Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding By W. Timothy Coombs

I was asked by organisers of the  New Zealand Communication Association to do a key note speach at their 24th Annual conference which was held at the Heritage Hotel in Auckland on 12th & 13th December, 2011.

The theme for the conference was “Convergence”. This lent itself to discuss topics around convergence of of ideas, technology, cutures and nations, academic disciplines and education and industry.

It was a good opportunity to interact with the people who are shaping our university students minds in the area of communications.

Some of the papers discussed at the forum included:

• Josephine Ellis, AUT University. “On-line feedback and the Facebook effect” and  “A research journey by way of the classroom”.
• Dr. Lara Giles, EIT. “Meta-literacy”.
• Dr Kane Hopkins, Massey University. “How New Zealand organisations are using Facebook: A public relations perspective”.
• Jill Clark & Leta Roache, Whitireia.  “Grunting and Snorting on Facebook and Twitter: A Boomer’s Guide to Communicating with Gen Y”.
• Hamish Robertson Dr. Trudy Rosenfeld and Dr. Joanne Travaglia, University of NSW. “Communicating in Ageing Societies: Diversity and Dementia Looking to 2050”.
• Jacqui Hartley-Smith, EIT. “The jigsaw puzzle”.
  Arjan Van der Boon, MIT. “Teaching in your pyjamas? Online Learning with Wimba – The Student Experience”.
• Peter Bruce, Northtec.  “Building Stakeholder Engagement Capability”.
• Nuddy Pillay, MIT.  “To blend or not to blend, that is the question: the perceptions of students on the impact of the face to face and Web Based learning environment on their learning”.
• Susan O’Rourke, AUT.  “Teaching journalism, newspapers, convergence and the Arab Spring: Reflections from Oman”.
• Dr. Rosser Johnson. AUT.  “Cosmopolitanism, commercialism and food television: a case study of Tegal World Kitchen”.
• Debbie Page and Elna Fourie, Wintec. “Leaps and bounds, or a technological divide in the communication classroom”
• Una Wildon, MIT. “Process Based Learning: The Convergence of Teaching and Assessment in Writing courses”.   
• Nippy Paea, MIT student.  Whakarongomai ki taaku nei Reo:
• An Investigation into key factors in the engagement processes between Institute and Iwi
• Saarah Gul, MIT student. Investigating Facebook: The Impact of Facebook usage on the youth in New Zealand
• Manisha Jyoti, MIT student. “Perceptions of homosexuality and homosexuals among different Christian believers”.
• Trish Baker (Wellington Institute of Technology) and Jill Clark (Whitireia New Zealand). An introduction to cooperative learning. 
• Josephine Ellis, AUT University. This workshop to get participants to look at their own areas of teaching practice to identify research questions

My own talk focussed on Convergence and Conversation and how, for better and for worse they are changing how businesses and organisations respond during times of crisis.

I discussed examples of organisations where Convergence (media, technology etc) was beneficial and also where this same concept made lives difficult for company and organisational executives. 

Media Convergence can work against organisations :

• Organisations have less time to respond
• Organisations are global even if they are localy focussed, are forced to consider how their actions are seen beyond country boundaries 
• People (customers, voyears, onlookers) will comment on issues even while not understanding the facts
• There are always opposing viewpoints ready in the wings to be quoted or published online
• Private conversations become public faster and are more available
• Company execs are expected to be available – whenever…wherever.

Media Convergence can work for organisations : 

• Organisations have more media avenues to add to their toolbox
• Everything organisations and companies  do is visible Internationally
• People will go with their gut / brand allegiances / values and this will be demonstrated visually through social media
• Opinions  can be “heard”, published and commented on the minute you want them to be. The power is now with consumers as opposed to with media alone.

We discussed the necessity to have a plan in place for the unexpected and how to achieve outcomes by using the strengths of “Convergence” to our advantage and how to minimise the effects of the negatives. I have attached an example of one of the many and growing texts on the subject for those interested.

On August 25^th, Lowndes Associates will be hosting the second Business Intelligence Series breakfast workshop for 2011.

The workshop will focus on ‘Social Media for Businesses’ and will look at the opportunities offered by social media, the practical relevance of social media to your business, as well as the risks of not engaging with it.

The workshop’s three guest speakers include, Jon Leland – President and Creative Director of ComBridges.com, Rod Drury – Chief Executive of Xero Limited, and Mike Wilson – Head of Digital at .99 BBDO. Digital marketing specialists Young and Shand will also be present among other online professional organisations.

