Monday 19 December 2011

Wake up to what your employees are doing on social media

News that school districts in the US are banning teachers from having contact with their pupils (and in some cases ex-pupils) on social media has caused a rumpus.   Some say it is a restriction on free speech, whilst others point to the fact that 80 teachers in Missouri alone lost their licences in the last four years through sexual misconduct with pupils, some of which began on social media.  One district in Cincinnati in making a policy tried to make themselves look as if they were ahead of the curve.  They said social media was "growing" and they wanted to set a "forward thinking policy setting some parameters".  The "parameters" turn out to be a total ban on teachers relating to students on social media or via instant messaging.

This may or may not be a necessary policy.  I'm not qualified to judge.   But social media isn't just "growing".  It's here.  It's ubiquitous.  And students have been using it for several years.  Who invented Facebook again?  Oh yes, a college student.   Several years ago.

The dear folks of Cincinnati may be trying to dress up their slowness in getting a social media policy as "forward thinking" but at least they've got one.

I'm amazed as I speak at events round the world and ask delegates how many people do not have a social media policy for employees, how many hands go up.

The incident in 2009 at Dominos Pizza in the US, where two low-rent employees made a disgusting video at work which was posted up on You Tube (and viewed a million times within days) was a wake-up call to organisations that they need to discuss with their staff the benefits and risks of social media.  Dominos used the opportunity to re-engage with their staff worldwide on this topic.  Employees need to understand why rules are needed.  Few employees start work each day wanting to do a bad job, or wanting to badly damage the company.

When designing a social media policy for your organisation, talk to your employees first and listen to them.  You don't have the monopoly on wisdom.

Your social media policy will vary depending on the kind of organisation you run.

If your company is concerned with the preparation or service of food, if you allow camera enabled cellphones in the workplace, you are risking your entire business.  Employees should surrender their cellphones before starting, and reasonable use of the house phone for urgent family members is easy to allow.

Although less about social media, there are similar considerations if your employees use computer screens at work that show potentially sensitive information, such as financial information, which could be captured.

You should also think about whether you want to allow employees to say where they work on social media.   If they do, their behaviour, much of which is their business, will become yours.

In some jobs, because the employee is prominent or front-of-house, it may be obvious the person is your employee and they need to take special care in what they write.

A number of years ago a broadcast journalist boasted on social media of the number of women he had slept with.  It was such a huge number, you marvelled that there had been any time to appear on air.  The broadcaster thought it brought discredit to them because everyone knew who this individual was.

It's not just the fact that your employee works for you that raises issues, it's whether they talk about their life at work.  It might be fine, for example, if you run a cool coffee shop, to see one of the baristas enthusing about his work and his customers.  But what if he talks disparagingly about an especially irritating customer?  Or a co-worker that gets on his nerves?  Not so good.

In some companies, by talking about their life at work, employees can inadvertently disclose security arrangements, or private company procedures, without realising what they are doing.

One dedicated but exhausted US teacher sounded off on Facebook about her pupils (she had had a very bad day) not realising the privacy settings had changed.  What she thought were private remarks were seen by everyone, including her pupils.  Despite a blameless long career, she was fired.  Best not to talk about work online.

The important thing about having a social media policy for employees is not to restrict them, it is to make them think about what they are doing.  Employees on the whole like knowing what's expected of them. They like being engaged on issues so they understand the risks and how to get it right.

One of the first organisations off the blocks in the UK was the BBC, who were concerned in the early days of social media that staff might express political views on social media and threaten their reputation as a strictly impartial broadcaster.  Their social media policy is used by many companies as a template.

Develop your own policy, but do it now!



(Posted from Changi Airport, Singapore)



Thursday 15 December 2011

Liege and the importance of the press conference




The terrible aftermath of the shootings in Liege on 13th December are a reminder that all local authorities must have plans in place to deal with the unimaginable.

The press conference (above) held by the authorities on the 13th outlines the scale of the shocking minutes of terror, injury and death for local people.

The Straits Times in Singapore devotes a page this morning to a decade of shootings across Europe, including the 2010 attacks in Cumbria, North West England in which 12 people were shot dead, and the deaths of 69 young people on the island of Utoya, Noway in July.    The Straits Times calls the Liege shootings a "chilling addition to a long list of similar attacks that have blighted Europe over the last 10 years".  The paper notes the Liege shootings come alongside the shooting of two Sengalese men in Florence, Italy by a far-right author, who then killed himself.

The page provides ample evidence as to why every local authority must have a major incident crisis plan.  Any such plan must include potential arrangements for a press conference.   It's where things sometimes go wrong.

A press conference is an efficient and fair way to distribute information in an emergency.  It will establish your organisation as the authoritative source of information about the incident.  It is a way of dispelling rumour with facts.  It also enables you to publicly show care and compassion.

There are some useful things to check as part of your plan.

1.  Identify a suitable location for a press conference and an alternative should that location not be available.   It's a good idea to consult local TV colleagues who will be glad to help you with advice as to the suitability of a location for TV positions and links.  Remember today most 24 hour news channels will carry press conferences "live" and will not thank you for holding them in a location which makes this difficult.  The venue needs to be co-operative enough to make itself available at very short notice, so it is better, but not essential, if it is a public building.

2.  Your venue must be suitable in size and dignity to host a press conference which may be to announce large numbers of deaths.   Think about whether there can be a raised platform, and a raised platform at the back for TV cameras, and whether you can have a backdrop (in London the Metropolitan Police do this very well).  There is no time to do this on the day.

