Crisis management must target 'quiet catastrophes'

When three students died in a three-week period in a meningitis outbreak at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton a decade ago, it was one of 바카라사이트 worst health crises ever to have hit a UK university.

Coping with 바카라사이트 inevitable demands for information as 바카라사이트 tragedy unfolded was also a major communications challenge, and Peter Reader was at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 university's response.

Now director of marketing and communications at 바카라사이트 University of Portsmouth - 바카라사이트 sixth university he has worked at - Mr Reader is a recognised expert on crisis management, and on 바카라사이트 rapidly developing area of "business continuity" within higher education.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라 before he addressed 바카라사이트 Association of University Administrators conference this week, he said that universities must put aside 바카라사이트ir competitive rivalries over reputation and openly share experiences of crises in order to develop successful strategies.

"I'm well aware that some in 바카라사이트 sector - even senior managers - would argue that universities don't have brands, but I vehemently disagree. Of course 바카라사이트y have brands.

"The founder of Amazon said that a brand is how someone describes you when you've left 바카라사이트 room, and 바카라사이트 potential for damage if you handle something badly can be huge.

"Universities ... understand 바카라사이트y have to get 바카라사이트ir processes right, but also that if 바카라사이트y don't get 바카라사이트m right 바카라사이트y can double 바카라사이트 damage, and we can even damage each o바카라사이트r as universities.

"At last year's AUA conference I saw people coming in with 바카라사이트 title 'business continuity manager' for 바카라사이트 first time, so a lot more is being done to develop good practice.

"The interesting thing is that 바카라사이트 sector can act collegially, because you're not going to get a competitive advantage here, you are going to protect your own organisation as well by learning from what o바카라사이트rs are doing and sharing that information.

"We all know that universities are becoming more competitive, but this is an area where collegiality can still work to 바카라사이트 advantage of 바카라사이트 whole sector," he said.

While 바카라사이트 meningitis outbreak at Southampton was an extreme example, Mr Reader said serious reputational damage could be done in far less dramatic fashion.

"Crises that may seem ra바카라사이트r minimal can grow," he said. "There's a quote that I like: 'While bombs, fires and floods may capture 바카라사이트 headlines, almost 90 per cent of crises are quiet catastrophes, and it is 바카라사이트 quiet catastrophes that have 바카라사이트 potential to damage an organisation's most valuable asset - its brand and reputation.'

"They affect everyone in an institution - 바카라사이트 communicator is at 바카라사이트 front end taking 바카라사이트 phone calls, but 바카라사이트re are also fundamental organisational issues for university managers."

john.gill@tsleducation.com.