No doubt like Henry Kissinger, we all wish that we could just focus on the part of the job we love—developing creative, innovative, brand building strategies as opposed to thinking about, or worse, facing an actual crisis. Crises are hard! Tensions are high, scrutiny is intense, the underlying facts are bad, the decisions that need to be made are incredibly challenging, and oftentimes the search for a scapegoat precedes the pursuit of remedies.
With high profile executive departures at Berkeley, Missouri, Baylor, Davis, Temple, Louisville, and DePaul, churn at the top seems to have reached epidemic levels. What hasn’t grabbed the headlines is that the turnover of AVCs of Communications after a crisis is probably even higher. How can you protect yourself and your strategic priorities when danger seems to be perpetually lurking on the horizon?
A Press Release Can’t Save An Institution— Only Action Can
It is important to recognize that the MarComm team serves a dual role– to both build and to protect the reputation of the institution. In most cases, the “build” side of the equation gets the focus, the resources, and is, no doubt, what interested you in the first place. While natural and understandable, it is equally important that you prioritize the “protect” side, viewing it proactively and strategically.
Poor crisis response, for example, is almost guaranteed when Communications is not at the table as decisions are being made. If you don’t have an opportunity to weigh in, you and your team risk being left in the unenviable position of having to “explain” potentially poor decisions that will not withstand stakeholder scrutiny.
One action you can take now to demonstrate your strategic chops relative to crisis management is to spearhead a plan for identifying and mitigating potentially damaging issues. In fact, how soon you learn of an issue is probably the single biggest determinant of a successful response.
You can start by doing the following:
- Develop a clear, fault-free process for reporting bad news. Defining the what, how, when and to whom issues and events that have the potential to create significant reputational risk are identified and reported.
- Identify the right staff and process to “connects the dots”—crises never occur in isolation, and it’s critical to analyze and assess the information in a broader context.
- Establish an open door policy and reputation for taking all concerns seriously – not just from students but from all stakeholders. There is a natural inclination to minimize or disbelieve bad news. Don't.
As we all know, years of great brand building and marketing efforts can be undone in a matter of days by a poor response to a crisis. Managed well, crisis can burnish an institution’s reputation and the quality and values of its leadership. Managed poorly, and the impacts are needlessly exacerbated.
Blue Moon Consulting Group works in collaboration with colleges and universities of all sizes, helping them prepare and respond to issue and crisis events. We’ve recently released two whitepapers on ways to effectively manage crisis in higher ed:
- Higher Education Crisis Management: A Proactive and Strategic Approach to Managing Reputational Risk
- Higher Education Leadership in Crisis: A Guide to Preparing for and Preventing a Crisis on Your Watch
- (Coming Soon) Higher Education Issues Management: Beyond Spin—Bridging the Gap Between Stakeholder Expectations and Decision Making
Available for download at: www.bluemoonconsultinggroup.com/highered.
As is frequently noted, the Chinese character for “crisis” is composed of two parts, one meaning “danger” and the other “opportunity.” Seize this opportunity and give both yourself and your school a fighting chance by getting out in front of a potential crisis.
About Blue Moon Consulting Group
Metaphorically speaking a blue moon is a very rare event. In reality, blue moons are highly predictable and occur more often than most people realize. Likewise, threats to an organization’s reputation are predictable, frequent and require a proactive management approach. Blue Moon Consulting Group provides its clients insight, counsel, and experience to help them effectively manage real-time response to significant issues and crisis events.
We also help organizations mitigate issues and avoid crises altogether through the development of proactive issues management programs, the enhancement of crisis management and communications plans, and by conducting training, exercises and leadership sessions. Our goal is to build an organizational culture in which reputation is viewed as a key asset and fundamental strategic input into decision-making.
