Contemplating a communication strategy to enact in the event of a company crisis is a cringe-inducing exercise for any business leader. But it’s a necessary exercise.

Considering possible catalysts and consequences allows you to craft contingency plans that will help weather a storm … before the clouds appear on the horizon. The more you plan, the more likely damage control becomes if a crisis strikes. Rapid containment helps prevent catastrophic damage to a brand’s reputation and bottom line.

There are core components of any crisis control plan, regardless of industry, company size, or severity of crisis.

“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” ~ Alexander Graham Bell, inventor

Before a crisis strikes, create a comprehensive crisis communications plan.

What are elements of a crisis communications plan?

Identify a corps crisis team. Your CEO, COO, Communication Coordinator(s) and Legal Counsel will undoubtedly be part of this group. Consider who else may need to collaborate.

Identify and know your stakeholders. Anyone who could be impacted by what occurs with your brand should go on this list. This includes customers and shareholders.

Identify and train spokespeople. Anyone handling communications with the media and/or on social media should be trained on the dos and don’ts. Train these spokespeople to remember you are never “off the record.” Ingrain in them these three C’s of crisis communications:

1. Be Clear. Concisely communicate the information and the plan as they are established.
2. Be Credible. Communicate only facts and don’t make promises you can’t keep. Authenticity and empathy build credibility. Acknowledge and respond to questions and mistakes quickly.
3. Be Cohesive. Stay on message throughout all communication methods and channels. Confusion breeds conflict.

Establish notification and monitoring systems. Consistent social media monitoring will allow you to watch for the early warning signs of a brewing crisis. Having established notification systems will allow you to quickly coordinate a response to avoid catastrophic damage.

Be proactive with your public relations. This includes having a a solid social media presence. Consistent connection with your audience builds a strong brand. The stronger brand you build before a crisis, the more credibility you will have when weathering one.

When a threat or crisis is identified, immediately implement your plan.

Coordinate Central Command. Establish frequent communications with the crisis team.

Control the Narrative. Crucial to conquering any crisis is controlling the narrative surrounding it. Compose a message establishing what you currently know and what you are doing to counteract the damage. Identify the communication channels you will use to provide future updates.

Communicate. Pause scheduled posts on social media but continue monitoring and responding in real time. Remember the Three C’s when engaging with the media and/or on social media. Every touch point is critical.

Collect Information. Most of the time that means going offline, but it is critical that you continue to monitor and respond.

“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” ~ President John F. Kennedy

After the dust settles, comb through what worked and what didn’t. Change the plan accordingly, and continue to update it on an ongoing basis.

Truth be told, my favorite diamond comes with four bases and a mound. I am always sad when another season of spring baseball is over. With each and every season, lessons and opportunities to grow on and off the field present themselves. Here were our top lessons learned this season:

1. It’s Not Over Until the Last Out – A team in my eldest son’s division had just an “ok” performance in regular season, but took everyone by surprise when they won the championship game. When you talked to the coaches, they credited their success to playing to their strengths, staying positive, never giving up, practicing and sticking to their playbook. Applying strategy and putting in the work paid off for this team.
2. An Ounce of Encouragement Wins Every Time – One of our players was on the receiving end of a lot of negativity from the coaches and teammates. Changing the narrative to encouragement and positive reinforcement instantly improved his play! Inclusion, encouragement and positive reinforcement are game changers. He ended the season by saying it was the best one yet and he didn’t want it to end. Actions and words have tremendous power. Make a difference with both!
3. Know the Rules – Seems to be an obvious statement, but knowing the rules is always important – in business, sports, home and school. Know the rules and play by them. We had teams check us (bat sizes, mound distance, etc.) and, if we had not been following the rules, this might have been an issue. An opposing team jumbled their line-up and it resulted in two automatic outs … they ended up losing the game; and while one can never say for certain, that situation appeared to be the momentum changer.
4. Embrace the Fail – Baseball is a game designed for you to fail. I love that simple fact. Every play there is one win and one fail. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on every player; but if applied correctly, it can result in lifelong lesson. It’s not if you fail, it is how you recover from the failure. So you strike out … what happens next? You hit a two-run homer. Fail. Learn. Progress. On repeat.

We love baseball. It connects our family. We invest our time together because of the lessons learned on and off the field. These lessons are easily adapted into business and life.

What’s your business’ game plan? How can we help you win? Let’s play ball!

It’s the time of year for another Mother’s Day story, this one about a business forgetting their core brand promise and letting me down as a customer and new mother. I missed a mother’s moment when a business failed to deliver on their customer experience promise.

In the early days of managing new parenthood and a corporate career, it was all about completing the day’s responsibilities while making precious time for holding, feeding, and rocking a new baby. Each moment seemed critically important, and a focus on executing one was key to optimizing the next.

