The vital importance of good communications
I thought I might follow through on two current areas discussed at length in Accomnews. On the tourism politics side, the most read article recent was the CEO’s departure from Sunshine Coast Destination Ltd.
It also was the subject of considerable discussion, much of a negative nature towards the tourism industry, in the newspapers and other media. Not good.
Likewise with weather and how much bad weather always affects our industry. These two are one side of the communications spectrum where our colleagues in government and tourism associations have a real responsibility for getting their communications messages right. It is part of good governance of which we have heard so much recently.
It is also necessary for ensuring that there is always one contact executive professionally equipped to handle incoming and outgoing communications, whether Facebook, Twitter, television, local or national press media on so on. A directive to go on a website is not satisfactory enough.
I am writing this article just as a change has been made in the leadership of the Victorian premiership. Several of my colleagues ranging from the tourism industry to the Victorian education bureaucracy told me how well communicated this has been with the premier resigning and the new leader stepping up to take over. Both sides were able to make their positions clear. From that comment is made based upon facts presented.
In the case of the departure of the CEO of Sunshine Coast Destination, of whom I am a member and sit on one of their advisory committees, this was not well handled. All press releases need to be aimed at the appropriate target audience. In this case the tourism industry is the main target audience, whilst the first press release seemed aimed at the media. It is suggested that had the board announced the termination in this press release with a definitive statement such as “the board was unanimous in it’s decision to request the immediate departure of the CEO, whilst thanking Steve [Cooper] for his contribution”. That would have set the scene from which they could then have moved to inform the key stakeholders – the tourism industry, council and Tourism Events Queensland – of the reason or reasons behind this decision.
To dissect this poor communication exercise. The first emailed press release was good in so far it stated that business was as usual and the changed structure would continue to benefit the members and the tourism industry. However I pondered long and hard as to whether a single one liner stating that the CEO was departing, was a sensible way of announcing this major change.
On the one hand it is often argued that the least information given, the harder it is to debate the pros and cons. On the other hand it can lead to all sorts of theories, particularly since, in this case, the departing person had been in that position for 18 months and had lead Tourism Noosa beforehand. He was generally well known and liked.
A second missive sent out later sort to clarify matters by saying the whole board had agreed to the decision that the CEO should depart effective immediately. That information should have been in the first email. Why?
Because all SCDL members have the right to vote three members on to the board annually. I voted two on, have also worked closely with other board members, so was not impressed when a letter in the press lambasted the whole board and industry. My vote for those board members was taken with the knowledge of their professional expertise and depth of business acumen. I and many other members knew from experience their levels of competence in the tourism industry, and that any decision by all members would not be taken lightly.
That was strike one.
Strike two. No acknowledgement was made of the hard work undertaken on the behalf of the board and all the members by the CEO over 18 months. This was not a quick in and out appointment. So regardless of any legal consequences from such a remark, this demonstrates a high degree of insensitivity to employees and beyond. Give credit where credit is due.
Strike three. No reason was given other than a technical one that the board had to right to terminate his employment forthwith. I believe that, in such important matters that affect our industry, members should have the right to know the reasons behind the departure of such a key executive outside of the strict legal interpretation of his or her contract of employment. To argue and put as the reason for terminating an employment that it is allowed for, in no way answers the overriding question behind the main reason for terminating that employment.
I know that there are legal processes to follow in such matters but they should not be allowed to overcome the need to handle communications as effectively as possible so as to minimise risk. Let’s not play legal games. We have enough of that in the wide world of Australian politics.
Having perhaps created a political typhoon, let me turn to the realm of natural rather than personal disasters.
In business there are a plethora of organisations involved in the risk management game, for which I used to publish a risk management handbook, The InterData Risk Handbook. This defined risk as “the probability or likelihood of an undesirable event or outcome”: All of us have been involved with managing risk. This article only looks at the communications aspects. Both the Tasmanian government after the terrible fires across the state and our own SCDL together with TEQ, other RTOs and LTOs, put our press releases and other material welcoming visitors back into their destinations once the weather conditions abated and it was safe to bring visitors back. Queensland even created a second Australia Day in February, which I thought was clever, whether or not it proved successful to the tourism industry. They tried to turn disadvantage to advantage.
However for older non computer literate folk, and those of us who had no power and sometimes no data connection for days at a time, the suggestion via our battery driven radio that we should use websites was unhelpful. A second option with a phone number should have been available.
That’s as good as far as it gets. Our council provides details of flooded roads that is excellent, except when it rained last Sunday when guests needed to know which roads were impassable – that was not possible since the data had not been updated since Thursday, and waters rise fast in our neck of the roads. Traffic and tourism work 24 x 7. So does the media.
What it critical is that all our organisations have a risk management plan of which communications is an integral part. Such a plan should put in place communications policies across all the media that can be used – pictures in the newly rehashed Facebook designed for such situations (thanks you Mark and your team at Facebook), and then brought out and activated immediately as required.
Understand also that all of us are public communicators to an extent never before in the history of mankind. That comes with responsibilities and dangers. I was therefore surprised at how few attendees rocked up to a workshop on The Legal Risks of Social Media organised by Tourism and Events Queensland and run by podlegal. Whilst I am not a social media expert or even fan, what I was particularly pleased about was that laws relating to copyright have not changed much since the 1950s and 60s when law and advertising was part of our advertising and PR diploma. For in social media and other media the rules, processes and media opportunities of both forms of communication interact.
So please take away from this article the importance of good communications in your risk management.
Friends had a statue of a pig stolen in front of their business Flaxton Barn. This loss was noised abroad, so this morning a local radio station brought another stand in one and used the occasion to broadcast the day’s news. Turn risk to advantage. Well done Anthony and Leah.
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