The Bailey Blog

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!

I used to think I wanted to be in politics…that was when I was at the ripe-old-age of 20.  I remember attending that Young Republican Club meeting thinking they would support my candidate.  When I got to the meeting though, the people in attendance voted to support another candidate and to make the vote unanimous.  Leaving that meeting I felt like I was steamrolled and after that experience I decided to become an independent…which I remain. 

I remember that even then, as a 20-year-old, that we were NOT listening to each other or to the public.  What is important to remember in those situations is that no one is right all the time and no one is wrong all the time.  I’ve said this many times before and I remember saying it at that meeting as well.  The best way to get things accomplished is to sit down, Republicans (R), Democrats (D) and Independents (I), talk about things and make a decision that includes the best thinking of the group. 

“For if we choose only to expose ourselves to opinions and viewpoints that are in line with our own, studies suggest that we will become more polarized and set in our ways.  And that will only reinforce and even deepen the political divides in this country.  But if we choose to actively seek out information that challenges our assumptions and our beliefs, perhaps we can begin to understand where the people who disagree with us are coming from.”

Who said that?  If it was an R, D or I that said that, and he/she agreed with your opinion, you might agree.  Am I right? 

Well it was President Obama who said this at the University of Michigan commencement at the beginning of May in Ann Arbor. 

And the American people are saying that they – we – want our politicians to listen to each other and make decisions that benefit us all…not just the doctrines of one side or the other. 

It is important to have facts to balance any conversation about downtown Detroit and the Michigan region.  This is not to hide anything at all, just to present all sides of the story. 

The January-February 2010 Intellitrends study on Detroit, which I alluded to in my last blog, collected results from more than 2,000 people, 829 of which were SE Michigan residents.  And of those SE Michigan residents the top three things that the locals liked most about the region were:

1. Sporting events and sports teams
2. Entertainment (arts, music and museums) and;
3. Up-north Michigan. 

Looking at the top three list among the 1,201 former Michigan residents surveyed – those living in other areas of the U.S. now – sporting events/sports teams, the cost of living and quality of life are top-of-mind for them. 

Furthermore, the study showed that 59 percent of people living in other parts of the U.S. describe the overall image of the State of Michigan as neutral or positive comparable to other states. 

When talking about downtown Detroit, Ninety-six percent of those surveyed go downtown at some point with one third of SE Michigan residents saying they go weekly for various reasons. 

Looking specifically at the SE Michigan residents surveyed, almost 30 percent of them said that their use of downtown has increased compared to previous years.  More specifically, 47 percent of those 18 to 34 that were surveyed stressed that they are using downtown more often. 

So what does Detroit need to do to get more people downtown?  According to the survey results, more free parking, increased or improved security and more waterfront venues/activities topped the list. 

It is interesting to look at this survey and analyze these results because it offers an opportunity to improve our community.  However, it is also important to note that many things have already started to improve.  To keep this momentum we need to keep working together because together we can keep progressing while working on all categories.

Intellitrends LLC completed a nationwide study in January/February of 2010 regarding people’s opinions of Detroit entitled “Detroit Pulse.”  Feedback was collected from 2,030 people; 829 of which were Michigan residents who live in one of the nine SE Michigan counties, and 1,201 from other areas of the United States.  The study, which was sponsored by the Detroit Regional News Hub, resulted in a 70-page report.  I just wanted to take a moment totouch on a few of the quotes that stuck out to me. 

One respondent stated, “It is obvious that ‘Detroiters’ are passionate about their home, the city itself and Michigan.”  The survey revealed that 48 percent of respondents expressed a love for living here, while only 10 percent indicated they dislike living here.  Furthermore, of those who said they would leave Detroit, 23 percent say they would still stay in Michigan. 

Another interesting factoid from this study is that younger residents share comparable feelings with no strong intentions of exiting the area, but rather are holding onto hopes for improvement. 

Among residents who have lived here fewer than five years, 31 percent said it was, “better than I expected.”  Fewer than one-in-five said their experience of living in the Detroit area fell “below” their expectations. 

Here are a couple anecdotes from the study talking about the perception folks had about Detroit and what good things they have witnessed in Detroit since giving it a chance:

“I expected to find fewer cultural events and attractions such as museums.  I expected higher crime rates.”

“Cleaner and safer than the perception outside Michigan.”

“I moved here to go to school and never expected to stay, but I love the people, and the river and architecture of the city is amazing.”

These are the current perceptions of just three of the more than 2,000 people surveyed.  It is these anecdotes that we need to make count to keep our city moving in the right direction.  We need to look for that ray of sunshine even on rainy days like today. 

Starting tomorrow, May 1, Michigan will be “smoke free” in bars, restaurants, bowling alleys, etc.  

This is a huge victory for the nearly 82 percent of Michigan residents who do not smoke.  Yes, that is right, only a bit more than 18 percent of Michiganders smoke. 

We are the 38^th state to pass such a law…late but not too late.  And guess what, bars, restaurants, bowling alleys, etc. are still open and thriving and doing well in those states that have the smoking ban. 

Among the winners in this effort in Michigan are the workers in these establishments as it is a known fact that people can die from second-hand smoke.  Speaking of winners, if smokers quit, they’d be healthier and would save a lot of money.  For example, if one smoked a pack a day at $5 per pack times 365, is around $1,800 per year.  That is enough money to take a nice vacation, or for some it would feed their families with many good meals.  Also, who knows how much they’d save on health care. 

So, starting tomorrow I hope that everyone enjoys the smell and taste of their food this weekend and moving forward, forever.  I want to congratulate everyone involved in the major efforts, especially the Campaign for Smokefree Air.  We appreciate their outstanding efforts to clean up the air.  Additionally, we have been proud to be a part of this outstanding effort.