Crisis Roundup for 2015 (so far)

Not sure if this is just the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon wreaking havoc with my mind, but I’ve been in crisis mode of late, helping others navigate the uncertain waters of unfortunate events in their business, projects and personal lives, and it seems that every day my eyes are drawn to the headlines surrounding PR gaffes, scandals and crises.

Whether it reflects an editorial shift for media, or just my own sharpened awareness, I feel that 2015 has been a bonanza of blunders, and we’re only just halfway through!

But the half-year mark is a good time to reflect on what has transpired and take a look at some of the potential crises that are lying in wait.

3 Comms lessons from the Greek economic crisis

If you haven’t heard the news, Greece’s financial house is in chaos right now. Like a bad roommate, it’s been a mess for quite some time, and only now, when the rest of the European Union puts up eviction notices, do they realize the folly of their ways. In case you didn’t know, Greece is likely to miss its portion of the rent this month, be dropped from the Euro Zone, and revert to the drachma. Faced with the prospect of losing all their money, Greek citizens have taken to the banks to pull every last Euro in fear that the drachma will be worthless within minutes of being issued, prompting the banks and local stock exchange to shut down today. Suffice it to say, hard times are ahead.

So what can we, as professionals with a responsibility for crises communications, take away from this debacle?