Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
responsibilities for each team member should be discussed. This is especially impor-
tant if some team members are missing and responsibilities must be reassigned.
The next step is the notifi cation of key stakeholders. Depending on the issue, these
key stakeholders may include customers, employees, suppliers, consumers, govern-
ment, and the media and should have been clearly defi ned in the plan during its
development. Use the Guiding Principles to help develop communication messages
with each stakeholder and to keep the messages consistent. Why do the stakeholders
need notifi cation? It is important to notify customers because they will need to know
whether orders are going to be interrupted, for how long, and what should be done
with the product in their possession. Employees will need to know how their work
schedule will be affected and how the company is responding to the recall. Employees
will likely be the last group that management feels needs attention but do not forget
them and be sure they are informed as often as necessary. They are a great source of
information outside of work and will be approached by friends, competitors, or the
media who want more information. In addition to the information about the incident,
it is also important to give employees tools for how to handle possible
confrontations.
The suppliers will need to know how deliveries will be affected and for how long.
The government should be involved and should be alerted to the situation immediately.
The responsible government regulatory agency will expect a recall announcement
soon after you decide to initiate the recall, and the announcement must be written in
a prescribed format. Having a statement prepared in advance is advisable. This is
usually the peak of the stress level for all involved; and it can be diffi cult to think
clearly, provide all the necessary information, and control the message when you
have only minutes to respond. Typically, crises don't happen on a Monday morning
when all resources are available, but often occur on a Friday afternoon when the work
week is ending. A government agency involved is no different and may unintention-
ally cause additional stress. One cannot overemphasize the importance of being
well - prepared.
The media response is where the plan often shows its greatest value. This stake-
holder is the most unpredictable group and is usually looking for a good “story.” It is
extremely important to make the message clear, concise and to the point. Even with
a well-scripted message, the information may be twisted to make the story more sen-
sational. When this happens, do not be discouraged. Do not be goaded into a reactive
response; stick with the message and keep delivering it, and eventually it will be
accurate in the media. Another tactic reporters may pursue once you are in the lime-
light is to fi nd past violations or issues with the company. For example, if a reporter
fi nds that the company failed to fi le for a building permit for a canopy in its receiving
yard, this may be used to illustrate that the company has a history of negligence. If
the story is big enough, media may camp outside the facility. This will likely unnerve
employees, and the Incident Management Team member in charge of communications
should be prepared to reassure employees that this is normal, that the reporters can't
hurt them, and that they should just be polite but not talk to anyone.
When responding to stakeholders and delivering the message, it is important that
both communications and actions are sincere. Do not force any response or activity—
your actions will not be taken seriously if people do not see your sincerity and interest