3.  Identify the personnel you would need - types and numbers of people - and don't forget you will need security to ensure only authorised media are admitted - be careful that there may be people who wish to disrupt the event.  You will need staff to record the names of those attending, as you may wish to contact them afterwards.

4.  Work out how you will advise the media that there is to be a press conference.  Be careful not to commit too far in advance as you will lose credibility if a press conference is trailed on TV and doesn't happen.  The media are entitled though to adequate notice to make technical preparations.  It's helpful to tell media, for example, that while you don't know the exact time of a press conference yet, if there is one it will be in "x" building.  Then they can begin logistical preparations.   But be careful not to promise a press conference which may not happen.

5.  Have "toblerones" (name cards for tables) ready to put participants names on them on the press conference table in your crisis tool box.  Most media present will not be familiar with the participants and it helps TV viewers, too.

7.  Training - it's very important that as part of crisis training, you include training in handling a press conference.  Mock press conferences are easy to stage and senior officials should be mandated to attend this type of training at least once a year.

These arrangements will get you off to a good start in the event of an emergency and will help you avoid some basic pitfalls - like holding press conferences on a pavement, which should never happen.


(Posted from Singapore)

Wednesday 14 December 2011

Product tampering always an emergency




News breaking on 30 November that customers of a Walmart store in Cartersville, Ga, US, have pricked themselves with needles hidden in clothing products was yet another example of product contamination and the need for companies to respond quickly to such an event.

14-year-old Courtney Worthington was trying on some pyjamas bought for her by her mother in the Walmart store when a hypodermic needle pricked her finger and foot in an alarming incident for the teenager. A second shopper, Patricia Heidrick, reported she had been pricked by a needle hidden in women's apparel at the same store.  Further needles were found in other clothing products.

Apart from the injury, the risk of contracting HIV from a contaminated needle (should they turn out be to be so) is real.  Post exposure prophylaxis treatment should be given within 72 hours of suspected or possible HIV infection (and preferably within one hour) and it is expensive.  Monitoring over a period of months is required.

Walmart responded quickly.   They said they believed this was confined to one store.   There was initial confusion as to whether the company would pay the customers medical costs relating to the incident (a big issue in the US where costs are high - one estimate is USD 1300 for the prophylactic treatment alone).  According to one report,  Mrs Heidrick said Walmart wouldn't talk to her about medical costs.   A Walmart spokesman said  "Walmart has reached out to Ms Heidrick.  If any our our customers were harmed, we will gladly pay for any valid expenses."

The tampering so far does appear to be confined to one store and it's not yet clear who is behind this potentially serious criminal action.

What are the principles when handling product tampering or contamination?

They were established in the Tylenol crisis in the 1980s in the US, a defining moment in dealing with product tampering.

1.  Customer safety must come first.  If there are suspicions of tampering, immediate action to protect customers must come before anything else, whatever the price tag, if you want to maintain trust in your brand.  Amazingly, on December 6, more needles were still being found in clothing at the store.  The probability is that the metal detectors being used to check stock were not sensitive enough to pick up the needles (or the culprit was still planting them).  Either way, it's not good news for customer trust in Walmart.  Close the section and search the items one by one, by hand if necessary.

2.  If you are a chain, you must have a clearly understood emergency system of alerting all branches if tampering is suspected.

3.  If you sell something, even is tampering is not your fault, it is your responsibility - so be seen to take responsibility for sorting it out and protecting customers.

4.  Care and compassion are the guiding principles of dealing with affected customers.  Ms Heidrick didn't seem to feel she had Walmart's full support.  The word "valid" in Walmart's statement is odd.   I would have made this statement unequivocal.  If a doctor recommended prophylaxis (which they may not, there are significant side effects) I would have paid for it without question and I am sure Walmart will.  Try to make unequivocal statements.

5.  Walmart did the right thing by getting out there and making clear public statements.  They may have had police advice that it was likely this was an isolated incident and it's reassuring to say so, but be careful.  Like the Tylenol crisis, the trouble may spread and then your credibility is damaged.  This story was active on Twitter with alarmed customers, it's not immediately clear that Walmart were involved in the conversation.

6. It's important you tell customers afterwards what you are going to do to prevent the issue happening again.  In this case, that is going to be difficult.  After Tylenol, tamper proof medicine bottles were introduced which gave the public confidence.

Walmart is a giant company with a strong reputation.   They have incidents and a well-oiled machine for dealing with them.  So far it looks like this incident is contained.   It's important not to over-react in where the situation is a local one, but the health and safety of your customers must always be your first priority.  If you do not have their trust, you have no business.




(Posted from Singapore)





Wednesday 7 December 2011

The power of explanation in a crisis

In a crisis, people are more likely to co-operate with instructions if they know the reason why.




On an overnight flight from London to Dubai this week on the way to speak at the IQPC CMO Congress, our sleep was interrupted by a call over the PA.  "If there is a medical doctor on board will you please make yourself known to a member of the crew."   (I'm often surprised that there is almost always a doctor on board every aircraft - there are either a lot of doctors in the world, or the ones that there are travel a lot).  There was a medical emergency with a passenger.

A doctor duly came forward and the decision was taken to continue to Dubai, where we were met by an emergency medical team and ambulance.

Have you ever noticed that when a plane reaches the gate, people seem to leap out of their seats as if a spring had propelled them upwards?  They rush to get their stuff from the overhead lockers like their lives depended on it.  Then they stand in the aisles for ten minutes waiting for the airbridge to connect.  It's a global ritual, and people are very competitive about it.

