The Bailey Blog

It is such an exciting time right now as PGA professionals enter the second round tomorrow A.M. (4 a.m. coverage starts for those early risers) of the British Open, or “THE” Open as the British call it.  This year it is being held at St. Andrews Links, the Old Course, the home of golf.  I had the distinct pleasure of playing the Old Course a couple years ago.  It was the golf thrill of a life time.  The course is 600 years old, you know! 

I was on a four-day golf trip to Scotland and St. Andrews Links was the highlight of the trip.  The guys I traveled with, as well as myself, were told by the others that had went “across the pond” to expect all kinds of weather; from sunny and warm, to cold and windy, to sleet and hail.  They failed to tell us that we’d have all of this weather everyday.  We were also told that there are two things that you DO NOT need in Scotland, golf shorts and a golf umbrella. It was May when we went and the temps never got above about 45 degrees. 

One of the thrills at the Old Course is when you tee off on #1.  You step to the tee and are announced as follows:  “Now Representing the United States of America, Mr. John Bailey.  Gentlemen, play away.”   

Fortunately, on #1, I managed to hit it down the left side of the fairway…where you are supposed to…quite by accident.  My second shot was an iron to the green to about 12 feet from the hole.  I missed the birdie but walked away with a par.  I was even par on the Old Course at St. Andrews Links!  Amazing. 

The bunkers at St. Andrews are just what you hear about.  They are six feet deep or more and located everywhere including the middle of the fairway - and even in the rough. 

During our round, we laughed a lot, especially when the wind and sleet came.  You just try to stand up and make a swing…never mind where it goes.  Plus, it is hard to even see the green or your ball in those conditions. 

On the “Road Hole”, #17, one of the most famous golf holes in the world, you have to hit the ball over part of the St. Andrews Hotel to the fairway.  I was first to hit and hit it over the hotel.  I turned to my friends and said my drive was either great or in someone’s drink.  

From there I managed to hit my second shot into one of the famous bunkers along side of the green (six-feet deep) and needless to say took a few more whacks then I should have to get out of the bunker and ended up with an 8 on the hole. 

Then on the finishing hole, #18, I hit a very poor second shot into the long grass way over the green and heard laughter and derogatory comments from the people watching – yes, even in the rain. 

Fortunately I was able to hit it to within an inch of the hole to shut up the “gallery.” 

It was a truly amazing experience. And as we watch the golfers this weekend I don’t care if it is called the British Open or “The Open.”  What I do know though is that it is a true thrill to see the Old Course again.  And if you haven’t been to St. Andrews, I’d recommend waking up early this weekend and watching this spectacular golf event and thinking about booking a trip there some day!     

I keep hearing that there is a major “brain-drain” of Michigan college graduates to other states.  Though it might be fun to say the phrase “brain-drain”, we need to stop that fad.  And we shouldn’t be so quick to pass this judgment as our graduates may not be leaving as fast as we think.  To make things even better, several organizations are working hard to keep these graduates in the great state of Michigan.   

Now, I’m not a journalist, so I don’t have the specific numbers, but, I have heard from various colleges and universities in Michigan that our young folks are not leaving in huge numbers.  One way to ensure to keep them in Michigan is to keep them informed as to opportunities here in the state, specifically those within their areas of study.  But, at the same time, there is a natural lure for college graduates to “leave home” and move to the likes of Chicago, NYC, LA, San Diego, or North Carolina.  I mean, for a recent graduate, leaving Michigan seems so enticing.  Didn’t we all have thoughts of leaving home when we were departing the nest? 

But I am here to tell you that those other locations don’t have many jobs either, nor do they have family and friends around to support the young grads in so many ways.  I remember reading that the folks at Eastern Michigan University, Michigan State University, Oakland University, Wayne State University and Walsh College say that more than 75 – 80 percent of their graduates are staying in Michigan.  That’s a high number, not as high as it could be, but a good step in the right direction. 

To keep these percentages rising we need to encourage businesses to host interns and offer opportunities that make these graduates want to stay.  For example, companies such as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, The Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce and Wayne State University have programs in place to look for strong interns and to help graduates find opportunities and therefore remain in Michigan.  

I have to say, if I were at this point in my career, I would definitely check out these organizations and others offering some great opportunities to see what they have to offer.

