Manage the next crisis

But Jensen says it doesn't have to be that way. Although nothing can ease the grief of relatives who have lost a loved one, a detailed crisis-management plan can save the reputation of a company — and even keep it from going out of business. Jensen was in Bangkok recently to promote the virtues of crisis management at a Pacific Asia Travel Association-hosted (PATA) luncheon-seminar entitled 'Manage the Next Tourism Crisis'. What he had to say directly relates to the conference, exhibition and incentive industry, which, after Sars, the Bali bombings and the tsunami, knows only too well the devastating effect a mass crisis can have on it. Reputation counts "If your reputation is damaged, you're in trouble," Jensen says. "Consequence management is a business responsibility. Disasters should not put you out of business. But it doesn't matter how big you are, poor crisis management can put you out of business." Essential resources needed to maintain the operations and functions of an organisation are often shifted in an attempt to tackle a crisis. In an era when resources have become creasingly limited, this can result in over-burdened staff, decreased customer service and an ineffectual response to a crisis, Jensen says. He says contingency planning is an organisational imperative. Without it, attempts to respond to a crisis are disastrous. Putting an emergency plan under the microscope is vital if the appropriate level of response is to be achieved. The "it's not going to happen to me" attitude is a recipe for disaster. "If a disaster does occur, some businesses think the government will take care of it, and if they don't, there's no problem. That's a bad attitude to have," Jensen says. "Kenyon has already received four or five calls this year from clients suffering a mass crisis. We were trying to get through last year without having to face another one that year, but December 26 changed all that." Establish goals Jensen says the tsunami disaster showed that there are a lot of different standards — or none at all — when it comes to crisis management. "Too often people don't establish goals," he says. "There needs to be a standard of care. What does a mass fatality do to people? It causes stress. You don't want to add to that." Jensen says companies need to understand religious and cultural differences when responding to a crisis. "There are no borders anymore," he says. Having the right resources in place can make all the difference. While you can't plan for every disaster, you can have preparations in place to deal with things that you are pretty sure will happen on a regular basis, such as bus accidents. "You have to coordinate," says Jensen. "It's absolutely vital so that you don't get bogged down. It's also vital when dealing with family members. "Imagine someone trying to ID a family member. One person is telling you one thing and another is telling you something else." Jensen says understanding your company and formulating a realistic, executable emergency response plan is a must. The plan needs to be based on real-world experience and the needs of the client are invaluable in setting the tone and establishing the calibre of response in the first few hours after an incident. Part of that plan involves communications, says Jensen. The crisis communications plan should outline the roles, responsibilities and actions of the communication team. "The first thing you need to do when coming up with a crisis plan is audit your crisis capabilities," Jensen says. "Ask yourself what standards you want to set for your guests and employees, but do it in an unemotive moment. It's a real mistake to make some of those decisions at a time of crisis. That will only alienate family members." Companies need to know how to answer telephone calls during a crisis and how to guide a CEO to TV cameras to tell people what's going on. Kenyon helps companies to better handle a crisis by implementing the following crisis support service: l Enlarging an existing telephone support centre l Establishing and operating a crisis support centre with telephone operators trained in disaster and emergency response l Data entry and records personnel; l Qualified mental health professionals trained in crisis response. Jensen also recommends testing your emergency plan and systems, but don't do it on a weekday. "Pick a time when people least expect it. Pick a Saturday or Sunday. Also, don't pick your headquarters. Pick an area without resources." Finally, Jensen says that truth is always the best way to go. "Honesty really is the best policy when dealing with a crisis. A CEO saying sorry does not mean a company is going to get sued."