Managerial Communication for Professional Development

CHAPTER 5

Crisis Communication

Objectives

After reading this chapter, you will be able to:

1. define crisis communication;
2. have a crisis management plan;
3. identify causes of crises and lessons for managing crises;
4. apply the uses of argument in crises;
5. discuss the dangers of managers talking off the cuff;
6. discuss the implications of management failure to identify public sentiment;
7. explain ways in which managers fail to unify empathy.

Introduction

Crises tend to take the form of disasters; problems with products or services; issues with personnel, political, or social upheavals; or ethical breaches. Regardless of the root cause, the organization must work its way out of the crisis successfully if it is to survive. The terror attack of September 11, ...