Workshop Details

When: 25 August 2011

Time: 7:30am – 9:30am

Where: Telecom Conference Centre, Victoria Street West, Auckland

Tickets: $88+gst ($78+gst for Lowndes Associates clients, members of EMA, attendees of the MediaSense Seminar, and supporter organisations)

For more information and to register click here.

The Auckland Welsh Choir will perform Celtic songs with connections from as far afield as Nova Scotia and Germany, in a 6 March concert presenting Elin, a young singer newly arrived from her native Wales. The concert, a St David’s Day tribute to the patron saint of Wales, will feature much-loved favourites balanced with new and interesting musical performances.

The choir is performing for the first time in the stunning concert venue of St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Takapuna, Auckland.

The St David’s Day 2011 line-up includes songs from Scotland (‘My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose’), Nova Scotia (‘Cape Breton Lullaby’), and Wales, with musical accompaniment from piano, strings and flute. The audience may feel inclined to dance in the aisles to the string band, weep for Danny Boy and be stirred by the wonderful Welsh Anthem.

The choir was established in 1988 and has been under the musical direction of Diana Williams Rhodes for the past decade. The assistant musical director is Steven Rapana.

The choir offers a wide range of accessible and enjoyable music, principally in a lyrical and folk style, and features invited soloists, vocal and instrumental (some from within the choir) to perform along with the choir. The cornerstone of music is in Welsh with a large proportion in English and some repertoire in Italian, French, German, Pacific languages and Latin.

Proceeds from concerts, which number up to six in any year, have assisted charities throughout New Zealand.  The choir also supports and encourage young people to develop musically through a scholarship programme which includes the provision of vocal training. The St David’s Day 2011 concert proceeds will go towards funding scholarships for the coming financial year. 

What: The Auckland Welsh Choir’s St David’s Day Concert

When: Sunday 6 March, 3pm

Where: St Joseph’s Catholic Church, cnr Taharoto and Dominion Streets, Takapuna, Auckland

Tickets can be purchased for $25 + service fee through www.iticket.co.nz or phone (09) 361 1000, or at the door (children are free). Concessions are available for student rush and group bookings.

For further information, please visit: www.aucklandwelshchoir.co.nz

Small Business Guru And E-Myth Founder Michael E Gerber Presents Final Workshop

Business owners finding their feet and seeking inspiration after the earthquake, floods and lingering recession have been inspired by an international SME business guru.  Michael E Gerber is in Auckland today presenting the last of three E-Myth workshops, after visiting Christchurch and Wellington earlier this week.

A pioneer in business coaching, Michael E Gerber founded E-Myth Worldwide in 1977. Still influential in international business circles at 73, Mr Gerber started his New Zealand tour in the South Island to present on the topic of the E-Myth: Why Most Small Businesses Fail and What to Do About It. His techniques, considered revolutionary in the business world, have been transforming companies for over 30 years, helping grow more than 70,000 businesses in over 145 countries and resulting in seven E-Myth books.

Managing director of the Knowledge Gym Mike Doughty says, “We’re delighted to welcome Mr Gerber back to Australasia. His seminars are always well-received, and attendees report that the sessions leave them more inspired and more focused on their businesses.   

“We’ve had a lot of feedback from business owners who have experienced Michael live, and they have reported that hearing Michael has inspired them to make changes to their business, and provided them with a level of focus and direction that has, like dropping a pebble into a pond, created positive ripples through their business life.

The Knowledge Gym introduces several speakers to Australasia each year and recommends the E-Myth workshops to those who want to renew their entrepreneurial spirit and learn how to better leverage their business skills.  At the core of his workshops is Mr Gerber’s focus on the power of working on your business, rather than merely in it, through the use of an extraordinary system.   

For his part, Michael E Gerber says though New Zealand is in a special position, with its isolation buffering it from many of the economic woes experienced by other nations, that same distance makes business owners vulnerable to unexpected economic shifts. “Dealing with the unexpected is a skill all Kiwi SMEs must develop, so they can focus not on survival but on flourishing despite the conditions. Another skill critical to CEOs and entrepreneurs is one I call ‘foraging’ – staying close to the ground looking for choice grub available to any company with a mind to grow beyond the rest.”

“The E-Myth workshops are practical yet inspirational. Attendees frequently remark that Mr Gerber’s passion and enthusiasm for SMEs is infectious,” says Mr Doughty. “Over three decades he has continued to evolve transferable skills and tools which remain relevant for any business and phase of one’s life.”

Former training manager and now business owner Kevin Smith of NZ Fashion Tech says that examples presented by Mr Gerber in a seminar he attended over 10 years ago resonated with him. 

“Back then I had just acquired a new business and was learning on my feet. Everything Mr Gerber explained dovetailed with the challenges I faced. I knew his systems could solve everything and I wanted to learn more.”

