IEEE Fort Worth Section Newsletter
SIGNALS April 2002
News Digest
- FW Section: Call for Volunteers: Contribute to your profession and help out with the next generation
- IEEE-USA: State Department Fellowship, Online Security vs. Privacy
- IEEE Global: Cash in on half-year dues program to try out a new Society, Computer Society Certification program
- Other News: Texas 8th grade science programs in jeopardy, Training business people to be teachers
A-C-T N-O-W - A Strategy for Effective Crisis Communication
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by Cheryl Reimold
In 1979, the nuclear power plant malfunction at Three Mile Island created a meltdown for the entire industry. In 1984, the tragedy at Bhopal left Union Carbide reeling. Common to both disasters was striking miscommunication to the public. When the local utility involved in Three Mile Island did not offer an immediate response, rumors and fears mushroomed. And when Union Carbide blamed the Bhopal tragedy on local management, The New York Times publicly lambasted "Union Carbide's defensive posture and faceless approach."
Of course, catastrophes have disastrous consequences - no matter what. Sometimes nothing can change these. But the way in which a company communicates a crisis to the world affects the public's perception of the company - and the industry as a whole.
Long-term consequences to a company can depend in no small part on that company's short-term response to the crisis. Witness the positive public perception of two companies that responded immediately and generously to crises: Johnson & Johnson (the Tylenol scare) and Hyatt Regency (a fatal skywalk collapse in Kansas City).
Because crises tend to catch people unprepared, a communication strategy must be firmly in place to guide those involved through what inevitably will be uncharted waters. One effective crisis communication strategy is known as A-C-T N-O-W:
- Anticipate disaster
Anticipation is your essential crisis insurance policy. However, its premiums are high: you invest sizable amounts of time and effort to prepare for a disaster that might never occur. These investments may seem unaffordable - until you recognize that managing a crisis effectively depends on preparing for it effectively and that crisis mismanagement can lead to the end of a company.
- Prepare a crisis inventory
- Do contingency planning
- Build good public and press relations before a crisis occurs
- Care about people affected
Your first responsibility will always be to the victims of a crisis, not to yourself or your company. Ironically, thinking this way is usually the only way to save the company. Displaying a caring attitude is what counts here; an "acts of compassion" checklist is useless, if your mind is really in self-defense mode.
- Tell what you know immediately
Don't hide behind the fear of legal reprisals or short-term profit problems. Next to caring for the victims, public opinion centers on the speed at which you share information. In crisis situations, you must speak out quickly, both to stop rumors and to avoid receiving a negative public perception. If you don't speak immediately, someone else will - and probably with less information than you have.
- Note your next steps
You have taken the necessary steps in the initial wake of the disaster, and now you can retreat briefly to prepare a longer communication program. Plan this program carefully.
- Offer help to reinforcements
Company representatives who show compassion will elicit a more sympathetic public response.
- Write press kits and other pieces of public information
As soon as you can, prepare a press kit that tells the public what they want to know. Get the facts on paper and get them out. Add updates and other information (such as endorsements) later.
For details on all six steps, see the multipart series in Today's Engineer online.
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CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS - Exercise your leadership skills, contribute to your profession and the community, expand your network...The Section has a variety of opportunities available for anyone interested in participating:
- Young Professionals: Strengthen your networks by taking on our new GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) group. Implement programs and activities specifically designed to build careers for young engineers (min. of 2 programs annually required). Or, if you are interested in guiding the newest engineers, Student Activities will give you the opportunity to mentor our four local student branches.
- Conferences: Metrocon is looking for volunteers to assist in the planning and development of its annual technical conference. Work with core Section volunteers for a successful September program.
- Professional and Career Programs: Strategies for advancing your career, exploring other career options, sharpening communication skills, contributing to the community, influencing government - work within PACE (the Professional Activities Committees for Engineers) to plan programs/meetings that will round-out the non-technical side of our careers (2 annually).
- Help to make the FW Section the best it can be: The Section is looking for volunteers willing to advance through the organization by taking on the officer position of Secretary or interested in expanding and promoting membership.
Contact, Chair Thomas Sears.
JUDGES NEEDED - The University of Texas at Arlington is hosting the 2002 ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair at the Arlington Convention Center on April 11-13, 2002. This fair attracts the participation of outstanding high school students. Members are invited to serve as a judge on Friday, April 12.
ASK A SCIENTIST OR ENGINEER: VOLUNTEER - For one week only, 28 April - 4 May 2002, IEEE members are needed to participate in the National Science Foundation coordinated "Ask a Scientist or Engineer" online activity. It is part of Global Science & Technology Week (GSTW), sponsored by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, USA. During this week, answer questions via email received by teachers, students, and parents. Questions will be vetted through a clearinghouse before being distributed to volunteers according to their main field of interest. Contact Doug Gorham.
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STATE DEPARTMENT FELLOWSHIP - IEEE-USA is accepting applications from US IEEE members interested in spending a year at the US State Department as a technical adviser. The successful State Department Fellow can play an important role providing technical insights into US foreign policy interests. Applicant must be an IEEE member with US citizenship, possess a Ph.D. or 10+ years of professional experience, and be able to obtain a security clearance. A stipend and relocation assistance will be provided by IEEE-USA. Deadline is 3 June 2002.