On this occasion, the pilot came on the PA as he taxied from the runway. He explained that a passenger had been involved in a medical emergency and we were going to be met by a team.  Would we all help by staying in our seat with our seat belts on so the team could have free access to do what they needed?

And everybody did.  There were no complaints, no muttering and no tutting, even though people's sleep had been disturbed and we were feeling a bit crotchety. Because the passengers knew that by doing this they were helping the sick passenger and the crew.

It struck me that this is also true in a crisis.

In an emergency, of course, your message has to be very simple.  If the building is on fire, the fire alarm is a way of shouting "get out" at people.  No need for pleasantries.

However, in many crises, the need is less obviously so urgent.  It's important we tell people why we need them to do things.  In the 7/7 London bombings, for example, we asked people to stay in their buildings and not go on the street.  We explained this was because there could be other bombs.  They understood the reason and they stayed in.

A simple explanation can be very powerful.  "Do this" and "this is why".  Unless there is a threat to life -  then it can just be "do this" but later when things are calm, tell people "why" you asked them to do it.



Arriving at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Dubai at 8am I was exhausted.  The bell boy beamed. He got my name from my luggage tag and addressed me personally. I got to the reception and told the receptionist I was dead beat.  A broad smile broke across her face. "That's something we can fix right away", she said.   OK, it was the Ritz Carlton, but the cheapest of hotels can manage a smile.   It's one of the most powerful communication signals.  And it crosses every language and cultural barrier.




(Posted from Kuala Lumpur International Airport)

Sunday 4 September 2011

A headache for Nurofen Plus and the lessons from the Tylenol crisis

Allegations of contamination or tampering are an emergency for a pharmaceutical company.

The core element of every reputation is trust, and the trust bar is set very high indeed by consumers when buying or being dispensed drugs in the pharmacy.

The most famous example of this was the Tylenol crisis in the United States in 1982.  Tylenol was the most successful over the counter medication, with over 100 million users.  It was discovered that someone had placed capsules in boxes contaminated with deadly cyanide.  Seven people in Chicago were reported to have died after purchasing tampered boxes and taking the medication.  How the company dealt with the crisis has become one of the most famous example of crisis management.  It could have finished the company which made Tylenol, Johnson & Johnson.

--------------


Now it's been reported that 5 boxes of Nurofen Plus in the UK made by Reckitt Benckiser contain prescription only anti-psychotic or epilepsy medication.  If it is sabotage, it's not yet clear why someone is doing this.  No-one appears to have been harmed by this, and doctors say the risk is low.


When I began my career in Britain's National Health Service, a study of a new pain-killing wonder-drug was being carried out on the medical wards.   The drug Ibuprofen was so successful in patients with the severe pain of chronic arthritis that some physicians were calling for the study to be curtailed and the drug to be licensed without further delay.   It both relieves pain and is anti-inflammatory. The drug became commercially known as Nurofen and is now available over the counter.  We take ibuprofen for granted but it is a remarkable and useful drug - and very safe.

It's important to know that Nurofen is marketed as Nurofen, Nurofen Extra (which is simply higher dose ibuprofen) and Nurofen Plus which is a capsule mixed with Codeine to deal with strong pain, for example after a dental procedure like an extraction. (Nurofen Plus is not available in countries which prohibit the import of medicines containing codeine).  The present recall only affects Nurofen Plus.

In a major operation, all packs of Nurofen Plus have been recalled from pharmacies and consumers are being asked to bring any packs they have to their local pharmacy.

A product recall is highly expensive for a company.  In this case the company ordered an immediate product recall.   It was the right thing to do.  No consumer will buy medication they think may cause them harm.  The huge expense of a product recall is necessary for public safety, but also to protect the brand's long-term reputation.  In this case the recall has knocked the story off the news agenda.

The recall is a reminder of the lessons learned in the Tylenol crisis in the early eighties.   Andrew Gilman  was one of the team who worked to restore the reputation of Johnson & Johnson after the crisis.

It is such a powerful crisis lesson that he returns to it again and again, including in his blog.

When a company is faced with a possible contamination problem, what are the crisis rules:

1. First of all, consumer safety always comes first, last and always - as Reckitt Benckiser have demonstrated by their actions.

2. Secondly, take control, or someone else will.

3. Go beyond what you are legally required to do.

4. Spend money and effort getting information out there quickly. Don't hide from the media.  The Andrew Gilman lesson: transparency and clarity.

5. Contact people affected.  Care about them.  Not just for PR.

6. When the problem is resolved tell consumers what you've learned and how you will prevent a recurrence (In the Tylenol case, investment in new tamper-proof designs).

The cost of all this might nearly break the company.  But the sentence for companies who fail to respond is oblivion.

Consumers judge your company not on what happens to you, but how you respond to it.





(Posted from London)


Saturday 27 August 2011

Social media and curry: protesting Singaporean style.



Actions have consequences.  Its a rule of public relations, crisis communications and of life.

I had the rule reconfirmed to me last night talking to a businessman in a bar in Singapore. As soon as I said I was from London he brought up the recent riots. It was all calm now I said.  He had arranged a trip to London next month to see some shows and enjoy the capital. 'I've cancelled it", he said, "we don't like to travel anywhere that's not safe".

His cancellation means another empty hotel room, theatre tickets not bought, restaurants not visited.  In other words, jobs and foreign exchange. I wondered how many people round the world had done the same. The recent riots in London are having economic consequences.

Singaporeans value their safety.It's probably the safest country in the world. Singaporeans themselves are peaceable in the way they conduct themselves. Their courtesy and respect for others and their welcome to visitors is hard to match.