By applying the E-Myth system to both the business and academic aspects of NZ Fashion Tech, Mr Smith implemented an efficient system that continues to work at both the management and student level. “One of the most powerful things I learned was to take a step back to look at what I wanted from the business, to work from a different perspective.”

NZ Fashion Tech has grown exponentially in enrollment and graduate numbers since that seminar; 91% of students complete the programme, 81% gain a full qualification and 84% of graduates go on to employment or higher education. Student numbers have increased by over 250% since 1995, and the organization is now the preeminent fashion institute in New Zealand and the largest supplier of trained graduates in the country. It was named Provider of the Year in November 2010, from a pool of more than 700 private tertiary institutions.

“The E-Myth systems have liberated us and given us better control.  Though we have fewer sites to run, we have more students each year – managing the company is easier than ever before,” says Mr Smith.

Mr Smith attributes much of NZ Fashion Tech’s success and development to the E-Myth system and is attending today’s Auckland workshop at the Rendezvous Hotel with his team.

Michael E Gerber’s Knowledge Workout programme with Mr Gerber is designed to help business owners dispel the myths and common assumptions about starting a business. Having worked for many years on the development of entrepreneurship, in this series Mr Gerber is turning his attention from the management of existing businesses to the awakening of entrepreneurs in the start-up phase. 

The Knowledge Gyms intends that the workshops will furnish attendees with the skills to harness their businesses, capitalize on strengths and leverage their organizations with extraordinary systems. Timely, in a year that will bring a major international sporting event and a national election.

For more details regarding Michael E. Gerber’s E-Myth workshops visit www.theknowledgegym.co.nz

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Challenge Trust’s upper North Island staff are celebrating Mental Health Awareness Week with an inhouse talent show, Challenge’s Got Talent.

The talent show embraces the idea of having fun, laughing and diminishing stress, having taken a leaf from the Psychological Journal which says humor and laughter strengthen the immune system and best of all, is priceless, fun free and easy to use.

With this in mind, 8 October promises to be a fun filled day, with a showcase of Challenge Trust and their clients hidden talents.

All staff and clients are welcome to participate with one entry per service to perform.  The Grand Finale takes place at St Andrews Church Hall, Otahuhu, Friday 8 October, 1.00pm.

Challenge Trust is a charitable trust which began in 1993 and now has over 280 staff providing services to over 1500 people out of 24 sites.  Clients include people affected by mental illness, physical disability, intellectual disability, addictions, dual disability and dual diagnosis. 

To read more about Challenge’s Got Talent from The Aucklander click here.

Lowndes Associates and Unlimited magazine are pleased to host the 2010 Business Intelligence breakfast workshop series.  Now in their eighth year, these superior content-rich workshops are for busy executives, owners, directors, managers, advisers and corporate counsel.

You are invited to attend the up coming workshop Leadership and Top Performance in the New Environment, on Wednesday 29 September at the Stamford Plaza, Auckland, 7.30am – 9.30am.

Hear from three outstanding chief executives: How to build and lead a high performance team in the new environment. How to engage and train talent. The role of values and how they have changed.

Click here to find out more about the Business Intelligence seminars and how to register for workshops.

Players from the Bay of Plenty Steamers will be at Bayfair Shopping Centre next week to meet and greet fans, and thank them for their steadfast support season after season.

With their eyes firmly set on the 2010 ITM Cup, the Bay of Plenty Steamers turn their attention to Bayfair Shopping Centre for a signing evening on Thursday 12 August, from 7pm to 8pm. 

This is your chance to get up close and personal with 13 Bay of Plenty Steamers stars, including Captain Colin Burke, Lance MacDonald and Jason Hona. The players will be signing free posters that are available from the Bayfair Shopping Centre Information Desk from Friday 6 August onwards, while stocks last.

Getting out in the community is an important part of the Steamers’ schedule. The team is looking forward to meeting its supporters first-hand and generating interest.

Bay of Plenty Steamers Sales and Marketing Executive Warren Kibur says, “Meet and greets are fantastic. Bayfair Shopping Centre is helping the team give back personally and opportunities like this generate great enthusiasm among players and supporters alike. These occasions are our way of saying thank you.”

Bayfair Shopping Centre Marketing Manager Nina Rivett says, “Bayfair is proud to support the Bay of Plenty Steamers and help bring them closer to our community. It is a pleasure to be associated with the team.”

From Thursday 12 August to Sunday 22 August, Bay of Plenty Steamers fans will be given the chance to win two signed Bay of Plenty Steamers jerseys. Anyone that purchases a snack or meal from participating retailers at Bayfair can enter the draw to win one of the two jerseys.