Looking at the internship program here at our company, I’d have to say it is quite strong.  At times during the year, we have at least three interns employed – as we do right now.  They do a fabulous job and are economical and fun to have around.  Plus, you have the opportunity to look for the best fit for future employees.  We currently have five former interns as full-time staff professionals. 

Trust me, it works folks!

One of my personal rules that I‘ve counseled my colleagues on has always been…”take care of yourself…be in shape for you.”  I have a reason for that, which I will share in a minute. 

Being healthy has never been more important then it is now.  And that is how it should be for everyone.  The trends today illustrate that the healthier you are, the lower your insurance will likely be.  If that’s not enough reason to maintain a healthy lifestyle then here is another one… 

YOU. 

If you are healthy and take care of yourself, you will feel better.  You will be able to perform better at your job and your quality of life will improve.  And, who knows, maybe you’ll even live longer. 

My personal reason to maintain a healthy lifestyle is my six grandsons (no girls).  I want to be able to do things with them for a long time.  For example, I spent this past weekend playing catch, fishing and shooting some baskets with my youngest two grandkids (four and six) and we had a grand ole time.  Then, this weekend my three older grandsons will be over and we will do the same physical activities, but I’m sure it will be much more aggressive.  And, there will probably be a game-or-two of golf played.  For those wondering, YES!, I can still “take them down” and hope to be able to for a long time. 

If you need tips of your own on keeping fit, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has some excellent tools. 

Here’s to living healthy, active lives (and to shooting under par)!

This is the third leg of my series on Communicating in a Crisis.  Part I talked about being ready to communicate.  Part II provided you with tips on what to do to prepare for a crisis and Part III will provide some guidelines on how to communicate during a crisis. 

Part III - After Something Happens

Regarding crisis, I’ve said once and I’ll say it again, there is no simple crisis formula out there unfortunately as all organizations are different and all crises are different.  But the principles outlined in these past couple blogs will give you the basics.  As I’ve mentioned in all segments, work with your public relations professions and attorneys as you make and enact your crisis plan.  If you do not have public relations or legal counsel, find professionals you can work with and have them ready for action. 

And when something happens:  

1.    Meet and/or communicate immediately with your core team to determine if the event is a crisis and what your next steps should be. 

2.    Determine who will be the spokesperson and when you will begin communicating.  Begin as soon as you can.  Even if you only say that “we are looking into the matter and will provide more details later (today)” and then you will need to give a time when you will get back with them. 

3.    Determine what the 10 worst things are that could happen as a result of the situation and the 10 most difficult questions outsiders might ask.  Prepare for these situations and have answers for those questions because I know from experience that your audience will most likely ask those questions first and foremost.   

4.    Gather all facts.  Have experts in place if appropriate to give detailed information.  If you don’t know, say so and tell your audience when you expect you will know. 

5.    Respond to every media question.  As above, if you don’t know, say so but tell them when you expect the information. 

6.    Never lie.  Don’t volunteer negative information, ie, “we haven’t had a problem there but we did have a problem over there.”

7.    Never speculate or go off the record.  Answer the question and stop. 

8.    Don’t use jargon, use standard English. 

9.    Never say: “No comment.”  It looks like you are hiding something.  Say, “we are investigating or reviewing the situation, and will have more information soon.”  Tell them when you expect to have more information – it better be soon, like hours – and tell them when and how you will be releasing your response. 

10.  When you have more information, get it out to all audiences immediately. 

This gives you a framework of information to begin the response in a crisis situation.  But as said, all crises are different and need to be treated that way.  Just know that a crisis can happen to any company at any time.  There are many examples that are in the news today and the past to prove that point (BP!!).   You are not immune.  You should run through your crisis plan at least once a year to make it clear to everyone exactly what their role is. 

Also, remember that a crisis is the beginning for your organization…the beginning of life after the crisis.  Call your public relations professionals for assistance in all matters. 

This is the second blog of a series that will help in preparing for a crisis.  To recap, the first blog talked about the need for quick, accurate, honest and complete response.  Plain and simple, there are no short cuts.  We also talked about the need to have a plan in place before a crisis happens because there is no simple solution or plan that covers everything. 

But the suggestions in this series will get you moving toward dealing with a crisis that could happen in your business.  We suggest working with your public relations professionals and attorneys to develop the most complete crisis plan for your organization. 

Part II - Before Something Happens

1.       Prepare a thorough crisis communications plan with all the information you will need in one data base.  Names with all contact information, etc., will be essential to successfully begin the communication process during a crisis.  This plan should include all legal requirements your company or organization must adhere to.