They are showing that in the way they plan to demonstrate over a local controversy that's arisen about immigration.  Curry in its many forms is the national dish (a visit to Singapore is a must for the food alone).  An immigrant family from China complained about the smell of curry from a Singaporean Indian family's home.  The local mediation service got involved and suggested the Singaporean family only cooked curry when their neighbours were out.

When local people got to hear of it, it raised feelings about immigration in this cramped island.  There are some locally who feel immigrants are taking jobs and housing, a familiar argument across the world.  

How do Singaporeans demonstrate? Although many are angry, with courtesy of course. A Facebook page was launched to highlight the issue and last Sunday 50,000 Singaporeans cooked or ate curry to show solidarity with the local Indian family. By showing their solidarity in this way they hoped, in the words of the local woman who suggested it to "cook and share a pot curry and get to embrace and appreciate our culture".

The police did not need to be called, except where too much curry was cooked and more mouths were required to eat it.

The timing of the protest is interesting.  Immigration was a key issue in the recent Singapore General Election, the first in which social media played a significant role.

Today Singaporeans cast their votes in the Presidential election.  It's a non-partisan campaign. Although the President's role is largely ceremonial, the election is being seen as a referendum on the government.



(Posted from Chinatown, Singapore)

Thursday 25 August 2011

Generation Y and their quarter-life crisis!

"You don't need to be a great communicator to promote popular policies" said Singapore Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan when opening the annual Government Communications Conference in Singapore this week.

Minister Khaw

It's a annual gathering of the top communicators in Singapore's public service and an eclectic mix of speakers (including me) were brought to The Grand Hyatt hotel for an intensive day of reflection and discussion.  The Minister's presence underlined the importance the Government places on communications.   He said that the real challenge comes when communicators are required to explain significant and complex change to the public, such as healthcare reforms undertaken in the country.

Here are some of the top quotes that I managed to capture (there were so many I couldn't write quick enough).

Minister Khaw was formerly the Minister for Health and handled the SARS outbreak.  His golden rules from the crisis were: :Be transparent, honest, nothing hidden even if it is painful for the public to know, no secrets - let the arguments dictate the policy not the other way round; do not over-reassure, it's OK to say I don't know yet and never pretend to know; always show empathy and care and it's OK to admit worry; trust and credibility are key to crisis leadership."

Karen Hughes, Global Vice Chair of Burson-Marsteller and Former US Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy & Public Affairs and Counsellor at the White House to President Bush:

Karen Hughes

"Define yourself or you will be defined by somebody else.  Probably your critics."

"Effective decision making involves strategic communication.  The President is the Chief Communications Officer".

"The 5 C's of effective communication are clarity, conviction, compassion, consistency and credibility".

"You don't have to be the wittiest to be a great communicator, but you do have to be the clearest".

"If clarity is say what you mean, conviction is mean what you say.  A credible message is not just what you say, it's what you do."

Koh Buck Song, author and CEO of Integrative CSR Consulting:

Koh Buck Song

"Saying 'It's not in my job description' is not in your job description!"

"Brand keloids happen (that is, incidents that scar your reputation).  You should not try to change them.  They happened.  They are there.  Leave them alone and after time people will stop noticing them and see the real you."

Rodrigo Becerro Mizuno, MD, Government Industry Worldwide Public Sector, Microsoft:

Rodrigo Becerra Mizuno

"Generation Y are now talking about having a quarter life crisis".



Karen Hughes is the author of "10 Minutes From Normal" and Koh Buck Song's books include his latest "Brand Singapore".


(Posted from Singapore)

Wednesday 24 August 2011

Difficult decision after death of pilot





250,00 people crowded into the seaside town of Bournemouth, on the south coast of England, last Saturday for the Bournemouth Air Festival.  The star turn was the Red Arrows, the jet formation display team of Britain's royal Air Force.  They are amongst the most skilful pilots in the world.  Only the elite of the RAF can be considered for duty in the Red Arrows.

After a breath-taking display over Bournemouth, the Red Arrows returned to land at Bournemouth International Airport when one of the jets, piloted by Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging, failed to pull out of a banking manoeuvre and crashed.  Flt Lt Egging, who was 33,  was killed.
The Air Festival was due to continue for a second day the following day.
After such an incident involving loss of life, organisers of events have a difficult decision to make.  When is it necessary to stop the event after such a tragedy?
There are reasons that an event might be halted:
  1. Safety:  If the accident raises fears the event is not safe then there is no question that the event should be stopped.  The safety of the public comes first.  Had the event happened at the Festival and not at the airport, this would be non-negotiable. The organisers will almost certainly have urgently consulted with the Royal Air Force and the Civil Aviation Authority over this.
  2. Taste: Organisers must take a view on whether it is in good taste to carry on with an event for public entertainment after a fatality.  The views of the family and the Royal Air Force may well have been sought.
  3. Public feeling: after a death, there may be such a strength of public feeling that gross offence might be caused by the continuation of an event.  This does not appear to be true of this event.  The public hugely admire and respect the Red Arrows, and accept that what they do carries risks
  4. Contractual obligations: in an event of this nature, there will be many legal contracts stipulating what should happen in the event of cancellation.  It is inevitable that financial considerations play a part, but they should not override the considerations in 1, 2 and 3.
In this case, the organisers decided that the event should go ahead, and astutely invited the public who were coming on the second day to wear something red as a tribute, which they did.   This had the effect of making members of the public who felt uneasy about going to the second day of displays to feel that they were doing so as an act of tribute.  Most who did so will have felt sincerely for the family of Flt Lt Egging and his RAF colleagues.  A minute’s silence was also held and a tribute film shown before the second day’s display commenced.  A book of condolence was opened. This was all fitting but not mawkish.
It was the right decision.  This was an accident away from the display and a tragedy.  Flt Lt Egging’s widow gave a moving tribute to her husband’s skills and bravery.  She did so with RAF support and supervision and she clearly wanted to.  Enormous care should be taken when exposing the immediately bereaved to the media and the backstop position is normally complete privacy.
These decisions have to made quickly and they are never easy.
The recent fatal accidents at pop concerts in Belgium and Indiana are a reminder that large scale public events carry serious risks.  Organisers must have a well thought through crisis plan and must rehearse it.  Such a plan must contain plans for mass communication with the public who might be planning to attend.
Meanwhile the Red Arrows will not be performing until further notice, pending a Ministry of Defence investigation.    The team’s aerobatic feats have thrilled countless people.  But this can never be worth the loss of a single life. 
(Posted from Singapore)

