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Rethinking Your Crisis-Communications Plan to Prepare for the Unexpected
Elizabeth Klebe, director of corporate communications at Air Products and Chemicals
Air Products and Chemicals' director of corporate communications notes that after the Sept. 11 tragedies, the paradigm of crisis management shifted and the $6.3 billion-a-year gas and chemical company revisited its approach to crisis communications. After a number of crisis simulations, Air Products found a variety of areas where it was vulnerable and needed corrective action. The major challenges involved a lack of substantial communications resources, stagnant information and an overwhelmed crisis call center. Air Products overcame these challenges by developing new communications processes and by clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of team members.
The company now maintains modest goals that guide its strategies and tactics during all crisis situations. These include maintaining a positive reputation by understanding and managing perceptions, achieving balanced media coverage, delivering accurate, timely information and coordinating internal processes to ensure consistent messaging.
She considers it imperative to respond rapidly to media inquiries as reporters she finds often will distribute a story based on whatever information they have and correct it later. She considers this a sign that crises can be found almost anywhere. "In the chemical industry, as a responsible, caring company, we used to think of a crisis as a big chemical explosion," she explains. "But the reality is it that a crisis can start as something small and be fueled by misinformation. Your actions can help prevent that."
Elizabeth believes the most important thing to consider in developing a crisis communications plan is that reputation isn't given to you — it's something you earn.