I learned that promises delivered are critical for optimizing each moment.

During those years, one of my favorite brands was a luxury car company and dealer known for superior customer service. I appreciated the dealer’s great reputation, professionalism, and attention to detail. Then, on a busy day, a customer experience led me to realize they were beginning to focus on things that had little to do with their core brand promise of superior customer service.

After missing the normal morning time with my son to drop off my car for repairs, I was looking forward to the evening, having returned from days of business travel and ready to get back to maximizing the next moment. When I arrived to pick up my car after work, I noticed a new waiting area for customers with beautiful furnishings, food and drink, and merchandise displays. Fancy!

The waiting process was longer, as the staff spent time offering food, chit-chat, and everything but my car. During the delay, a shift ended as it was late in the day, and no one was available to bring the car. I waited while noticing employees cleaning windows, sweeping, and offering cookies. They had the fancy extras but were late with the delivery and failed to meet their brand promise of great customer service. An hour later, I got stuck in traffic and missed the evening with my son.

Forget fancy! Get me home in time for moments and I am a customer for life.

In our quest to have the best image, be the best known, and achieve the highest ratings, are we forgetting the most critical deliverables? Please don’t let yourself get so sidetracked and focused on a new shiny, sparkly-self as you may end up losing customers. Find your brand promise, stick to it, pinky swear it!

Years ago I left that dealership. My current dealer has some nice perks, but they are obsessed with getting customers in their cars and on the road. They have stayed focused on their brand promise around the driving experience, versus too much focus on a beautiful waiting room space.

I value businesses that help me deliver on my purpose of being a mom, volunteer, and porch rocker. Although my moments are now spent driving to practices and tournaments vs. holding and feeding, and I am rockin’ the front porch vs. a baby and corporate career – every. single. moment. still. counts.

Happy Mother’s Day! It doesn’t have to be fancy for you to enjoy the moment.

I recently read a book entitled “Make Waves” that enlightened me to the perspective that an individual has the power to be a wave maker and spark change in the corporate world and their every day life.

Author Patti Johnson explains that people can make small “waves,” or changes, in their daily life that slowly disrupt the status quo. She breaks the book up into four easy to read sections that teach you how to think and act like a Wave Maker, and then introduces you to inspirational Wave Makers (including our very own Chief Rocker, Julie Porter).

I highlighted some of the key lessons I learned below, and I promise that by the end of the book you will be ready to get up and go chase your dreams.

• Finding your wave and accomplishing your goals always begins with asking questions of yourself. When you come home at the end of the day, how do you finish the statement, “If only I could…”? The answer is your wave. Any passion or inspiration, no matter how small, can start a wave of change that can impact more people than you ever imagined.
• According to Patti, every successful wave has these three qualities: impact, purpose, and credibility. Since a wave’s “goal is to make your organization, community, or market better with tangible results,” it makes sense that a Wave Maker must be knowledgeable about the subject and passionate about the results. So ask yourself, will my wave create “undeniable impact? Does it have a bigger purpose that engages others? And lastly, is my wave built upon knowledge and credibility?”
• After you have identified your wave, you must apply the most important chapter in the book, which addresses how to think like a Wave Maker. Just as every wave has certain qualities necessary to succeed, Patti notes that every successful Wave Maker she interviewed had very similar traits and thought processes. Going back to how important it is to always ask questions and be curious, Patti notes that Wave Makers typically “see the unseen, think progress not perfection, and most importantly ask ‘what can I do’ before they take action.”
• It’s important to note that being a creative and innovative thinker doesn’t necessarily come naturally. The most important thing is to foster your curiosity, because constantly asking , “why is it done that way?” or “what if…?” can lead you to a solution to a problem that you didn’t even realize existed before.

If learning how to become a disrupter and Wave Maker lights a fire inside you, then I highly suggest reading “Make Waves” in its entirety. I truly think this book is relevant and helpful for everyone; but I think it is particularly good reading for recent college graduates entering the corporate world, or those who may feel stuck or in a rut at their current job.

Always remember, “those crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

Folks, it’s 2nd quarter. If you haven’t finalized the strategy, written the plan or started the project, it’s time. No need to agonize or over-think it, just get started and take a small step forward.

• Do you still need to define or revise that strategy?
• Are you not executing on a plan, or haven’t written one for the year?
• Is the project behind schedule, or not started yet?

The reality is we are all behind on something and you’re not alone here, but maybe it’s time to leave team belated and start something right now that needs to get done and can help you produce great results. This year is still young – bring on your second quarter by ringing that opening bell, firing the starting pistol, waving the green flag and get yourself going on something that can no longer wait.