Tuesday 23 August 2011

Diana Lamplugh - a natural communicator




The death of Diana Lamplugh represents the loss of one of the most natural and selfless communicators in Britain of the last 20 years.
Mrs Lamplugh’s daughter, Suzy, was an estate agent in London.  In 1986, she went to show a flat to a prospective purchaser called “Mr Kipper”.  She disappeared and was never seen again.
She was assumed to have been murdered, but neither her body nor her killer have ever been found.  The case received enormous media coverage at the time, because of the sudden and almost casual nature of Miss Lamplugh’s disappearance.
Mrs Lamplugh would have been justified in sinking into years of grief, self pity and perhaps bitterness.  We would all have totally understood.  But she did not.
She set about establishing a Trust - the Suzy Lamplugh Trust - to explore areas of safety of women working alone, including nurses, midwives, police officers and even office cleaners.
Mrs Lamplugh became a familiar and popular figure on television, radio and in the press for her tireless advocacy of the trust and a commentator on women’s safety.  She was always a welcome guest on programmes of any kind.
She was a very appealing communicator - sincere, forthright, and never a hint of self pity, and had the right to be heard because of what she had been through.  Never strident or unmeasured.  Always warm.  She was someone who could persuade the highest levels to listen.
Sincerity and integrity are underrated values for communicators in today’s reality obsessed society.   They shone through in Diana Lamplugh and I hugely admired her.   
Thank you, Mrs Lamplugh.   Rest in peace.


(Posted from Singapore)

Tuesday 16 August 2011

English Courts acknowledge the power of Facebook in riots




Two young men have been jailed for four years at Chester Crown Court for inciting rioting and looting on Facebook in the recent outbreak of civil disorder in England.  The swiftness of this justice (the men pleaded guilty) and the length of the sentences has surprised many and is intended as a powerful signal to the public that the courts are aware of the strength of public feeling.

These are severe sentences - the longest so far handed out in the civil disorder - and longer than sentences given for actually rioting and looting.  They are a recognition by the Court of the power of social media to organise violence on a large scale.

But as well as being used to promote violence and disorder, social media has shown itself to be a powerful tool for the police in identifying and tracing criminals.

The swift actions of the courts fit a good pattern for crisis management and communications.

Leadership and decision making should always drive communications.  Communications without action lacks integrity and will never be strategic.

The ideal order is Communicate - Decisions - Communicate - Action - Communicate:

1.  Communicate - acknowledge the problem and express feeling and empathy with those affected

2.  Decision making - decide how you are going to deal with the crisis (in this case tough swift consequences for looters and rioters after the riots)

3.  Communicate what you are going to do (ie the decisions)

4.  Take the action you have decided upon (in this case swift justice)

5.  Communicate the actions you have taken.

Britain is currently in the next stage of this process:

6.  Decide what you are going to do to prevent a recurrence of the crisis situation

7.  Communicate what you have decided.

8.  Implement your decisions

9.  Communicate how you have implemented your decisions.

Things go wrong when this order gets jumbled up.  Communicating without decisions being taken (as was the case in the riots when the decision makers were on holiday and were slow to get off their sun loungers) or taking decisions and failing to communicate them.  Often decision-makers cannot agree and communicators are exposed when they do not have clear messages.

Life in England is returning to normal.  Tonight on the BBC, there is a nail-biting competition which has had me on the edge of my seat.   It is a cake-baking competition, and the winner must bake a perfect cup cake.  It is such a great antidote to all the violence and anger of the past week.  (Getting excited about baking is an English thing).

Meanwhile we do not forget the innocent citizens who lost their lives in the riots - including three young men who were killed as they stood guard over a place of religious worship in Birmingham, and a man who was murdered as he tried to put out a fire in Ealing West London.

Those who incited the violence and others who were rioting and looting will be out of prison before long and can rebuild their lives.    When the news crews move on, the families of those who were murdered will serve a life sentence of loss and bereavement.

Wednesday 10 August 2011

Measuring the success of crisis communications

The police publish pictures on Flickr of alleged looters and ask the public : can you help us identify them?  The public reply: Yes.

West London, where I live, is quiet this evening.  Those restaurants that are still open are empty with staff sitting at tables playing cards.   The predominant sound remains that of hungry large guard dogs barking. I've come to view the sound as reassuring.


The fact that the streets are deserted is a measure of the success of the key message the Metropolitan Police have been giving - shops should shut early if they can and people should avoid areas where there might be trouble.


