Lindsay Treichel, Author at Tunheim

Crisis Management, Issues Management and Managing Reputation

Lindsay Treichel — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 17:49:14 +0000

Today’s environment is more complex and uncertain than ever. The last year has ushered in more challenges and on-the-fly change management for organizations than any time in modern history. Often that uncertainty can quickly turn from manageable to an issue playing out in the public sphere.

Are you managing an issue?

Sometimes an objective expert is what it takes to provide perspective to maintain and protect your organization’s reputation. Tunheim brings experienced, senior counsel who are not new to, or intimidated by, the challenges now deeply affecting our society.

With any issue or crisis, Tunheim will listen and will counsel you to gather the facts available, be transparent and share what you know. Especially right now, Tunheim will counsel to be mindful of the many experiences people are facing and find ways to engage when or where appropriate for your organization’s stakeholders.

Our senior crisis management team is built upon years of experience navigating uncertain waters with clients in the public, private, government and nonprofit sectors. We’re adept at managing disruption in the face of uncertainty while never losing sight of the ultimate goal – maintaining and protecting our clients’ reputations.

How we help

Crisis planning

Step one in navigating any crisis well is being prepared. Crisis planning is one of the most important steps a company can take to ensure a future crisis is handled professionally, efficiently and doesn’t negatively impact its reputation. Tunheim offers full-service crisis planning, including scenario and response planning, messaging strategy and core message development and development of communication protocol and contact strategy.

If not existing already (or if needing updates for issues of today, such as the pandemic, civil unrest, technology breaches or other new realities), Tunheim will recommend the development of a protocol and communications plan for responding to a crisis, including (but not limited to):

Identification of key triggers and timing;
Identification of a crisis communications team;
Define internal and external communications vehicles;
Develop cadence for communications to key stakeholders, employees and media; and
Draft general key messages.

Crisis training

In addition to crisis planning, Tunheim provides crisis training for senior leaders and staff surrounding crisis protocols and procedures, media relations training and spokesperson training to ensure no one is caught unprepared.

We develop the training based on each unique organization’s needs, but it often includes:

What triggers a crisis;
Leadership’s biggest crisis concerns;
Strengths and weaknesses of leadership in dealing with a crisis;
Communications tools that should and should not be used in various scenarios;
Primary spokespeople; and
How to distinguish between a true crisis and a “bad day,” and how each would be handled differently.

Crisis response team

Our crisis management team is often the first to receive a phone call when a crisis occurs. We offer immediate strategy, counsel and response support to help our clients navigate an occurring or impending crisis. Whether a crisis last days, weeks or years, our senior team remains engaged throughout the entire process.

Having experienced guidance and a partner with you in the trenches is important while managing a reputation issue. If you would like to talk to Tunheim about our crisis services, please contact us at 952-851-1600.

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The Do’s and Don’ts of Crisis Communications

Lindsay Treichel — Wed, 13 May 2020 21:26:12 +0000

With the COVID-19 pandemic gripping the world, it has become evident to many organizations that they were caught woefully unprepared to deal with the level of upheaval that the current pandemic left them in – not just from a business standpoint, but from a communications standpoint too. And though the COVID-19 pandemic is of a magnitude that most individuals and businesses have never seen before, crises themselves aren’t new and non-COVID related crises will continue to plague organizations even in the midst of the current pandemic.

So as organizations develop their plans for reopening and when the retrofitting of offices for the ‘new normal’ is complete, I urge business leaders to revisit their response to this crisis and use it as a chance to be better prepared for future crises, particularly when it comes to communicating with their most important stakeholders.

And though no business, organization or individual can be 100% prepared for every possible scenario, there are a few key steps an organization can and should take to be on offense when communicating during a crisis.

Do have a plan

The most important thing for any company is to be prepared and that requires having a plan. Leaders should spend time thinking about the most likely crisis scenarios for their company and create an action plan AND a communication plan should one of those scenarios come to life.

It’s not necessary to try and plan for every possible crisis that could impact your business, but it is important to think through various types of crises since each will likely require a very different response. For instance, a natural disaster that leaves the physical building uninhabitable versus an act of workplace violence would solicit different action and communication efforts.

Part of planning for a crisis also should include training key staff on what to do and what their roles are or are not (and where to find the plan) in the event of an actual crisis. There really is no substitution for being prepared and the companies we work with that have a crisis plan naturally navigate the uncertain waters of a crisis far better than those that don’t.

Do create your key messages before a crisis hits

Every company should have a set of core messages that provide key information about the organization itself and its values. Those messages should be reflected, in some way, in every communication that comes from the company, including in crisis communications. The fundamental messages about an organization don’t change during a crisis (though they may be modified), but many organizations forget to articulate them in the moment.

