Spend five minutes watching broadcast news or scrolling through social media feeds and it’s clear the world is becoming increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA). For those driving communication, this reality presents challenges … as well as opportunities.
Whether conflicts, controversies, or catastrophes, crises by their very nature are VUCA events. The culture wars, disinformation, the advent of AI, and a contested information environment have added further unpredictability.
In its most recent report (2022), the Institute for Crisis Management (ICM) tallied 2.1 million crisis-related news items. Of these, 57% were smoldering or prolonged crises, and 43% were sudden crises. While the specific nature of disorder, disruption, and damage may be unclear, the potential for organizational harm isn’t.
Stoic philosopher Seneca said, “The man who has anticipated the coming of troubles takes away their power when they arrive.” It’s a natural inclination to believe you can fend off negative developments – social scientists even have a name for it: “overconfidence bias.” But acknowledging the possibility of chaotic conditions can stimulate the sort of collaboration that makes an organization more resilient.
During the most difficult of times, both your words and actions are likely to have far-reaching consequences. So, be mindful of the following whenever you ponder the likelihood of a crisis.
About the Author: Michael Cherenson, APR, Fellow PRSA is executive vice president of SCG Advertising + Public Relations and co-academic director of the Communication Certificate Program at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information. In 2009, he served as national chair and CEO of The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
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