2.       Establish a core team as part of your plan including your CEO, lead public relations officer, lead attorney and one, two, or three other senior executives like your COO and CFO.  This is critical to the plan. 

3.       Create a website that can be downloaded with information and activated at the appropriate time.  Be ready to communicate by email and social communications options including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. immediately and often. 

4.       Make a list of the events that could happen in your organization that could become a crisis.  Be totally and completely open and honest with yourselves.  Include who might be a spokesperson in various situations. 

5.       Make a list of the important audiences that you will need to communicate with, begin the list with your employees followed by your customers.  Include other audiences as appropriate - share holders, suppliers, the community, your board of directors, analysts, etc.  And, all of these audiences will need to be communicated with immediately.  How will you communicate?  The answer is lots of ways, but one will be through the media including social media as mentioned above.  (NOTE:  If you don’t understand the meaning of the words honest and immediate, look them up.)

This is your start.  Stay tuned for the third in part of our series on Communicating in a Crisis, “Communicating After Something Happens.” 

This is the first of a three-part blog series on preparing for and communicating in a business crisis.  The series will include: 

1. Communicating in a Crisis
2. Establishing a Crisis Plan
3. After a Crisis Occurs

So without further ado here is Part I - Communicating in a Crisis

First off, it is important to note that there is no “simple” list of steps of how to handle a crisis in the business world.  Each situation is different.  Some are local, some regional, some national and some global.  Some involve life and/or death.  Some involve a natural event.  Some cause huge loss of money.  These are just a few of the many scenarios that you could face in crisis.  However, one consistent in crises is how to handle them.  An organization needs to be ready and be very thorough if it wants to minimize the potential tremendous negative impact to its reputation during crisis.  To be ready means to have a crisis communications plan in place before something happens.   

Several action steps should be part of any crisis plan.  An organization must communicate immediately, accurately, honestly and fully.  There are no short cuts.  Note:  if you do not understand these words especially immediately, accurately and honestly, look them up in the dictionary.  And while you are at it, look up the word fully too. 

It is essential that an organization be ready for something to happen because crises occur in any business category, no business is immune or different when it comes to this point. 

The remainder of this three part series of blogs on crisis will provide suggested lists of steps to take or to be aware of as one decides what the next steps are in crisis. 

In any event, involve your public relations professionals and your attorneys along with the most senior leaders (CEO, COO and CFO) of any organization.  Immediate action is critical to begin the communication process to key audiences.  If an organization does not have public relations professionals or attorneys, finds ones you can work with in advance and have them on stand-by.   

Part II of this series will focus on establishing the crisis communications plan. Be sure to check back in a day… 

As a new season approaches and spring turns to summer in what will likely still be another challenging year for Michigan, my sights are set on the promise of renewed energy, regional cooperation and new thinking that define the annual Mackinac Policy Conference, which gets underway today.  I hope all of the Conference attendees will embrace the event and the possibilities it represents with an open mind, a sense of optimism and an enthusiasm for a new way of thinking, doing and leading. 

When it comes to the shared vision of reclaiming Detroit’s position as a premier city nationally – and redefining Michigan so that it’s back on the map in a positive spotlight – a new way of thinking and acting may be the only way.

It just so happens that I know a little bit about embracing “newness.”  John Bailey & Associates, one of the largest public relations firms in the Detroit market, was recently acquired by Grand Rapids-based Lambert, Edwards & Associates, a national PR and investor relations firm.  Together we have formed a larger, stronger and more diverse statewide communications agency with three offices in metro Detroit, Lansing and Grand Rapids, as well as broad-ranging capabilities across five major industries.

With Jeff Lambert as president and managing partner and myself as chairman, we continue to work together to grow and guide the direction of the new joint agency.  You may have noticed our combined identity on our 7^th Annual Mackinac Policy Conference Research Survey conducted in partnership with the Detroit Regional Chamber.  We look forward to sharing with all of you in attendance at the Conference not only the complete results of this year’s survey, but also more about our new joint adventure.  It will be my 26th Conference, and Jeff’s first – another new experience that we know will pay dividends long into the future. 

For those of you that can’t be with us on the Island to hear first-hand the results of our annual Leadership Survey in partnership with the Detroit Chamber, please click HERE for the complete report.  Here’s to what’s new!