Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36AUGUST 2016 • FOGHORN 25 BUSINESSMATTERS 4. “Don’t run away from the media, and be respectful.” Another time a hostile reporter announced to me that I was going to do an exclusive interview with him in 10 minutes. I said I would do a press con- ference, but not an exclusive. He then threatened to show film that featured reporters asking my crew what had happened, and some crew members literally turning and running 50 yards (to the safety of the ship) in response. So I did the interview, and then trained my people on what do when approached by the media: Put yourself in the media’s shoes: they have a job to do and they are afraid of getting scooped. So tell the media that their job is to get the right infor- mation to them and you don’t want to mislead them. You will connect the media to the company spokesperson. Another time, reporters were taken to a quiet room around the corner, out of the sun and got them some water, and let me have 20 minutes to gather some facts before addressing them. Treating reporters with respect, and gaining a bit of time, made all the dif- ference. Media interface outlines are in all our emergency manuals. 5. “Don’t get pushed around...” …by the Coast Guard wanting a Form 2692 before the required deadline, or by multiple investiga- tive groups demanding information. Frequently, draft 2692s are simply inac- curate or missing material facts. It takes time to pull information from multiple witnesses who have insight into only a piece of the overall situation. You need to be respectful, professional, and responsive, but sometimes slowing down is best. You also have to juggle competing priorities, like making sig- nificant repairs, boosting team morale, or coordinating between multiple parties to get all the information. 6. “Establish a team meeting cadence.” It might be hourly 1-800-dial-in calls that connect your port managers, head- quarters, call center, owners, company attorneys, safety and repair specialists in a crisis. As the situation evolves, you may push the calls to every four hours, then twice a day, then daily, or weekly, as needed. These telecom tag-ups will get everyone on the same page to make decisions, establish a work plan and eliminate much chaos. 7. “Be prepared.” Have phone lists, emergency plans, and training scenarios so the first crisis isn’t also the first drill. In each port, we’d have eight-page lists of active phone numbers for all vendors, suppliers, competitors and employees. Updating and testing the numbers needs to be done at least once a year. Make sure they are accessible in elec- tronic folders for everyone to see, anytime, and anywhere. At the start of every season I would personally review the emergency plan with my team in each port. 8. “Take care of your people.” Accidents can devastate your team and lead to inaction. Your job is to keep the momentum, be responsible, positive, and shine in dark moments. You’ll get through it, and know that you performed, and kept your cool, while under pressure. I hope you never have a signifi- cant crisis in your business. But being prepared, decisive, and calm will keep your team on an even keel. It will be a comfort to know you did all you could when things got tough. You’ll survive and get back to those good days, appre- ciating those awesome sunsets. n About the Author Bob Shaw is a veteran industry executive, having led over 100 vessels responsible for over 10 million passengers a year. He can be reached at shawrw@gmail.com.