In addition, if a shopper discovers a rugby ball sticker on a soft drink purchased from the same retailer, he or she has won two tickets to see the Bay of Plenty Steamers vs. Southland game at 2.35pm on Saturday 16 October at Baypark, Mount Maunganui.

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Lowndes Associates and Unlimited magazine are pleased to invite you to the 2010 Business Intelligence breakfast workshop series. Now in their eighth year, these superior content-rich workshops are for busy executives, owners, directors, managers, advisers and corporate counsel.

Learn more about:
Concept — the key initial questions: Will it work? Does the market want it? Will customers buy it?
People — how to find, motivate, reward and keep the people you need. Finding the right mix of skills.
Funding — once the seed capital has been spent, where do you find the development capital and funding for the longer term?
Development — getting to market without running out of money in the process.
Growth — when to bring in new talent and experience. Must the founding group stay in control?
Governance — getting the right balance of skills and experience on the board. Key issues for the directors and senior management.
Exit strategy — developing and executing a successful sale/divestment process.

Workshop two: Flying Kiwis: Startup to success — overcoming startup problems, is on 25 Wednesday August, 2010 from 7.30 – 9.30am at Auckland’s, Stamford Plaza.

For More information:

Click on to Unlimited.co.nz or at the Lowndes Associates Business Intelligence website

The immigration to New Zealand of a leading international dance director is a boon to young disciples of the art. Lisa Carter, a former Royal Academy of Dance examiner who trained in her native South Africa and has taught there and in Asia, Europe, the UK and the United States, has moved to New Zealand to lead the dance department at Corelli School in Auckland. Ms Carter and Corelli are jointly offering 12 scholarships over three years to talented young dancers.

“We chose to move to New Zealand so that I could take up this extraordinary opportunity at Corelli School.

“Through my earlier work I have been able to see the impact that good training can have on a young dancer. By 18, it is often too late to train as a professional dancer, and my vision, with Corelli and our scholarship programme, is to open the door to youngsters with a passion for dance, and to encourage and mentor them as they train.

“The scholarships are open to those with a passion for dance and will be offered alongside an excellent education curriculum. Corelli School strives for excellence in arts while offering its students the internationally recognized Cambridge educational programme. 

Ms Carter intends that the scholarships will help to advance New Zealand ballet across the board. “Overall, ballet here is very good. The difficulty is that there are not enough professional opportunities and many dancers have to go overseas to find work. The growth of New Zealand dance is part of my own future plan and vision.”

Her vision also includes ‘training for excellence’, not only as a dancer but in all aspects of life. “Dance training can enrich children’s lives in many ways, to be disciplined, to push through and be the best that one can – these are invaluable life skills.”
That attitude is shared by Corelli’s faculty, Ms Carter says, “An arts specialist education facility such as Corelli is an excellent environment which encourages and develops creative minds. It is a place where students find peers who think alike, behave similarly and understand one another. Young artists and performers, such as dancers, also need the discipline of a challenging and rewarding academic environment, and Corelli provides this.”

Head of Performing Arts at Corelli School, David Selfe (Professional Certificate and Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music) says the pursuit of excellence in arts should ideally be supported with a good educational foundation. “This is what we seek to provide. It is much easier for children to fulfil their potential, artistic and otherwise, when they have a well-rounded approach. Lisa holds the same view and will be a tremendous asset to Corelli.”

Ms Carter travelled internationally as an examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) for five years from 2004, taking a sabbatical with the birth of her daughter Caitlin. She does not rule out a return to examining in the future.

RAD examiners are a small select group, with only a handful of active examiners worldwide at any given time. RAD examiners are appointed by invitation only and undergo extensive training. Their extensive international schedules can take them on trips as long as six weeks at a stretch.

Among Ms Carter’s career achievements are her contribution to the programmes and standard dance offered at Creighton University in Nebraska. During her time there she was responsible for implementing the Dance Major now on offer and seeing the increase of dance students come on board.

In addition, she recently published a book, Introduction to Ballet (Kendall Hunt Publishers), which is being used in the United States and features her students in step-by-step movement photographs designed for easy understanding of dance terminology and steps.

Open auditions for the scholarships will take place at 1pm on Thursday 12 August at the Corelli School. To register your interest, please contact Christine or Claire on 09 476 5043 or visit: www.corelli.school.nz.

