All posts by James Donnelly

crisis response, opinion and insights

Preliminary lessons from the gulf oil spill

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Provided by Deepwater Horizon Response's photostream (Flickr)

I don’t like to “rate” crisis responses as they’re unfolding, but I suppose you could glean lessons from the 4th inning of a baseball game when they’re evident.  Thus, I decided to join the opinionated crowd by responding to a question posed on a LinkedIn PR News Group discussion on “What are the top 3 crisis management lessons you’ve learned from the BP oil spill?”

Here are expansions from my short replies, with links that help round-out perspectives.

 

1) Companies that take great business risks must have a commensurate risk management system when things go ker-plewy.It’s easy to criticize BP, if you enjoy fishing out of a barrel.  BP is the designated “responsible party” among all responders of the Joint Incident Command, and as such, the lead butt to kick.  BP also has a history of mishaps and mammoth profits that make many uncomfortable.  Their executives have certainly made some blunders…even before the spill.  (Describing risk calculations in “three little pigs” terminology is colossally stupid, and the company’s oil spill response plans were based on unrealistic data.)

Of course, several parties were pushing limits to get oil out of the deep sea bed, without the equal attention to the safety net required in taking such risks.  Learning nothing from White Star, this was akin to not having enough lifeboats on the Titanic.  Those involved include BP, Transocean, Halliburton and the government’s formerly-named Minerals Management Service.  More analysis is required to untangle the blame.

Continue reading Preliminary lessons from the gulf oil spill →

crisis response

NYIT asked, I answered

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New York Institute of TechnologyBack in April, I was happy to lead a session on “Managing Online Crises” for a group of students at the Manhattan campus of the New York Institute of Technology. As usual, the best part of the session was addressing some really great questions.  Student-organizer David Shaulov was gracious enough to send a recording of the entire session and I edited clips with some of those great questions, such as:

Following are the remaining edited clips: 

I hope you find these useful.  They’ll also be made available through the Video Clips link above, under About J.D.

Comments?  Questions?  I’d love to hear from you, below.

"Three Tough Q's" Interview Series

Three Tough Q’s: Ed Eaton

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I’ve had the pleasure of not working with Ed Eaton on two occasions. 

Allow me to explain.

Ed is an MBCI – a member of The Business Continuity Institute – and Principal of related firm Warner Gudlaugsson LLC.  (Ask him about the firm’s name if you get the chance – it’s a good backstory.)

Twice now, Ed and I were supposed to combine talents on assignments for two different organizations.  The first project lost its funding.  The second got postponed.  You can’t win ‘em all.

Fortunately, Ed and I kept in touch and I’ve really appreciated his perspectives.  We’re looking to join forces officially on an assignment soon.  When we do it’ll be like a Dynamic Duo of business continuity and crisis/reputation management.  Pow!  Biff!

Until that super moment materializes, Ed graciously agreed to participate here to answer Three Tough Q’s:

 

Q1:  Do impediments exist between integrated business continuity management and reputation management?

Continue reading Three Tough Q’s: Ed Eaton →

planning and prevention

Crisis communications planning gets unfairly tarred by oil spill critic

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On June 15, U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D – MI) issued a statement on “misplaced priorities” of oil companies in the wake of the spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  In it, he uses the ExxonMobil oil spill response plan to draw conclusions about oil industry lack of preparedness.  Stupak concludes that the plans are “great public relations….  But these plans are virtually worthless when an actual spill occurs.   And that’s exactly the kind of misplaced priorities that led to this disaster.”

In my opinion, Congressman Stupak’s conclusion is murky. 

Don’t get me wrong – history will eventually assign plenty of shared blame for the Deepwater Horizon situation.  The events leading up to the oil spill, the BP “responsible party” efforts to stop the leak, the ongoing and future clean-up work and the public relations responses all deserve to be scrutinized, heavily.  However, the Congressman’s buckshot against the oil industry hits crisis communications planning with collateral damage.  And that’s counterproductive.

Continue reading Crisis communications planning gets unfairly tarred by oil spill critic →

planning and prevention

Terrorism: Seven Starter Steps to Prepare Against the Unthinkable

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According to a recent CNN report, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that attempted terrorist attacks against the United States are at an all-time high.  The department’s May 21 report obtained by CNN also indicates that terrorists are looking for “smaller, more achievable attacks against easily accessible targets.”

Scary.  A word to the wise:  “If You See Something, Say Something.”

Also scary times for U.S. businesses.

Experts who focus on emergencies and disasters have already weighed in with recommended actions.   

It’s a  similar clarion call for corporate communicators to prepare, now, before an attack strikes the heart of a company’s operations.  Here’s a good start of recommended actions:

Continue reading Terrorism: Seven Starter Steps to Prepare Against the Unthinkable →