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RECOVERY ASSOCIATE
EDITOR ADVERTISING _____________ Corporate President/CEO Vice
President
CONFERENCE REGISTRAR EXECUTIVE
COUNCIL Brazil:
Jose Carlos Ferreira
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Click Here for a Printable Version CRISIS PREPAREDNESS As New Threats Arise, Pro Sports
Teams Take a Second Look at Crisis Preparedness By TED BIRKHAHN & CHARLES HARRIS
Historically, we’ve witnessed the good, bad, and ugly in the sports industry. Some organizations have handled themselves impeccably during a crisis. They’ve realized that while you can’t prevent every crisis from occurring, you can prepare yourself to successfully respond to almost any calamity imaginable. Some organizations have been through extreme crises and suffered immeasurably for it. A lack of preparedness and understanding of how to respond to various constituents has left in its wake irreplaceable damage to the reputation of the teams and companies involved. Others have recognized the need to act fast and respond to the concerns and needs of their constituents during a crisis. In the end, actions speak a lot louder than words, and successful crisis communicators have embraced that philosophy. The bottom line is that professional sports teams are facing a volatile situation. On the one hand, the world we live in is plagued with the constant threat of natural disasters, terrorist threats, and player indiscretions, to name a few potential crises. Combine that with a litigious society, a fickle fan base, and an aggressive media pool that loves to hunt in packs, and you’re looking at one of the greatest potential threats to the long-term vitality of the professional sports industry. Practice, Practice, Practice Today, senior executive teams are recognizing that we’re simply dealing with a different world. We’re facing new threats that our predecessors never could have dreamed of and we are under an intense 24x7 scrutiny from fans, media, and Wall Street. The bottom line is as important as the goal line, and a potential crisis can very easily disrupt the all-important flow of revenue. As a result, teams are finally beginning to associate the word “preparedness” with crisis relations. A few have recognized the need to conduct mock drills so their management teams can get a feeling for what it’s like to experience the tornado of activity that comes along with a crisis event. Going through such an exercise enables teams to uncover gaps in the crisis response mechanism and determine potential vulnerabilities within the organization. Most importantly, it establishes a process for responding to all constituents during a crisis, which enables a management team to be organized and in control during the initial hours of response. Here are a few suggestions that we feel are critical to getting the most out of a mock crisis drill.
Professional athletes are under pressure to perform every time they
take the field, the court, or the ice. The same goes for the front office
when a crisis hits. A failure to perform under such circumstances can
lead a franchise to a loss much greater than any defeat on the playing
field. And at end of the day, we’re all charged with running a
business and making a profit for our owners. Crisis preparedness must
be an integral part of that equation. Management needs to realize that
while practice doesn’t make perfect, it goes a long way when a
real crisis comes to town. ©Copyright
2004 Systems Support Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole
or in part in any form or medium without the express written permission
of System Support Inc. is prohibited.
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Like
any responsible corporation, a professional sports franchise must be
aware of potential crises. As such, management teams in the professional
sports industry must continually refine their processes, procedures,
and protocol to ensure the team, front office, and the brand can survive
a crisis event.
The
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim took the bull by the horns and answered the
“what if” question by actually simulating an earthquake
at their rink – the Arrowhead Pond. What was discovered, during
the exercise, was that there’s often no coordination between the
team and the facility staff – save the sharing of an occasional
evacuation map and/or emergency contact list. The Ducks learned how
to bring these groups closer together to more completely prepare for
a potential crisis. As a result, the team and facility will now be able
to recover faster from a crisis, should one occur.