Write them in the crisis plan.

In addition, it’s wise to include template crisis-specific messages that have been vetted and approved in the crisis plan. These most certainly will need to be tweaked for an actual crisis, but when speed is critical, it’s best to have something to start from.

Health experts: Reopening businesses in Minnesota will spread COVID-19, but how much? https://t.co/3RdN7qMOtx
— Star Tribune (@StarTribune) May 13, 2020

Do communicate promptly and be transparent

Remember, the goal is for the organization to be viewed as the most accurate and timely source of information so speed and transparency should guide the entire response. Be prompt in communications to all stakeholders. A lack of communication from the organization easily allows others to shape and control the narrative.

Be forthright and clear in all communications. If you don’t know something at the time…say so. Some information is better than no information. Just be clear what you know, what you don’t and when you plan to share more.

Don’t sugar coat or mislead in any way

One of the worst things an organization can do in its communications is to hide the facts or sugar coat a crisis. If there is any wrongdoing by the company, take accountability for it. Don’t try and cover it up or place blame. Reputations are built over time. They can also be repaired over time, but only if the organization is honest, demonstrates credibility and is viewed as the most accurate source of information.

Don’t be afraid to show human emotion

It’s amazing how many companies and/or leaders unintentionally sound callous and cold in a statement or communication to their key stakeholders during a highly sensitive crisis situation. One of the very best things an organization can do is connect with those they care most about on a human level. It shows you care about the people involved, not just about the bottom line.

Gov. Tim Walz to address Minnesotans live at 6 p.m.; new info from coronavirus modeling coming out today https://t.co/4UHxrWv9HS pic.twitter.com/pYMBXDiJiK
— Pioneer Press (@PioneerPress) May 13, 2020

The post The Do’s and Don’ts of Crisis Communications appeared first on Tunheim.

What is Strategic Communications Consulting?

Lindsay Treichel — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 20:12:23 +0000

Written by Lindsay Schroeder Treichel, senior consultant and chief transformation officer; connect with her on LinkedIn

For years, I’ve struggled to answer the simple question: “What do you do for a living?”

On the surface, it seems like an easy enough question to answer. I’ve worked at Tunheim for nearly 15 years. I should certainly know by now what we do. But, depending on the day, my answers range: management consulting, communications and public relations, public affairs, crisis consulting … and that’s just the start of what we do.

When I started on my career path, the field I entered was called public relations or “PR” and my aspirations were clear.

The goal of PR, at its core, has always been about creating two-way communication between an organization and its most important stakeholders.

While pursuing my degree, I’d learned that clients wanted to hire professionals who could help them identify stakeholders and articulate a message that they controlled (as much as possible anyway), determine the most effective vehicles to reach said stakeholders, and share those messages according to a prescribed timeline.

And I was, I knew, just the newly-minted professional to help them get the job done.

In those days, organizations often measured the value of their “relationships” through consumer impressions, ad equivalency numbers and whatever the chief marketing officer or corporate communications director valued that day, week or month.

The problem is, those measurement criteria couldn’t actually measure what PR was designed to do — they were just numbers on a page.

Literally, public relations is intended to impact the relations an organization has with key stakeholders, and we’re all still working to find effective ways to measure engagement or impact. Measuring reach alone is easy, but not very useful — and for public relations professionals, that metric created a whole phenomenon labeled “spin” — the notion that any and all publicity is good.

How “PR” evolved into strategic communications consulting

At Tunheim we’ve never been about “spin” and, skeptics be damned, we’re not shy about saying that upfront. After all, what’s the point?

It doesn’t help organizations engage with their audiences, strengthen their businesses and move the needle in ways that are truly valuable. We see ourselves as strategic consultants, with core competencies across the communications spectrum.

As strategic communications consultants, we’ve always known it’s not about controlling the message, the medium or the timeline. All truly good strategic communications consultants worth their weight in old news releases know that. It is, and always has been, about meeting your most important stakeholders on their turf, on their timeline and in a way that’s meaningful to them — and that means very different things to each of our clients.

Truth be told, at Tunheim, what we do is help organizations take responsibility for being understood and that has never solely been our own “PR” talking.

Over the years, our work has helped clients build strategic business plans, navigate crises, identify and mine new opportunities for growth, realign social infrastructure, build and manage coalitions, develop departments, and secure national events like the NCAA Final Four, Super Bowl and Ryder Cup – and so much more.

At our core, we’re business consultants who intimately understand the art of communication and its importance in strategically helping our clients assess, manage and navigate complex business problems and capitalize on new opportunities; ultimately, helping them to be understood by their most important stakeholders in a way that truly matters to them.

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