Barbara J. Reynolds, Senior Advisor, Crisis Communication and Elvia Earley, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Abstract
Leadership during a crisis that involves the physical safety and emotional or financial well-being of those being led offers an intense environment that may not allow for on-the-job training. One of the challenges faced by crisis leaders is to communicate effectively the courses of action needed to allow for a reduction of harm to individuals and the ultimate restoration of the group, organisation or community. The six principles of crisis and emergency risk communication (CERC) give leaders tools to navigate the harsh realities of speaking to employees, media, partners and stakeholders during an intense crisis. CERC also helps leaders to avoid the five most common communication mistakes during crises. Much of the harmful individual and group behaviour predicted in a profound crisis can be mitigated with effective crisis and emergency risk communication. A leader must anticipate what mental stresses followers will be experiencing and apply appropriate communication strategies to attempt to manage these stresses among staff or the public and preserve or repair the organisation’s reputation. In an emergency, the right message at the right time is a ‘resource multiplier’ — it helps leaders to get their job done.
Keywords
leadership, crisis communication, emergency-risk communication, risk perceptions, transformational leadership, trust, credibility
Barbara J. Reynolds, is the crisis communication senior advisor for the office of the director, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr Reynolds’ communication expertise has been used in the planning or response to pandemic influenza, vaccine safety, emerging disease outbreaks and bioterrorism. She has acted as a crisis communication consultant on health issues for France, Hong Kong, China, Mexico, Indonesia, Australia, Canada, former Soviet Union nations, NATO and the World Health Organization. Barbara is the coauthor of the CDC’s 2002 book ‘Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication’ and CDC’s ‘Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication’ (CERC) course, which is now taught in various settings internationally. In 2004, she launched a version of the CERC course for leaders. Her research and writings are focused on emergency risk communication best practices, integrating models of communication for public health, and building community hardiness in the face of disaster. She is also an adjunct professor at Tulane University.
Elvia Earley is an instructional designer whose expertise was used to develop online courses for the CDC to address CERC training. She is currently a PhD learner at Capella University, completing her dissertation on the effectiveness of virtual worlds in public health preparedness training. The research funded by the University of Minnesota’s U-SEEE pilot research programme, focuses on assessing simulation technology in a virtual world environment to explore training modalities and instructional methods to improve emergency preparedness training. Ms Earley has also partnered with the Center for the Advancement of Distance Education to collaborate in efforts to promote public health training using virtual world environments.
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