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Crisis Management
A Leadership Challenge
Rick J. Kaufman, APR
Executive Director of Community Relations
Bloomington (MN) Public Schools
Reproduction of materials is permitted for training purposes provided credit is given to the author.
What is a Crisis?
an emotionally charged significant event
or radical change
an unstable or crucial time of affairs in
which a decisive change is impending
a situation with the distinct possibility of
a highly desirable outcome
a situation that has reached a critical
phase
What is a Crisis?
student or staff suicide
student walkout or protest
assault - of a student, staff or volunteer
child abuse
sexual harassment
criminal activity
health emergency (AIDS, etc.)
What is a Crisis?
fire or explosion
school bus accident
bomb threat
natural disaster (flood, tornado, etc.)
VIP visit
power outage
more? (Hint: dozens more!)
Is it an incident
or a CRISIS?
CRISIS
Communication
Foundation of any crisis planning, implementation,
Training
Preparation and knowing what to do is crucial
Maintains preparedness
District-wide scenarios
and parents
Return to normal
Outline steps to practice, rehearse for a crisis
(creates cultural conditions that practice is
important, demonstrates teamwork needed
during the crisis)
Include students in planning, training
What else? (consider your unique circumstances)
Preparedness
- process of planning a rapid, coordinated and efective
response
Response
- action steps to take during a crisis
Recovery
- restoring the teaching and learning environment after a crisis;
must include mental health recovery
Waves of Response
- police/medical
- media
- parents
- looky-loos & gawkers; super-heroes; cottage industry
types
First 24 hours
Duration of crisis
Rebuilding/Recovery
Other questions?
operating procedures
Places one person in charge of decision-
Parent Liaison
Teachers w/
student supervisory
duties
Student Safety
Coordinator
PIO
Operations Officer
Documents
Officer
District Crisis
Response Team
Other Support
Personnel
Teachers w/o
student supervisory
duties
Crisis Recovery
Coordinator
Communication
Spokesperson(s)
Command Center
Coordinator
Media Manager
External Communications
Coordinator
Internal Communications
Officer
Crisis/Special Events
Coordinator
Volunteers
Information Gathering
Plan to collect, verify information
Inaccurate information creates new crisis, puts
Communicating in a Crisis
Target Key Audiences
School, District or University Leadership
Crisis Response Agencies
Staff/Faculty (site of crisis first, then others)
Opinion Leaders (community, business, faith,
government, alumni, key financial supporters)
Communicating in a Crisis
What do I say?
The TRUTH
Dont share what you dont know to be true
Dont speculate
Dont hide behind factual information
Not talking about a crisis wont take back what
Communicating in a Crisis
Speed of communication
Communicating in a Crisis
Leadership and Staff
Communicating in a Crisis
Leadership and Staff
(communicate these
Communicating in a Crisis
Parents
Need help working w/ their children to
(Be prepared)
Communicating in a Crisis
Community
Use key opinion leaders to get message out to
broader audience
Consider community meeting
Reassure safety, security steps
Express concern for victims and regret for crisis
Dont take the blame
Communicating in a Crisis
Students
Provide opportunity, encouragement to talk
Communicating in a Crisis
All Audiences
Determine most useful vehicle
(update frequently)
blame
Many theories on crisis
Facts arent always corroborated
Victim confusion often leads to stories that are
Media Relations
Strategy 1: Help heal; return to normalcy
Strategy 2: Stay on message; one, clear voice
Media is fastest way to communicate broadly
Media Triage (no favoritism, focus on local first)
Brief daily; never say no comment
Respond to all reasonable media needs
Develop guidelines for access to students, staff
Set ground rules for interviews, media pools
other situations
Train new staff immediately
Retrain all staff annually; dont forget students
Additional Resources
The following slides are additional resources for
schools/universities to use in training with
students and staff:
Crisis Planning
10-Step Approach to Proactive Crisis Planning
School/District/University Crisis Team Responsibilities
Literature Resources
Photocopying of the following materials is permissible for training purposes only, and source attribution to: Rick J. Kaufman, APR
Common Mistakes of
Crisis Management
Putting news media ahead of employees
Employees want, deserve news FIRST
Common Mistakes of
Crisis Management
Limit communication due to litigation fears
Litigation usually follows adversity
No crisis plan
Believing a crisis cant happen is ignorant, arrogant. No
plan can result in crippling damage to an organization
2.
3.
4.
School/District/University
Crisis Teams
Responsibilities of District/University Crisis Team:
School/District/University
Crisis Teams
Responsibilities of School/Building Crisis Team:
topic of conversation.
Avoid repetitive and excessive interviews on the violent act.
Goal is to focus on healing, returning to normal moving
forward.
Resources
The Complete Crisis Communication
Straub