Archive for the ‘international time’ Category
Almost within an hour of the news breaking the US Airways corporate communications chief was able to introduce his CEO to the world’s media, and give an informed and prepared statement that demonstrated a corporation reacting swiftly and competently to the unfolding incident thousands of miles from the airline’s Arizona base.
This reaction was no accident. Airlines, like many other organisations across every sector, regularly practise responding to emergency situations. They never know when an incident is going to happen, what form it will take and how bad the crisis might be (imagine if the US Airways plane had crashed into buildings in Manhattan) – but they do know they will need to respond quickly, calmly and effectively demonstrating that they on top of the situation and responding appropriately. And they need to focus on communicating as much inside their organisation as they do externally.
Crises can come in any shape or form, usually when you least expect them. And they can hit any organisation, whatever the sector. Whilst airline disasters will be very public and high profile events, professional services firms can also be impacted by events that can quickly turn into a crisis.
Indeed, the crisis may not even come from an isolated situation but perhaps from a sudden change in business conditions – witness the number of well known retail brands going into administration right now – or other adverse trading conditions. Any firm that operates in the property sector will be considering all eventualities at present, with increasingly large scale redundancies being announced almost every week. For many no doubt their situation can be described as a crisis.
How the firm deals with a crisis will say a great deal about them – particularly to their employees. Recent years have seen a long period of business growth and relative prosperity. Many internal communications messages will have been bullish about the outlook, excited about the potential of the business and challenging employees to achieve great things in the future.
When we at Gatehouse talk to our clients we now advise that the messages need a different tone, a dose of realism, sensitivity, empathy and an appreciation that many employees will be most concerned about whether they will retain their jobs. In these times the firm needs more than ever to be open and honest with its people and live up to the values it espouses – the danger for not doing so is that trust will be lost and take years to build back up. Effective internal communications has as important a role to play in protecting your business – and your reputation. But how do you make sure that you are ready to address such a crisis? Outlined below are some of the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ of communicating internally during a crisis.
Dos:
1. …agree key messages – and stick to them
Agree what your business stands for, what it believes and what it wants others to know about it. A clear articulation of your key messages will help your leaders stay focused and consistent – whether they are talking internally or externally, and will support your front line staff who will need to fend off client enquiries. Your brand and your reputation depends on it.
2. …be sure you know how to get in touch with your people quickly
It is one thing agreeing what messages to send out but can you be confident that your distribution channels are sufficiently robust? If most of your communications are currently sent via email or intranet but a crisis meant people couldn’t get to the office and won’t have access to blackberries or laptops do you know how you will contact them? Ensure that channels such as telephone cascades and emergency hotline numbers are regularly updated and can work at a moments notice.
3. …make sure internal and external channels are aligned
You only want one articulation of what is happening and what you are doing about it. The credibility of your internal channels will soon be lost if the firm is saying something else in the media.
4. …be creative and use the best channel for the situation
Consider every scenario, however unlikely and ask yourself whether your existing channels are sufficient. A crisis can actually provide an opportunity to use new channels, especially social media, as you might find you need to keep people aware of what is happening more frequently than the daily intranet news headline that you are used to posting. You might think about starting a blog that can be updated quickly and easily or creating a message board to encourage colleagues to share their feelings, ask questions or offer support.
5. …keep communicating
Once people know their firm is going through a crisis they will want to know what is happening – constantly, until the crisis is resolved. And they will, before long, want to know the longer term implications.
6. …offer a place to go for answers
Offer people a place to go for answers or reassurance and then listen to what they tell you. You will need to be able to respond quickly – your people will thank you for it.
7. …ensure your leaders are leading
Leaders set the tone – without their buy-in your communications can only go so far. Leaders have a prominent role to play internally as well as externally. Involve them in your plans as they need to know in advance what will be expected of them and how they need to react at such moments.
Don’t:
1. …think it won’t happen to you Crises can come in any shape or size without warning. They can happen to anyone. I worked for a large financial services organisation in the 1990s whose head office was blown up by a terrorist bomb – it could have been any bank or any building.
2. …leave it till tomorrow
There will always be something more pressing, something needed yesterday. Unfortunately the crisis won’t wait quietly in line. Your people won’t thank you if you were too busy to be ready.
3. …‘sugar coat’ the message
There will always be a temptation to tell everyone things are under control even when they are not. Honesty normally pays. Remember people may see events unfold on television or through the newspapers. If you are giving a different, more positive perspective of what is happening then make sure your messages are rooted in reality.
4. …restrict communication to those directly affected
In these days of global firms, your colleagues in other offices across the world will know you are suffering a crisis. So will their clients. Don’t forget them – they will be concerned about people they know, people they are working with and want to help.
5. …assume people know what to do
Most crises are one-offs that will suddenly strike. Employees will look to the organisation for guidance – that means you. Never assume the solution is obvious, particularly during times of stress.
6. …panic
You need to be calm even in the eye of the storm. Be like the vice-president of corporate communications at US Airways, take responsibility, be in control of the situation. If you can do that, when the crisis passes your senior management will thank you and the reputation of the communications department will be greatly enhanced.