HOMELAND SECURITY AND PUBLIC PRIVACY: WHERE DO THE LINES GET DRAWN? America's ability to monitor conversations and track people down is widely admired. But when that technology is used to eavesdrop on people inside US borders, many people's views change quickly. Who draws the line between security and privacy? How much access should law enforcement have? Would you be willing to sacrifice some online privacy for greater security? IEEE-USA Policy Perspectives and Terry Costlow (former EE TIMES careers editor) look at one of the emerging gray areas of living in the information age.
RECENT POLICY ACTIVITIES
- Defense S&T funding - On March 20, IEEE-USA wrote to DoD and to Senate defense appropriators expressing support for increases in FY2003 defense S&T funding. IEEE-USA also worked in support of an amendment by Senator Carnahan passed by the Senate Budget Committee on March 21 that would tie DoD S&T funding to 3% of the total defense budget.
- Small Wonders: World Of Nanotechnology conference - On March 19, IEEE joined with ASME, AICHE, AAES and others in co-sponsoring a Congressional Reception in conjunction with the conference organized by the National Science Foundation.
- Senate energy bill - On March 14, IEEE-USA wrote the Senate leadership and members of the Senator Energy and Natural Resources Committee supporting Senator Craig Thomas' electric reliability amendments to S.517.
FROM THE HILL:
- Senate continues deliberation on energy bill - The Senate will resume its consideration of national energy legislation (S.517) after its Easter recess and is expected to continue deliberations on the bill through mid-April. Recent discussions have centered on requirements that a certain percentage of electricity sold by investor-owned utilities be generated from renewable sources; proposed increases in fuel efficiency (CAFE) standards for cars, pick-up trucks and sports utility vehicles; and permitting oil and gas production in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
- DOD proposes to restrict use of foreign nationals on IT-related work - The US Department of Defense (DoD) is weighing plans to impose new security guidelines that would restrict the ability of non-US citizens (primarily H-1B guest workers) employed by defense contractors from working on information technology contracts involving sensitive (but unclassified) information. The exact scope of the restrictions have not been revealed, and it is not clear whether or not DoD will seek public comment on the change of policy; it is possible the new guidelines would take affect within 60-90 days.
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MARCH BEGINS HALF-YEAR DUES PERIOD - Individuals who join the IEEE and its Societies in March will pay half the full-year dues rate from the time of their application through the end of the calendar year. Also during this time, current members can join new IEEE Societies or add new subscriptions at the half-year price.
COMPUTER SOCIETY LAUNCHES SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATION - Following three years of research among professionals, employers and their customers, the IEEE Computer Society has launched a program to certify software development professionals. Certification is based on education and mastery of a Body of Knowledge in software development. This is the only software development professional certification endorsed and administered by the IEEE Computer Society. The deadline to register for the Spring testing period is 15 April.
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TAAS TAKING OUT SCIENCE - TEXAS SCIENCE TEACHERS FEAR LOSING RESOURCES AS 8TH GRADE TEST DISAPPEARS - Middle school science teachers are worried that their classroom resources are going to be drastically reduced because, starting next fall, the state will no longer require schools to administer its 8th grade science test. Because financial sanctions and rewards for schools are linked to student scores on state assessments in Texas, many middle school teachers fear that their principals will put more emphasis on the subjects that are tested in middle school -- mathematics, reading, and social studies - than on science.
School administrators have limited budgets and will tend to funnel money into subjects that have the most direct impact on their schools -- the subjects that are tested by the state. "It becomes difficult for them to justify the training and the cost of a good middle school science program, especially when they are being held accountable for math and reading," said Chris Castillo Comer, the director of science for the Texas Education Agency. Nonetheless, she said that she already has heard that some science teachers have been told to cut back on laboratory work and instead concentrate on remedial reading and writing.
The shift grew out of a decision three years ago by the legislature to revise the state's assessments. As a result, the legislators added science exams in 5th, 10th, and 11th grades, and took out the science assessment in 8th grade. The desire was to make the state's high school curriculum more rigorous. But, science teachers argue that by eliminating the assessment, and thereby de-emphasizing middle school science, students will have trouble with the high school exams.
Ironically, under the reauthorized federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act that was signed into law in January, states will be required to administer a science exam at least once between the 6th and 9th grades, starting in the 2007-08 school year. (Source: Education Week, February 13, 2002)
VERIZON FOUNDATION GRANTS FOR BUSINESS-TO-TEACHING INITIATIVE - The Verizon Foundation has granted $154,000 to the Texas Business and Education Coalition (TBEC) to create the "Business-To-Teaching" initiative, whereby displaced employees and retirees from the workplace will be encouraged to pursue a career in teaching, particularly in math and science fields, in Texas public schools. Initially, TBEC will work with the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of Houston to pilot this project.
Currently, there are less than 20 students in college right now preparing to be physics teachers (in Texas). At the same time schools are facing these personnel shortages, businesses are releasing knowledgeable personnel from the workforce. Many of these retirees or former employees have experience in the subjects where the teacher shortages are the greatest.
BUSINESS CEOs CREATE TERRORISM RESPONSE NETWORK - As reported by the Washington Post on March 13, key members of the Business Roundtable (CEO's of the nation's 150 largest corporations) are developing a secure communications network to alert them to terrorist attacks (and other disasters) and help coordinate their respective responses. Dubbed CEO Link, the system is being developed by AT&T, and will include a wireless telephone network and secure website that will allow the CEOs to communicate with each other and with selected federal officials.
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Copyright © 2002 The Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers, Inc. Permission to copy granted for non-commercial purposes.
Jean Eason, Editor