“But …”

If this is what you are thinking right now, you are going to need assistance to get started! Start small with a phone call or e-mail to that person or company that will follow-up with you and make absolutely sure you are doing what needs to be done and begin executing. Find a partner internally or externally who helps you define, decide, plan, execute and grow.

“I need to …”

You already know what you need to start that has been on the back burner but you just haven’t done it? Write it down immediately, in a place where you can look back on it and add future notes. Ask that partner to capture it for you. The best execution starts with clarifying the need(s), then defining the strategy and executing a plan based on the need(s). Write it all down.

You don’t need a lot of time, this isn’t like writing a blog or book. Remember, you are starting small. Make a list of needs. It’s a simple process. Determine a few important ones followed with a one-page plan of attack is enough to get going and help you define a process to move forward, quarter by quarter. Write it down. Find a partner. Set the plan. Start executing. Plan to Win.

Q2 has started friends. It’s time to tackle that need that is just waiting for the right plan. If you need a little help, you can find us on the Porch.

Every morning, I wake up, brush my teeth, make a pot of coffee, shower, and get ready to start my day. I do it in that order, every single day. It is my routine. Now, think about your daily routine. Do you check your phone first? Wake up your children? Make breakfast? We all have routines, and I think it is what keeps me grounded. As human beings in the twenty-first century, we do everything at a very fast pace. Our brains encode the things we do each day into something referred to as habits. We get tangled into the cycle of habits, and it hinders us from noticing what is going on around us and it puts our imagination on time out. Now you’re probably thinking, “Well, I like my routine.” And trust me, so do I, but I think we get a little too caught up in them.

Recently I watched a TED talk with Tony Fadell where he dove deep into this “routine talk,” which he refers to as a process called “Habituation.” He gives an insightful talk about how we need to fight back the human tendency of transforming our patterns and day-to-day behaviors into habits, and recognizing the “little idiotic details” we encounter every day. He explains how as a designer he is always trying to improve the everyday things he sees, and encourages the audience to do the same.

Tony Fadell gives 3 tips on how to fight habituation:

1. Look Broader: look at all the steps forward and backward and identify problems that need solutions!

2. Look Closer: the smallest details give us the greatest meaning

3. Think Younger: have young minds! We get use to the things we are exposed often. As Tony mentions, we need to be as kids in which they haven’t been around much and question everything.

I think Tony makes an excellent point. We need to look beyond our habits to truly experience the world better. Therefore, I challenge you to open your eyes, pay attention to what is going on around you, and break out of your everyday routine. Try to see the world as it really is, not just through our lens we put on each morning.

You can watch Tony Fadell’s TED talk here.

As I sit down to write this, I am surrounded by a big mess… a very big mess. We are currently in the process of renovating our house. My washer and dryer are temporarily set up in my living room, my water is cut off for the day and I’m trying to figure out where in the already-crowded dining room to put the bathtub that is about to be delivered for the next month or so. My dog is barking at me because of all of the strange people working on our house and her restricted access to her yard, and my daughter wants to see what everyone is working on and try to figure out how she can “help.” Oh, and did I mention I’m almost 8 months pregnant?

Perfect timing, right?

When I feel like I’m literally on the verge of losing my mind in the chaos of change, I have to take a step back and realize that the mess is only temporary, and in the end, I’m going to have a beautiful home that is more spacious and more organized than it was before this mess began.

“Change is hard at the beginning, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end.” – Robin Sharma

Without change, there is no progress, and this is true in all areas of life – whether it be personal or business. Is there a change that you know you need to make to help your business grow, but you are avoiding because of the mess that comes along with it? Perhaps you need to grow your team or change your org structure? Or it’s time to move to a new or larger location? Or there is a process that you have had in place, but it is no longer working? Is it time to take your marketing to the next level, or really focus on branding your business?

Well, consider this your invitation! Come join me in the chaos of change. There is no better time to make positive changes than NOW! And believe me, your future self will thank you for it.

The beginning of a new year is always a great time to have a brand review and create a fresh approach to achieving your business goals. Growth is always a goal for any business, but as your business grows and develops, you need to check and see if your brand reflects the business as it is today – not what it was last year or the year before.

Here are some tips for checking up on your brand for this year: 

• Does your brand reflect the personality and values of the company? If you don’t think it does, customers certainly won’t either. While the mission, vision and values of your company shouldn’t change often, shifts in your business or marketing strategy may affect the brand. A brand review gives you the opportunity to align it with your mission and vision so that you are connecting with the right people and growing your business year after year. Integrate your brand into everything you do – from answering the phones to your website design to your business cards – every customer touch point needs to be considered.
• Get feedback from external sources and be aware of how your company is perceived. People make decisions based on emotions so you need your brand to emotionally connect with your audience and feel assured that they know the who, what and why of your business.
• Review your brand standards and make sure every element translates across all delivery channels to ensure your brand is consistent.
• Define your key messages and make sure every member of the team knows what they are so they are aware of and can effectively communicate your brand attributes.

