Imaginary Crisis – Terrorist Attack
Short of a terrorist attack or your company being bought up
and all your employees laid off, imagine a crisis that might occur at your
company (or a company you would like to be employed by). It could be tampering
of a specific product, a major chemical spill, an employee death because of
faulty machinery, or something else.
Describe what your imaginary crisis is in some detail. As
your company’s chief public relations person, once you are aware of the crisis,
whom would you notify within the organization about it and how would you notify
them (use job titles, not actual names)? What would you ask them to do? Then
discuss what information you would want the public to know during the first few
hours after the crisis occurs. Similarly, what information would you want your
employees to know?
How would you gather the information? How would you convey
the information to both the public and your employees? Who would be your
official public spokesperson (use the job title, not actual name)? Why? Who
would be your official spokesperson to employees? Why? What are the two or
three key messages you would want your spokesperson(s) to deliver to the public
and employees? Would each target audience get different messages? What would
you do if you found out that reporters are asking employees for their comments
about the crisis?