VH International Business Solutions Inc (www.ManhattanVirtualOffice.com), proud of its success thanks Employees, Clients, Associates and Friends for their support on its 19th anniversary milestone.
VH International Business Solutions Inc, New York’s preferred executive office and voice mail provider, is celebrating its nineteenth anniversary in 2009. With over 17 thousand clients since its launch nineteen years ago, VH International Business Solutions, Inc has become New York City’s destination for business professionals seeking a unique executive office organization.
“What started out 19 years ago as a basic virtual office support service has steadily grown into a business far exceeding anyone’s expectations,” said James Spence, VH International Business Solution’s vice president of operations. “We are all very proud of this accomplishment and grateful to our clients and employees who helped get us here.”
VH International Business Solutions, Inc initially offered its services to the local market. With the proliferation of consumer Internet access, the Company was the first in New York City to offer NYC virtual office services interactively via the World Wide Web. With this success, VH International Business Solutions established an instant business-to-business worldwide access to the New York market making available for the first time New York City virtual office services for organizations of all sizes, from the independent entrepreneur to enterprise-level Fortune 500 companies.
“Today VH International Business Solutions offers a comprehensive suite of executive office and business support services that can be tailor-made and bring about a meaningful difference for any company of any size in the world,” said Mr. Spence. “We pride ourselves on service that is reliable, efficient and competitively priced — all backed by our celebrated no-nonsense world class customer service. Our mission is to ensure our clients get the service they deserve and are entitled to.”
Added Mr. Spence, “During our 19-year life span, our focus on customer service has never wavered. We understand our client’s specific needs, there is no such thing as one solution for all. Because we offer client support staffed by seasoned professionals, whether you are an independent professional or a business, we have been able to deliver timely solutions again and again with a very satisfied customer rating.”
Continued Mr. Spence, “By being in touch with our client base, we have also been able to anticipate their needs and grow with their business. That’s one of the major reasons why we have been so successful. We very much look forward to the next 19 years.”
For additional information on VH International Business Solutions, visit www.ManhattanVirtualOffice.com
ABOUT VH International Business Solutions, Inc
Conceived in 1987 and Incorporated in 1990, VH International Business Solutions is today an international provider of New York executive and staffed virtual office services. In the contiguous United States, we offer voice mail points of presence in ninety percent of the Country. Our suite of executive and office support services are not only comprehensive but can also be custom fit for any enterprise-level need. Our services include, but are not limited to New York based virtual and staffed office services, business meeting facilities, nationwide voice mail services, live answering services, New York State incorporation filing services and much more. In addition, VH International Business Solutions is focused on providing its clients with superior support service, which is backed by a seasoned group of professionals who understands the needs and issues of today’s business and employees. At VH International Business Solutions, you to get the attention you deserve. For more information, please visit www.ManhattanVirtualOffice.com
International Flower Delivery through the Internet, is making the act of expressing love or thoughtful wishes across the globe a simple task! What was once a difficult task of sending gifts and greetings overseas, with mailing packages that took weeks to find destinations or cards that got lost along the way, can now be expressed through the easy and quick method of using florists that offer international flowers online. People are discovering that their hearts can be shared with friends, business associates, or loved ones living in other countries by using services that deliver flowers, gifts, and candies to the home or office in that country. The entire process can be accomplished with the clicking of a button. So, now these items can be sent when the thought of another enters the mind; there are no long distance telephone calls or telegrams to hassle with.
The Internet has revolutionized the way the world communicates and conducts business. Now, email allows Internet users to daily communicate with people from all over the world, and the Internet is providing a medium for many agencies that provide services to the many corners of the world. By simpling logging online, an international flower delivery can be accomplished within moments. Flowers are the perfect way to express a warm thought or wish, and now there is a way to send that warm thought or wish across the globe! Whether because of war in another country, mission work, business, or school, most people have someone they care about living out of physical reach. Using the service of international flowers online is like giving that someone special a hug; floral gifts and arrangements are wonderful ways to express affection.
The process of sending international flowers online is the easiest part of all. Those wanting to send gifts or thoughts world-wide can simply log onto the Internet and browse the different services that offer international flower delivery. There are online businesses that specialize in brokering with florists and gift suppliers in other countries and these brokers will handle all of the details of getting an order delivered in a timely manner. Local florists may also be able to handle cross-cultural greetings, as they network with florists across the nation and around the world, as well. However, those agencies advertising through the Internet offer the most experience in dealing with different languages and cultures.
Sending gifts is certainly a way of expressing love to another. The Bible teaches that we are to not only love one another, but we are to encourage, admonish, and support each other in Christian fellowship. When we participate in the act of giving, we are sharing our love with one another and we are demonstrating a true Christian nature. Why not send an international flower delivery service to the pastor of a sister church in another country, or to a hard working missionary trying to reach an unreached people group? It could take less than five minutes of time and the recipient is sure to be completely surprised and pleased.
Take time to browse the different international flowers online that offer same or next day services. Be sure to ask about time guarantees and the quality of florals or gifts being sent. It may also be a good idea to investigate how long the agency under consideration has been in business and about their experiences with the country in question. There are online brokers that represent hundreds of suppliers, so it may be a good idea to start there. Send a gift overseas today, and share your heart.