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About Lisa Carter

Lisa Carter, the daughter of a dancer and dance teacher, started dancing at three in Cape Town, South Africa. She was trained by Elisabeth Millington and Sheila Stirling (F.R.A.D.) at the University of Cape Town, where she obtained her Royal Academy of Dance Teaching Certification and a BMus degree in piano. Two years after graduating, she joined the ballet faculty, teaching ballet there while maintaining her own private studios in Cape Town. In 1998, Lisa and her husband travelled to Hong Kong where she trained ballet students at a private school which she headed. She also taught at the RAD summer school and won a choreographic award at the Hong Kong Arts Festival. At the end of 1998, Lisa moved to the United Kingdom and taught at the Italia Conti School of Dance and Drama and the Central School of Ballet in London.

In 2002, Lisa joined the faculty of Creighton University, a private Jesuit university in Nebraska, as director of the dance department and artistic director of the Creighton Dance Company. In 2004 she became an examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance and for five years travelled internationally for examinations. Lisa has given master class in Hong Kong, South Africa, Europe and the United States of America. She has choreographed many ballet productions including Coppélia, The Nutcracker, Giselle and Raymonda as well as musicals including The Boyfriend, The Mikado and Joseph.

Lisa’s book on beginning ballet was published this year by Kendall Hunt Publishers. Before leaving for New Zealand, Lisa choreographed Romeo and Juliet for the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival and taught summer school to young local and national dancers.

Vodafone Warriors Reading Captain Jerome Ropati reads with students from Te Papapa School, Onehunga

“Kevin Locke attacks the other team like he is a champion of wrestling. Steve Price is as tough as elephant skin, yet moves as slippery as a gecko. Brent Tate is like a train with no brakes – accelerating, huffing but never puffing.”

This inventive description of three Vodafone Warriors is the work of one of the many Auckland children whose creative juices are still flowing after the success of the Vodafone Warriors League in Libraries programme with two Auckland schools in 2008, and 50 schools (more than 500 entries) in 2009.

While the Vodafone Warriors aim to make their way up the National Rugby League (NRL) ladder this season, their latest endeavour off the field is continuing to inspire Auckland children to get reading and writing through the third annual League in Libraries programme, supported by Konica Minolta.

The League in Libraries initiative aims to improve the literacy levels of children aged seven to nine by encouraging them to learn the valuable life skills of reading and writing at an age where reading can become difficult.

“Konica Minolta has strong partnerships with many schools so we’re delighted to be supporting child development and education through the League in Libraries programme for a third year in a row and to help give Year Four and Five kids throughout Auckland a chance to be involved,” says National Marketing Manager Josh Byers. “The Vodafone Warriors are great ambassadors for the programme. If they say reading is cool, it means a lot in the minds of their young fans and we hope it will inspire kids to put pen to paper and get stuck into a good book.”

For a chance to meet the rugby league stars, children are asked to express their creative side by submitting an illustrated short story or poem incorporating their favourite Vodafone Warriors player.

The best classroom entries will be judged by Konica Minolta as well as Vodafone Warriors NRL Reading Captain Jerome Ropati. The top eight winning schools will be invited to meet some of the Vodafone Warriors at four special local library visits in July and August. To ensure all the winning schools get the chance to meet their favourite players, Konica Minolta will be providing transport to and from the library visits.

While the players are visiting the library, they will work with children to complete four literary activities, two of them centred on New Zealand books: Papa’s Donuts by Kate Moetaua, and Henry & the Flea by Brian Faulkner, a story about a young boy who dreams of one day playing for the Vodafone Warriors. Each child attending the library visit will receive a free copy of one of these books to take home.

The eight selected schools will also receive two Canterbury of New Zealand rugby league balls and tickets to a Vodafone Warriors home game. The student with the best overall story or poem will receive a signed 2010 Vodafone Warriors rugby league jersey.

“Working with the community is a big part of what we do,” says Vodafone Warriors player Jerome Ropati. “Players need to have more in their lives than simply training and playing, and initiatives such as the League in Libraries programme are a great opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our young people. Helping kids to develop their literacy skills is a really positive way to go.”

Schools can receive entry details by contacting Sonya Mills on 09 356 6897 or email sonya.mills@konicaminolta.co.nz. Completed entry forms and the short stories and poems from year 4 and 5 classrooms in the Auckland region can be sent to: League in Libraries Programme, Konica Minolta, Private Bag 92635 Symonds Street, Auckland. One entry form per classroom (unlimited student entries permitted per class). Entries close on Friday 4 June. The eight winning schools will be notified by 25 June.

The League in Libraries day will take place at the following locations and dates:

Pakuranga Library – Tue 20 July
Waitakere Library – Tue 27 July
Glenfield Library – Tue 3 August
Manurewa Library – Tue 10 August 

Visit www.warriors.co.nz for more information.

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