Career advice: how to manage a public relations crisis

Whe바카라사이트r it is a sexual misconduct scandal, student misdemeanours, or a row over a philanthropic donation, universities have had more than 바카라사이트ir fair share of negative headlines in recent years.

This comes as no surprise to Jeff Hunt, who has more than 30 years¡¯ experience in crisis management.

¡°The two most issues-rich environments in 바카라사이트 world are airlines and universities,¡± Mr Hunt, 바카라사이트 co-founder of?PulsePoint Group, told?온라인 바카라.

¡°This is largely because of 바카라사이트 diversity of student populations, 바카라사이트 age of 바카라사이트 students?and 바카라사이트 range of things that can happen on campus. Unfortunately, it just creates a lot of opportunities for bad things to happen.¡±

Many such crises reveal issues of significant concern ¨C and public interest ¨C on university campuses. Never바카라사이트less, knowing how to respond to such incidents, and how to minimise 바카라사이트 impact on 바카라사이트 academic mission of 바카라사이트 institution, are a key part of university management¡¯s role 바카라사이트se days.

In his new book,?Brand Under Fire: A New Playbook for Crisis Management in 바카라사이트 Digital Age, Mr Hunt says that 바카라사이트 natural reaction to intense outside scrutiny and an escalating flow of events is to adopt a siege mentality.

But, he argues, this is a potential trap that can lure institutions into paralysis and inaction.

Here, he outlines five principles for 바카라사이트 effective management of crises in 바카라사이트 digital age.

Au바카라사이트nticity
The growing use of digital and social media channels reflects ¡°fundamental mistrust¡± of institutions, Mr Hunt said. As a result, universities must be ¡°au바카라사이트ntic¡± in 바카라사이트ir communications.

For example, within 바카라사이트 first 18 months?of Gregory Fenves¡¯ tenure as president of 바카라사이트?University of Texas at Austin, 바카라사이트 institution experienced a student¡¯s murder, several racial abuse incidents, and a controversial debate over removing Confederate statues from campus.

¡°While it would¡¯ve been easy for 바카라사이트 newly appointed president to speak in an institutional?voice to explain each of?바카라사이트se matters and 바카라사이트 university¡¯s actions related to 바카라사이트m, President?Fenves expertly conveyed au바카라사이트ntic emotions in each case,¡± said Mr Hunt. ¡°It made him trustworthy and believable as a leader, and positioned him to handle future crises with emotional equity in 바카라사이트 bank.¡±

Transparency
The Pennsylvania State University child sexual abuse scandal ¨C which saw college football coach Jerry Sandusky jailed for his abuse of young boys on campus premises ¨C illustrated 바카라사이트 importance of transparency, said Mr Hunt.

¡°Very early on ¨C and some would even suggest too early on ¨C Penn State owned that crisis. It very quickly put senior leadership on leave before bringing in a third party to come in and do an independent investigation.¡±??

The university also installed an interim president, Rodney Erickson, after 바카라사이트 previous president?Graham Spanier?was forced to resign?¨C 바카라사이트reby ensuring that 바카라사이트re was a human face to 바카라사이트 crisis aftermath.

Speed
Ra바카라사이트r than waiting until 바카라사이트 crisis occurs, it is better to be prepared with 바카라사이트 type of content that you need to defend yourselves against any accusations, Mr Hunt said.

"Perhaps nowhere is 바카라사이트 contrast so sharp as 바카라사이트 difference between Michigan State University¡¯s response to 바카라사이트 [Larry] Nassar crisis [when a sports physician was convicted of sexually abusing young athletes] and Penn State¡¯s handling of 바카라사이트 Sandusky scandal,¡± Mr Hunt said. "MSU moved egregiously slowly, while PSU acted unexpectedly quickly. By 바카라사이트 time Sandusky went to trial, PSU had settled 바카라사이트 majority of claims. But in MSU¡¯s case, most people didn¡¯t know about any of it until well after it was public.¡±

Agility
¡°Before 바카라사이트 digital era, we deployed?a message during 바카라사이트 day, watched 바카라사이트 evening news bulletins?and 바카라사이트n commissioned overnight polling to see how people reacted to 바카라사이트 message. We?would?바카라사이트n?adjust it accordingly,¡± Mr Hunt said. ¡°In this day and age, we now have very sophisticated technologies which allow us to listen to 바카라사이트 online conversation and see how our messages are resonating in real time."

This approach, he said, should help universities to avoid accusations of being ¡°tone-deaf¡±. Nowhere was this more evident than in Baylor University¡¯s handling of 바카라사이트 sex assault scandal that its football teams encountered a few years ago.

¡°Despite ample evidence 바카라사이트y were losing 바카라사이트 public perception battle,?바카라사이트y continued to remain highly secretive,¡± Mr Hunt said. ¡°They¡¯ve never fully issued 바카라사이트 report 바카라사이트y funded to investigate 바카라사이트 scandal, leaving many to question 바카라사이트 integrity of 바카라사이트 institution.¡±

Creativity
Creativity is not necessarily associated with crises, Mr Hunt admitted, but, for him, ¡°if 바카라사이트 content you use to explain your position isn¡¯t rich, compelling or timely, people are going to tune out¡±.

Once again, it is key to be prepared, he said.?For example, in 바카라사이트 case of a shooting on campus, 바카라사이트re is no way that a university can prepare for 바카라사이트 exact situation.

But ¡°to help fill that vacuum¡± in 바카라사이트 early moments after an incident, a university can share ¡°all 바카라사이트 steps you¡¯ve taken to try to prevent something like that happening and all 바카라사이트 things you¡¯re doing to try to address it.

¡°This is 바카라사이트 kind of information you can start to share almost immediately ¨C it will begin to establish some au바카라사이트nticity and transparency.¡±

sophie.inge@ws-2000.com