In a crisis, there's no time for focus groups and qualitative research (although that is useful in the medium to long term to review how your actions affected your overall reputation).


Instead, the best tools for measuring the effectiveness of your messages are your eyes and ears.


In a crisis people ask "What should I do?" and sometimes even "What should I think?"


Great crisis messages are easy to respond to and are ones that call for action.  Such as "get out" in a fire, or "stay off the streets" in the London riots.


The ubiquity of Twitter has brought a degree of sophistication into crisis messaging during the London riots.  I've been impressed by how police forces across the UK have been using Twitter.


Some, like Coventry Police (Coventry is a large industrial city in the Midlands of England) tweeted this evening that there was no trouble in the city, quashing growing rumours at a stroke.  Wise and clever.


The Metropolitan Police in London (@metpoliceuk) have used Twitter to send warnings to potential looters and to reassure the public that action was to be strong:


"Levels of disorder not the same as yesterday. A large presence will be maintained tonight."


and

"685 arrests now made re London disorder - incl. 1 for Reeves furniture store fire http://bit.ly/qIaAL1"

Reeves furniture store in Croydon, a long established family store, is destroyed by arson in the riots

How about this clever one from Greater Manchester Police? (@gmpolice):

"If you have been using social networking sites to incite disorder, expect us to come knocking on your door very soon"



The first casualty in a crisis is usually the truth so West Midlands Police (@wmpolice) has been doing what it can to keep citizens informed of what is going on, even if it is not good news (looting and violence were appalling in Birmingham last night - 3 innocent people were killed):

@WMPolice: "We are investigating unconfirmed report of shots fired just outside Birmingham centre.No injuries reported.Officers on scene"


and

"For all the latest updates for rest of the evening follow @WMPolice and visit www.west-midlands.police.uk"


Meanwhile social media is playing its part in helping the aftermath of the trouble so far.  Shops in London reported they had sold out of brooms as members of the public bought one on their way to volunteering to help clear up the streets - something organised in Twitter.  Local shops made tea and sandwiches for the volunteers.  One volunteer said: "If they come back tonight and create more destruction, we'll be back in the morning to clear it again. That's what Londoners do."

But most significantly, the camera enabled cell phone has provided thousands of images of looters and arsonists and the public are sending them to the police.  In London, the Metropolitan Police have set up a Flickr site with the pictures, asking the public to identify the criminals.  This is a repeat of what happened in Vancouver a few weeks ago when civil disorder and looting broke out after a hockey match.

One young man gave himself up at a police station today after his picture was posted.

Now that's a measure of the effectiveness of the police's message - "help us to identify the looters".


In the meantime, citizens remain very, very angry and want to see tough action from the Government. Parliament has been recalled tomorrow from holiday.  For the sake of its reputation, the quality of debate must be very high, and there must be a sense of tough decisions being taken.  One way to start would be to cancel the planned cuts to the police budgets (I haven't met anyone who supports these cuts now) and firing anyone who is employed in the public service who has played any role in the riots, including on social media.











The 3 Cs of crisis and a Twitter tidy-up

This morning, British people started to do what they do best in a crisis - they tidy up and make a nice cup of tea.  I say British people, but amongst the volunteers were many London School Economics students from every continent.

They all volunteered through a spontaneous movement on twitter to help the authorities clean up the mess on the streets after the widespread civil disorder last night.  And to hand in bedding, food and other items to help those who have lost their homes through arson attacks.

However, the overwhelming feeling expressed today in the streets, on the phone, on the underground, has been anger - to the point of boiling over - that citizens and businesses should have been subjected to this, and it is still going on.

One shopkeeper described the youths that destroyed her shop last night as "feral rats".

The police have now began the task of identifying the criminals, many of whom are young children, by publishing pictures of the scenes of disorder and inviting the public to identify them, including via social media.

The situation tonight is worsening again across many English cities.

In West London, where the giant Westfield Centre is surrounded by two rings of steel and a huge number of security guards, the streets are quiet.  London is a city that never sleeps and this is an area that's busy beyond 2am.  Not tonight. The sounds of sirens and hungry guard dogs barking are the main sounds, jarring already frayed nerves.

The main streets of West London, normally with nose to tail traffic, are largely deserted at 10pm this evening.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnston, returned from holiday today, just in time to see the burned out buildings.  He was discomfited when he was met in Clapham by angry citizens demanding to know why they had not been properly protected.  The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, was booed by people in the streets in Birmingham.

Overwhelming public support for the police continues with plenty of citizens saying "thank you" as they pass officers.

And today, there are signs of organisation, much of which can be attributed to the return of the Prime Minister - a little slow to return from holiday, but return he did.

What should a government do when faced with a crisis involving civil disorder?

First of all, leadership comes before communication.  You take decisions and then you communicate them.  The return of the Prime Minister to London gave a strong signal that decisions were going to made and control exerted.

The 3 "Cs" of a crisis apply to almost every situation.

Control - A crisis situation needs to be brought under control through doing the right thing and taking timely decisions.  In this case doing the right thing has involved taking decisions that stop short of what the public appear to demanding - which include bringing in the army and armed police.

Care - over every detail of crisis management and communication.  The utmost care about getting the facts right for example.

Compassion - in everything you do and say keeping the plight and feelings of citizens affected by the crisis uppermost - such as those who have lost their homes and businesses.   It is not possible to express too much compassion, and usually too little is expressed.

Once decisive action has been agreed, it's time to communicate. Messages in an emergency should be short, simple and loud and repeated often.

In a fire, for example, "get out" is the best message.    In this case "get off the streets" is a message that has got through to many London citizens.

