Take a Lesson from Gutenberg
When Gutenberg invented his press in the mid-1400s, he probably could never imagine that I would be sitting here typing on a laptop computer outside a Starbucks. He probably also never imagined that I could instantly disseminate my ramblings to potentially billions and billions of people with the click of a mouse button. But, I think that we have some things to learn from Johannes.
In the wake of hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast lay in ruin; lights-out, no-clue-what-is-going-on ruin. Schools, government and business shut down as power grids shut down, leaving those left behind stranded from contact with the outside world.
Granted, the personal suffering of those affected by the hurricane is something to think about. But, for my purposes, I want to focus on the ways in which business and commerce were effected.
Beside looting of businesses in the region, all transactions ceased when Katrina hit and took out the infrastructure of the area. CEOs, managers and entry-level employees of banks, investment firms, newspapers, grocery stores and a million other industries were loosely patched together, due to cell-phones, if they made it through the hurricane.
However, with a shortage of gasoline to power generators and power a sketchy as it was, cell phones would quickly die, cutting off those lines.
Besides having a plan in case of catastrophic events, I think that major companies and government agencies should invest in a simple, generator-powered printing press and a bunch of paper.
By doing this, those groups can disseminate information to their key publics, regardless of the situation that the area is in. Yes, it is "ancient" and yes, it may take some work. But, the advantages of having an informed public (shareholders, employees, constituents) is worth the trouble.
Yes, the internet, cell phones and other technologyhave made our lives easier, there is no doubt in that, but when we are cut off from those and our lives suffer because of lack of information, we need to examine our lifestyle. By taking a logical look at your communication plan and crisis management plan, take into account the worst-case scenario. Will your employees know what is going on if your e-mail and phone trees are non-functional? Can you still do business without e-commerce? Does your company have a plan in place to operate at an alternate location should something happen in your area?
The answers to those questions should be yes... in this day in age, with our cities growing so large, terrorism and the threat of natural disaster seemingly lurking around every bend, it is the responsibility of those crafting messages to work for change. It is the message that will calm, it is the message that will bring business back on track and it is the message that could save lives.
In the wake of hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast lay in ruin; lights-out, no-clue-what-is-going-on ruin. Schools, government and business shut down as power grids shut down, leaving those left behind stranded from contact with the outside world.
Granted, the personal suffering of those affected by the hurricane is something to think about. But, for my purposes, I want to focus on the ways in which business and commerce were effected.
Beside looting of businesses in the region, all transactions ceased when Katrina hit and took out the infrastructure of the area. CEOs, managers and entry-level employees of banks, investment firms, newspapers, grocery stores and a million other industries were loosely patched together, due to cell-phones, if they made it through the hurricane.
However, with a shortage of gasoline to power generators and power a sketchy as it was, cell phones would quickly die, cutting off those lines.
Besides having a plan in case of catastrophic events, I think that major companies and government agencies should invest in a simple, generator-powered printing press and a bunch of paper.
By doing this, those groups can disseminate information to their key publics, regardless of the situation that the area is in. Yes, it is "ancient" and yes, it may take some work. But, the advantages of having an informed public (shareholders, employees, constituents) is worth the trouble.
Yes, the internet, cell phones and other technologyhave made our lives easier, there is no doubt in that, but when we are cut off from those and our lives suffer because of lack of information, we need to examine our lifestyle. By taking a logical look at your communication plan and crisis management plan, take into account the worst-case scenario. Will your employees know what is going on if your e-mail and phone trees are non-functional? Can you still do business without e-commerce? Does your company have a plan in place to operate at an alternate location should something happen in your area?
The answers to those questions should be yes... in this day in age, with our cities growing so large, terrorism and the threat of natural disaster seemingly lurking around every bend, it is the responsibility of those crafting messages to work for change. It is the message that will calm, it is the message that will bring business back on track and it is the message that could save lives.
posted by Ron L. Schott at
12:15 PM
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