research, based on employee feedback, shows that if they'd known beforehand, they wouldn't have blown so much money on the celebration. In the longer term, it is much better for everyone to know in advance. Of course you don’t just say the situation “looks bleak” and stop there. You tell people what you’re doing to help them, what they can do to help themselves, how much you hope things will improve, and what steps you are taking to improve the situation. Jeremy Henderson, founder of Jungle Red Communication, a firm that specializes in human relations, and many others interviewed for this article, strongly advocates that a company honor the people who are leaving, since they are in part responsible for building the company. He says that it is important to “tell those who are staying what you are doing to help those who are leaving.” “Give a timeline for when it starts and when it ends, and reinforce the fact that the company will continue to look at headcount as it progresses to ensure that it is aligned to the company's strategy,” states Henderson. Telling it straight and acknowledging the “elephant in the room” will gain you more credibility and, more importantly, increase the likelihood of the message not only being heard, but understood. Think about 9/11, an extreme situation, but nonetheless one with lessons in how to communicate bad news. One the most famous quotations to come out of that tragic situation was what then-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani told a reporter who asked how many people had died in the Twin Towers. “The number of casualties,” he said, “will be more than any of us can bear.” Why did his words resonate so deeply? Giuliani was saying, in effect, that the attack was unbearable. He was bearing it, but with difficulty—and he let the difficulty show. If you are considering layoffs or other bad news, then the question becomes, What will be your “Giuliani” moment? How will you characterize the situation that will resonate with your workforce, with your suppliers and customers? Acknowledging the situation and uncertainty, and how it creates a difficult work environment, is very important, says Liz Guthridge of Connect Consulting Group. Guthridge, who coaches and consults with leaders on communicating about change, says companies that are undergoing extensive change may not be sure themselves whether they will be shedding business units or divisions (think HP right now with its PC business). However, the leaders have got to acknowledge that this situation creates anxiety, and so they need to address it. “The progressive companies are talking about this openly, helping employees understand that a lot of factors are outside of everyone’s control,” says Guthridge. “These progressive companies also are encouraging employees to take advantage of career development programs, training, EAP, and all the other services to help them improve their 40 American Management Association MWORLD WINTER 2011-12 skills and be open to opportunities that present themselves. “It’s not an easy time, but it’s less difficult for those who are clear with ambiguity and can ride its waves.” If the sluggish economy and general market nervousness about the European debt and the American deficit aren’t enough to contend with, imagine what it would be like managing a workforce in Christchurch, New Zealand, where over 7,000 successive earthquakes have hit the region in the past 18 months. Unemployment is high at 6,000 and climbing. Maree Neal, Principal of Neal Consulting says that the dynamic and unpredictable nature of the successive earthquakes means people cannot predict when a building will be completed, let alone when staff will return and if a customer base will remain loyal. Many businesses are operating their offices from sheds and homes in an effort to keep the doors open. “The critical factor is not the decision to release staff, but the complete unpredictability attached to when the next earthquake will strike and the business and building impact it will cause. Whatever the circumstances, it is better to be dealing with the issue rather than the wrath of the response. “Information needs framing with great clarity. The media, in particular will search for the ‘angle’ to shift the story from news to human interest to sensation,” Neal says. Strategic business reasons may also dictate timing and the depth of messaging. As Neal says, one needs to reflect on policy, security, risk, trauma response requirement, etc. As such, it is equally as important to consider the “who” and the “how” the message is delivered in equal measure to the “what” and the “when.” It is human nature that bad news travels faster than good and that we will stretch, squeeze, and shrink the facts to match our facts, our experiences, and our perceptions. “Everyone will be searching for the “angle” to shift the story from news to human interest to sensation,” states Neale. To keep any sense of control (of the message), you need to have a communication plan ready immediately after the decision is made, whether that’s to make job cuts or change the strategy. MW Jane Jordan-Meier is principal of Jane Jordan & Associates, a California-based boutique training, coaching and advisory firm. Most of her work today is in crisis management training with senior and executive management. Her book on crisis media management, The Four Highly Effective Stages of Crisis Management: How to Manage the Media in the Digital Age, was released in May, 2011. She can be networked with through her LinkedIn profile and on Twitter @janejordanmeier Think carefully about the context, the likely backstories, and how and where the news may travel, and who else needs to know. Copyright of MWorld is the property of American Management Association International and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.