In a crisis, the fewer messages the better - no more than three - and repeated very often in every forum you can find - radio, television, online, social media.

The three key messages the UK Government appear to have adopted were launched by the Prime Minister this morning:

1. We will make the streets safe.
2. We pay tribute to police bravery and we'll put more police on the street
3. The criminals will see severe consequences for their actions.

These fit the need to promote calm as well as meeting the anger felt by almost everyone - even visible today on the faces of some TV newsreaders.

In a crisis, you need to tell people what you are going to do, do it, then make sure they see what you have done.

That is beginning to happen tonight in London.  But meantime serious trouble is breaking out in Manchester and Birmingham.  This will not be solved in 24 hours.

A worrying sign of a lack of confidence on the part of the public is the formation of vigilante groups of citizens getting together to protect their homes and places of religious worship.  Some businesses have hired big guard dogs for their premises.  This is understandable and perhaps useful but it could result in further violence.  The presence and growth of these groups will be a useful measure of the success of the government's crisis communications operation.

So what did the Prime Minister say this morning that was a good start to the communications?

1. We will make the streets safe
2. I condemn the violence and criminality in the strongest terms
3. Tribute to police bravery.  There were 6,000 police on duty last night. Tonight there will be 16,000.
4. People will see severe consequences for their criminal actions - you will feel the full force of the law.
5. Parliament will be recalled this week.

He ends the statement declining to take questions saying "excuse me, there is important work to be done" which was well delivered but after three days of civil disorder, the public and media have many questions and they should get answers.

And there remains too few spokespeople on radio and television.  In a crisis, key messages simple, repeated and often.

BBC News reported this evening on the way television news bulletins round the world are reporting the crisis - "London's burning".  In the run up to the London Olympics in 2012, the reputation of the capital is at stake.

And remember the golden rule of a crisis - it's not what happens to you but how you deal with it that defines your reputation.



You can follow the police twitter feeds and reaction to the work of the police at:


Metropolitan Police, London  @metpoliceuk
West Midlands Police, Birmingham @wmpolice
Greater Manchester Police @gmpolice


















Tuesday 9 August 2011

Anarchy in Britain and a Total Failure of Leadership

For the first time in my life I went to bed in London last night and did not feel safe.   I was right to feel that way.  Stories are emerging this morning of houses being entered by criminals and householders threatened and no police to attend while your life is at risk.

Neighbours met last night to discuss how we could make our houses more secure as the local shopping mall, Westfield, was surrounded by a ring of steel and security staff with large hungry dogs moved in.

A ring of steel is being erected at the Westfield Shopping Centre in West London.

How could we protect our homes and ourselves?  One television news reported that householders in one part of London were left to protect their homes with all they had - pots and pans.

The unchecked orgy of gangs of feral scum indulging in criminality, thieving, arson and looting has spread from London to Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool and Nottingham.   Police cells in London are full and criminals are being held in other parts of the country.  One shop manager had thugs breaking into her shop and telling her they would kill her if she did not open her safe.  She escaped to the basement and called the police.  Three hours later, none had come.   One huge building in Croydon was consumed by fire, and the fire brigade could not get near it because of the presence of thugs.

I can't remember a time when the British people were more angry.  And demanding action.  And not getting it.

Britain has been shamed across the world, not only by the actions of thousands of criminals, but by our inability to deal with and the total lack of political leadership, most of whom were on holiday.  It raises serious question marks about London's ability to secure the 2012 Olympics.

In the midst of this, the bravery of the police, fire and ambulance services has been outstanding.  We are planning to cut the pensions, working conditions and numbers of these people (read that again and make sure you understand it in the light of what is happening).   But there are not enough of them.  And they need more power.

In a crisis, leadership comes before communications.  The function of communications in a crisis is to communicate decisions and reassure the public.

What of the relevant leaders in Britain?

The Prime Minister  Finally has returned from his holiday in Tuscany, but much too late.  Convening a meeting of COBRA (The Cabinet national emergency committee) but not till today, after widespread civil disorder last night that was out of control.  Too late.  There was no-one from the government appearing on television and radio yesterday in the midst of this appalling emergency.   An unbelievable absence of visible leadership which could have created a sense of calm and control.  Where was the Deputy Prime Minister?  Supposedly in charge but not very visible.

The Home Secretary Theresa May is the Government minister responsible for public order and the police. Made firm and reassuring statements very quickly, returns immediately from holiday.  Gives appearance of control, but it's clear this morning she doesn't appear to have the authority to make tough decisions before COBRA meets.  She has done a good job but hands appear to be tied.  Mrs May, who is a good woman, is very damaged now because in defending forthcoming cuts to the police service said in September 2010 that the Government could cut budgets without risking civil unrest.

The Mayor of London was criticised by newspapers for being slow to return from holiday.  He did so, however.

The Acting Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Tim Godwin was a good authoritative presence in media statements yesterday but lacks the authority of being the permanent Commissioner.   The reputation of the police was badly damaged in the News International scandal and the previous Commissioner was forced out for political reasons.  Now we are paying the price for it.

Local Members of Parliament Some, like Diane Abbott and David Lammy, have done their best to condemn the criminality and call for calm.  Others have caused anger by making the frankly daft assertion that criminality was linked to a sense of inequality (as if injustice is righted by stealing flat screen televisions, designer clothes and mobile phones).   Nothing has angered the public more.  In general a lack of leadership by out of touch politicians (with the above exceptions).