Completing an annual brand review will ensure that you are staying true to your brand, which will help ensure customers come back again and again.

Come see us on the Porch if you are in need of a brand review. We can ensure that your strategy and activities are aligned with your brand to maximize success!

It will take you one minute to read this so why not do it right now?

Feeling overwhelmed by the busyness of the season or paralyzed by a long “to do” list? Can’t get started on that big project, or haven’t written your 2017 plan? Can’t find the time to read all of the books, articles, emails, and other information you want to know?

Stop what you are doing to take a minute, or five or ten, to set a small goal and get it done, right now!

There is one surefire way to pull yourself out of frustration and procrastination and it’s to quit thinking and start doing – in very small steps. These brief moments of action will force you to make quick and small progress, triggering a sense of accomplishment, reducing the size of that list in your head and training yourself to get things done throughout the day.  Some examples:

• Do one or two things that each take just a few minutes to accomplish at your desk at the start of each day, then tackle the big stuff. A few important calls, one brief key conversation, send a thank-you note, read a favorite blogger, schedule a future important meeting.
• Quit talking about all of that holiday shopping you haven’t done yet, pull out your smartphone and order one gift on your list. A few minutes of this daily and your shopping is done!
• Instead of trying to find a full day to clean out your garage, kitchen, closet, etc. take less than 30 minutes and tackle one drawer or section. You will create a habit of mini projects and the repeated small progress over time will keep you organized.
• No time to read that book or newspaper? Subscribe to one of many summary services available.
  • Summaries.com. Eight-page executive summaries from the latest business books.
  • Nextdraft.com. Quick, entertaining look at the day’s best news stories from Dave Pell.
  • Farnamstreetblog.com. Sunday’s Brain Food newsletter for increasing your knowledge.
• Need a rest or mental break? Set 10 minutes on your smartphone clock for a power nap or to sit quietly to recharge. Or download the Headspace App on your smartphone and start taking 10 minutes anywhere/anytime for a guided meditation that will positively change your brain and your day.
• Take a few moments and make a list of needs and goals as a start to the process of writing your 2017 plan – for yourself, your family or your business. Start small and you will develop good habits for writing down plans which is the first step to successful execution and achieving amazing goals. Even better, take a minute and call us because we have the folks on board that can help you write and rock your plan!

And now that you have taken a minute to read this, set a small goal! Stop what you are doing to order that gift, write a thank-you note, sign-up for a summary service, clean out that one desk drawer, or pick up the phone and make that one important phone call.

So set a small goal and get started. It takes just a minute.

I am always learning from my kids. While I try to guide them and nudge them in the direction I think is best for them, the truth is, being their Mother teaches me so much more than I could ever teach them.

Just this week, my high school age daughter was talking to my sons about the difficulties of middle school. Although there were tough days, she actually bore it pretty well, and came out of it with some very sage advice for her brothers on how best to navigate it. And I couldn’t help but notice that it sounded a great deal like the branding advice we give here on the Porch:

“Know Yourself” – It’s a broad, sweeping statement as it relates to being a kid, and the same is true of business; but it is the best piece of advice one can give in both instances. I sadly witnessed many kids trying too hard to be something they weren’t to gain acceptance from a particular group or person. Middle school sharks can sniff that behavior out, and savvy consumers can do the same thing! Embrace who you are and run with it. It is so much better than trying to be all things to all people.

“Be Consistent” – I almost got whiplash watching the roller coaster friendship ride, I can’t imagine how hard it was to live it. The one thing my daughter struggled with the most were girls who were friends in some circumstances but not in others. Friends need to know they can trust and count on each other, just as your customers need to know they can trust and count on you. Be consistent in your messaging. Be consistent in your interaction. Be consistent in your delivery.

“Be Original” – This advice may go against the survival instinct of any middle schooler, because fitting in is everything at this age; but I watched my daughter make original choices over and over again, and I think it served her very well. She chose electives and activities that truly interested her – not just those that “everyone else was doing.” As a result, she has a wide cross-section of friends, and she is a much more interesting person for having taken that route. Branding demands that your business also be original. You must stand out from your competitors. Make bold, original choices. You will be remembered for them.

“Have Depth” – This last one isn’t my daughter’s advice, it’s mine. My daughter has tremendous depth of character, and I admire it immensely. So do her friends. Your business must have the same layers of meaning and purpose to create a sense of emotion around your brand.

Know Yourself. Be Consistent. Be Original. Have Depth. Important branding choices for your business. Important choices for living your life.

Rock on, friends!