Discussion Post –The Effectiveness of Crisis Communications
As employees, consumers, and the general public, we all receive a great deal of communication from and about various organizations. Some of this communication is effective and enhances our relationship with and opinion of the organization, and some of it is ineffective and damages our relationship with and opinion of the organization. The importance to the organization of handling communication well increases during times of crisis.
For this Discussion, think about a particular organization and how it handled communication during a crisis. You may want to choose an organization of which you are a part (as an employee, perhaps) or one that you know only through the media and the organization’s public communications. Next, consider this organization’s response to a crisis by which it was affected. You might want to consider its COVID-19 response, or you can choose a different crisis with which the organization was faced. Provide a Discussion post regarding this response, being sure to include the following:
Your relationship to the organization and your general opinion of it before the crisis (Note: Be sure to disguise company and individual names, unless they are public figures.);
The nature of the crisis and how you received communication from or about the organization;
Your analysis of whether the crisis communication was effective or ineffective, including at least three specific examples; and
The overall impact this experience had on your relationship with and opinion of the organization and its leadership.