The Leader of the Labour Opposition Ed Miliband weighs in critical of the government - from his holiday in Devon.  He's finally prised away from his cream tea to return to the blazing capital.

What needs to be done in crisis communications terms?

1.  Significant and tough decisions need to be made by COBRA. The public want the Army to be brought in to re-inforce the Police.  Many want an enforced curfew, although I doubt that would work in London which is a 24 hour city.

2.  The Prime Minister needs to get out to the media for the rest of the day talking directly to the public.  He should also make a Prime Ministerial broadcast.  His aim should be to promote calm, address public anger with reassurance of severe consequences

3.  An announcement should be made suspending plans to cut the emergency services pending a further review.   This will boost the morale of exhausted officers and meet the requirements of the public.

That is just the task list for this morning.   As the day progresses, citizens need more information, more advice, more reassurance.  How should we protect our homes and ourselves if trouble comes our way? It's time to right the lack of information.

Leaders are judged not by what happens to their organisations or countries, but how they deal with it.  So far they have failed this test in the public mind.  They probably have 24 hours to put this right.



Monday 8 August 2011

London in flames, deputy leaders to the front!



As the news spread round the world you could hear the sound of American telephone receivers being picked up and travel plans to London cancelled.

The all-important American tourist market is more important than ever as Britain's economy is on the slide.  It's a market that's very sensitive.  Americans don't like to travel somewhere that does not appear safe. Like most people.

Before anyone leaps to their keyboard and says, "wait a minute, this is about one part of London, the rest is untouched".  Really?  The efforts of the authorities today seem aimed at stopping the violence spreading.  As I write, disorder has broken out in the Hackney district and the fashionable Westfield shopping centre in Shepherds Bush (home of Tiffanys, De Beers, Louis Vuitton etc) is having giant metal barriers erected around it.

In the run up to the Olympics in London in 2012, this is not only a tragedy for those innocent citizens who have been affected by the riots, it is a PR disaster for the capital.

For those abroad, here is the story in a nutshell.

Tottenham is in North London.Tottenham has a history of riots. In 1985, it was the scene of the worst inner-city riots in Britain's history and during these riots, PC Keith Blakelock was hacked to death by knives and blades.


PC Keith Blakelock, murdered in 1985

On Thursday, police officers from Operation Trident, which targets gun crime in London, are alleged to have shot and killed Mark Duggan, a 29 year old, in Tottenham. It is reported he was carrying a gun. It is not clear how this happened but early evidence suggests, reports The Times newspaper,  that the police fired the shots.


The family of Mr Duggan feel aggrieved at his death and the lack of apparent information about how he died (this is because it is already the subject of an automatic serious investigation by the Police Complaints Authority).  On Saturday, the family held a peaceful vigil, which was hijacked by criminals who set about a night of rioting, arson and looting.  The riots were partly organised through social media and instant messaging.Shops were broken into and looted.   Even a kettle from a local barber's shop was stolen.  Historic buildings which survived the London Blitz were set alight and destroyed.  Local residents had to abandon their homes and run, - some with babies and young children in their arms - for their lives as the rioters approached.   Large number of police attended, but because this level of violence was not anticipated they had to concentrate on protecting the other emergency services - fire and ambulance - who were in danger of attack.


There was more rioting last night, this time met with huge numbers of police.


If you are having a moment of disbelief, this is London. 2011. One of the most sophisticated cities in the world.


So how have the authorities, and the media responded to this crisis for the capital?


In Britain, when something goes wrong, it is the default position of the media to blame the police.


An armed man is shot in an area with a reputation for extraordinary violence against police.  Large numbers of criminals provoke riots and industrial scale looting and destruction and place people in fear of their lives.


Who do the media blame for this?  Step forward the police.  The officers, facing cuts in their pensions and working conditions under government plans, should have had the ability to see into the future, predict the violence and stop it.   A bit like how the media predicted the trouble at News International or the global economic collapse.  That sort of predictive ability.


The problem is that in the midst of all this, the police have no-one to speak for them.  The able Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Steve Kavanagh gave an interview to Britain's biggest news programme this morning, the Today show.  He accepted they had not predicted the level of violence, but said there were no signs of it (otherwise of course they would have acted). Last night they had three times the number of officers on duty. The police were in control of the streets of London.


The Met has a PR problem.  The Met Commissioner, Britain's most senior police officer, has resigned in the wake of disquiet over the close relationship between the police and News International. There is a vacuum at the top.

When tragedy hit Oslo, the Norwegian Prime Minister was immediately there, showing leadership.

But defending the police on the programme was not the Mayor of London, Boris Johnston, but the Deputy Mayor, Kit Malthouse, who did a good job, but he's not the Mayor.  Mr Malthouse rightly said that had the police swamped the area with officers on Saturday, they would have been accused of being heavy handed and provoking riots. In other words, they can't win.  And, he implies,we should support them.

But the Mayor of London was not there. He is on holiday, like the Home Secretary Theresa May. Both fly back.  There is some criticism of the Mayor that he is slow to respond and get on a plane.

A crisis needs leaders.  Not deputy leaders.  And they need to bolster up the institutions they lead, in this case the police. The Prime Minister and Home Secretary have already issued strong statements of the kind that are needed.

In a crisis a leader is needed. They need to make reassuring statements that promote calm amongst the public.  They also need to exhibit quiet resolve to address public anger, not least amongst the innocent victims.

Then, they need to outline an action plan to deal with the issue. First on this list would be vocal support for the police who need to be completely released from public relations duties to focus on public order issues.

If ever London needed Mr Johnston's gifts, it is now.  London needs their leader.