Effective Crisis Communication - Coursework Example

Self Reflection Name of Student: Name of Course: Name of Instructor: Date of Submission: Self Reflection 1. Portfolio A: Speech Analysis a. Description. This was the first group activity in the course. I was appointed as the secretary to the group. My responsibilities were to call for meetings. Follow up on the progress of every member with respect to his or her own contribution to the tasks at hand after which I was to compile all the work and hand it over to the group for scrutiny. In the first week, I collected the necessary materials needed for the speech analysis which includes speeches by president Barrack Obama and the Australian Chief of Army in addition to the course work materials needed for the speech analysis. Personally, I analyzed both speeches as it was required for each member in the group. After this, I presented my analysis to the group and the other members did this as well. I then compiled all the opinions after the group discussions to come up with the final document. b. Analysis From the analysis of the speeches, several key aspects of effective crisis communication can be deduced. Firstly, it can be acknowledged that both the chief of the army and President Obama accepted that there was a problem. The chief noted that there were concerns with respect to discrimination in the promotion of army officials while the president noted that the mass shooting had occurred. It was also identified that good crisis communication should have a clear objective. Thirdly, it should also show the course of action which is to be taken so as to support the stakeholders affected and to prevent such an occurrence from happening again. Fourthly, the right person should be responsible for communicating to the public so as to make the greatest impact. The communicator should exhibit confidence and clarity in his or her communication. It was also identified that the speaker should embrace the mood of the message being spoken so as make an impact on the audience. Lastly, the commun9cation should be well structured irrespective of whether it is informal or formal communication. 2. Portfolio B: Article Analysis a. Description This was the second group task. The objective of the task was to analyze an article titled ‘The Oxford Crisis Incident: Organizational culture’s role in an anthrax crisis’ by Wise K. From the article analysis, the group was expected to identify crucial aspects related to effective crisis communication. Just like other members in the group, I was expected to identify whether having a well laid down crisis communication plan and having a strong organization’s communication culture is important in effective crisis communication. Personally, I read the article word by word after which I analyzed it individually before sharing my opinions with the group members at a later meeting. After this, I compiled the analysis as it was part of my work as the secretary. b. Analysis The article’s research methodology analyzed media reports and conducted interviews to investigate the topic at hand. The interviews were conducted on hospital management staff and aimed at highlighting the importance of open organizational communication culture in effective crisis communication. From the article analysis, I identified the following key elements pertaining an organization’s culture and effective crisis communication. Firstly, I was identified that it is important for an organization to have clear crises communication structures so as to be able to enhance effective crisis communication in an organization (Robert 2010, p.25 ). Such structures necessitate that the organization trains its employees to be handle crisis and enhancing openness’s and transparency in the communication culture so as to encourage the development of effective crisis management communication. From the analysis of the article, it can be concluded that there is a need for an organization to develop an appropriate organizational culture which upholds the need for an organization to have in place crisis communication structures which are well known to all the stakeholders involved. 3. Portfolio C: Business Documents a. Description This was the third group activity for the course. The objective of this activity was to come up with a business document which was to be addressed to the Managing director of GCCPL by The public relations manager seeking to request her to recruit a national crisis communication manager. Under this, I was to research on the job responsibilities of a crisis communications manager after which I was to discuss my findings with the rest of the group members. I was also to develop a business document addressed to the national crisis communications manager which would serve as an introduction and also highlight on the plan of action. After this, I would compile the final document in the required format as part of my role as the secretary to the group. b. Analysis Analyzing the business document, several aspects regarding the responsibilities of a crisis communications manager and also the writing of a business document can be drawn. Firstly, a good business document should be addressed correctly. It should have a date, the target audience, the person writing it and the subject. It should also be brief and to the point. Starting with an introduction to the subject, the writer should arrange the content systematically and conclude with a salutation. The need for a crisis communication manager in the company was identified to be as a result of what had happened in the industry where the company’s competitors had fallen victim to inappropriate crisis communication; hence ending up losing in the market (Seeger 2000, p.6). Secondly, crisis communication was pointed out as a crucial risk management strategy in the modern market (Coombs 2011, p.23). Lastly, there is a need to train the senior managers in the company the basics of crisis management as per the plan by the hired national crisis communications manager so as to develop the right culture in the company. 4. Oral Presentation a. Description The objective of the oral presentation was to present to the class various aspects of crises management. Based on the research which the group had done on crisis communication management, we came up with a PowerPoint presentation which highlighted several various aspects. The main idea in the presentation was that inappropriate crisis communication is harmful to an organization. I researched on various aspects related to this theme under specific headings after which we discussed our findings with the rest of the group members. I compiled the final document as part of my duty as the secretary. b. Analysis Analyzing the oral presentation, various core aspects related to appropriate crisis communication can be identified. Firstly, I came to acknowledge that ineffective crisis communication is bad for organizations. An organization is not supposed to treat the media like the enemy just like the case with Toyota and the problems with their accelerator pedals. An organization should not absolve itself from responsibility. Effective crisis management starts by responding to crisis efficient and effective, it should influence the customer’s confidence and the organization’s reputation and establish a good platform with the public (Kurhajcová 2010, p.231). From the presentation, I learnt about the principles and best practices of crisis communications which should guide the activities of an organization while managing crisis communication. Lastly, I noted that effective crisis communication policy and strategy should follow the following aspects; respond immediately, select proper channels of communication, select a crisis spokesman and take responsibility. From the presentation, I was able to acknowledge that ineffective crisis communication is bad for organizations. 5. Teamwork, Interpersonal, gender and intercultural communication a. Teamwork benefits and difficulties Working in the team, I enjoyed several benefits. Firstly, I was able to complete the required tasks on time and appropriately. Under the group, big tasks were subdivided into smaller tasks which were easily manageable. I was also able to develop my interpersonal skills which will go a long way into my personal development. Lastly, I was able to improve my social skills since the group was comprised of members from varying religious and cultural backgrounds. The group work was challenging as well. The main challenge was to coordinate the group members to submit their deliverables on time. Secondly, managing differences in the group was a major challenge. There were instances when the differences went overboard and voting for or against opinions was needed. Lastly, time management was another major challenge. Group meetings were sometimes delayed r postponed due to improper time management. However, setting the rules of engagement solved this challenge. b. Changed teamwork behaviors: In future would focus on time management and try to manage it better than it was done during the team work. As the secretary of the group, I would organize the team members to develop rule of engagement in the first meeting so as to ensure that the challenges which were experiences are avoided. A time plan on how the various activities in the main tasks are to be archived would be developed so as to allocate the available resources, including time to them. Lastly, I would rehearse the presentation so as to get it right on presenting in the allocated time and also to identify any mishaps which may have occurred during research and compilation of information. References Coombs, T., 2011, Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing and Responding, Sage Publications, London. Kurhajcová, L 2010. Effective Communication During The Crisis Situation, Revista Academiei Fortelor Terestre, Vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 229-233 Robert, R., 2010. Effective crisis communication: Moving from crisis to opportunity, New York, John Willeys. Seeger, W., 2006. Best practices in crisis communication: an expert panel process' pp.5-11 Read More