The ultimate goal of crisis management is to turn the inevitable crises that occur into victories, with organizations learning from the experience and coming out stronger for it. In a post on his blog for the Free Management Library, Martin Keller describes the steps his team took to overcome the best efforts of some influential individuals with questionable intent and allowed a neighborhood construction project to move forward:
- We met with the editorial writers of the daily and community papers and put the facts on the table, defending the project against the MWU (Mob Whipper Upper) allegations and stressing the fact that the owners and architect all lived in the neighborhood.
Both papers’ editorial boards came out in favor of the project for all the right reasons.
- We lined up some key interviews on public radio and a couple of commercial stations. During the public radio interview with the MWU, wherein MWU was asked about NIMBYism, the interviewer offered enough rope and MWU took it like a lunk-headed fish chasing after and biting a fancy lure. Hook!
- We contacted daily and community reporters to cover subsequent meetings, which did not play that well in the press for the angry mob, and it quickly grew thinner and less vociferous as the drama came to a conclusion.
- We sent out a simple direct mail piece asking people to call local government and support the project, offering the talking points that we used in our media materials.
- The owners met with people willing to talk with them around the neighborhood. One of them, who really knew her away around the housing bureaucracy and city hall, worked all her contacts and sent them our background materials when requested. In short, the client made nice ‘cuz that’s who they were.
Not every effort has to be high tech and cutting edge. As you can see in the quote, Martin’s plans used local media, grassroots efforts and real human contact to change the attitude of an entire neighborhood. In the process, his client’s project not only became a reality but they also came out of the ordeal with stronger ties to the community and those running it.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/