“In a crisis, how do you gauge the timeline of communication? How do you decide what to communicate and when?”
“Who, at the company, should be involved in crafting a crisis plan? How often should you evaluate that plan?”
“How can you analyze the effectiveness of your communication?”
These are important questions that every business should be asking, but they’re also just a handful of the questions Leadership Sarpy participants got to ask a panel of experts on public communication in a crisis. The panel included Annette Eyman, Director-Communications Papillion La Vista Community Schools; Jeff Calentine, Deputy Director of Public Works City of La Vista; Matt Hardebeck, Director, Innovation and Continuous Improvement at Omaha Public Power District; Captain Jeremy Kinsey, City of La Vista Police Department. All of these speakers shared valuable insight from their own experiences as well as unique insight into the numerous times their organizations needed to coordinate and collaborate.
The group also heard from Captain Kevin Griger with the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Department. Griger outlined the tragic events surrounding an active shooter situation in Colorado in 2006 that lead to the creation of I Love You Guys Foundation, an organization that dedicated its efforts to creating an effective plan for schools in a crisis situation. The result was the Standard Response Protocol, a unified plan for the 4 school districts in Sarpy County. Griger has worked to adapt this plan to businesses and gave an overview of how it works. The Sarpy Sheriff’s Department will work with businesses in the county to teach SRP and help businesses implement it. The session was impactful and eye-opening for many Leadership Sarpy participants. Earlier in the day, they were given the opportunity to test their own skills and knowledge through a crisis simulation. They were tasked with making hard decisions in hard situations while also trying to communicate internally as an organization and externally to the public.
Crisis management is a critical organizational function for a business and it encompasses more than just violence. It should also account for weather, fire, injury or illness. Failure can result in serious harm to employees and stakeholders, losses for an organization, or even end its very existence. This is why the topic of crisis management is an integral part of Leadership Sarpy, a program that develops people personally and professionally for leadership positions not only in their place of work, but in the community as a whole. Applications for the next Leadership Sarpy class will be open soon so check sarpychamber.org/leadership-sarpy for all the latest.
Save These Dates:
January 12: Coffee & Contacts at the YMCA
Start your day with some networking!
January 17: Marketing & Branding in First 1-5 Years – B.U.Y.S. Education Event
Hear from a marketing and branding expert!
January 18: W.O.M.E.N. at Call to Action Event
Join us at Hail Varsity Club for networking
January 19: Website 101 Training
Learn about website resources for chamber members
January 25: T.I.P.S. Open House Event
Get to know all our T.I.P.S. Groups!
January 26: Business After Hours at Stories Coffee
End your work day with some networking!
February 02: Modern Professional Business Tour at Nebraska Brewing Company
Tour a business with a unique setting!
February 09: Coffee & Contacts at Gretna Public Schools Foundation
Start your day with some networking!
Unwavering Advocate
We are your unwavering advocate. As business owners, neighbors and friends, we are Sarpy. Our whole hearts are into making a better future for all of us. As a connector of solutions and a helping hand to members, Sarpy Chamber provides knowledge and opportunities that empower local business.
If you share our vision, talk to us about joining and opening doors to a wide range of networking events, professional groups, workshops, and other activities, all with the aim of connecting business owners, professionals and entrepreneurs.
Address: 1243 Golden Gate Drive, Suite 1, Papillion, NE 68046
Contact Us: (402) 339-3050 | info@sarpychamber.org
Website: www.sarpychamber.org
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/SarpyChamber
