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Crafting Your Communication Plan: Part 5 Putting it all together.

If you have been keeping up with our communication plan series, it’s now time to put everything together. We know our message, we know our audience and we know what we want to accomplish. Now, we need to make it happen.

The most effective way I’ve discovered to ensure plans become realities is to put them on a calendar with firm deadlines. Then put that calendar in a very visible location to make sure everyone on the team sees it every day. For some, this may take the form of project management software, others MS Outlook. For me I’m old fashioned and like to blanket a wall with the information.

For example, as Christmas approaches you might have tasks like: mail outs and/or e-mail blasts, updating the website, graphic design, shooting videos and running commercials. These are all things that need to be planned well in advance of their publish dates. Putting them on the calendar helps keep you organized and forces you to view the tasks as definitive things to be done and not just good ideas to get around to if you have the time. Incidentally, if you’re wondering when you should start planning for Christmas, the time is now.

For my plans I like to have an over-arching yearly calendar followed by a detailed monthly calendar. This lets me keep the big picture in mind while I’m attending to the details.

Do you have a great idea on how to stay organized? We’d love to hear it!

Crisis Communication, an Introduction

Some days don’t turn out so well for organizations. Just watch the news---on almost any given night, someone somewhere has done something that turned a company or organization on its head. It could be an employee stealing money, a sex scandal, violence or anything else that hurts the organization and damages the public’s trust in that organization. As of this morning on Yahoo, there’s a Chevy dealer that has a lot of explaining to do.

Too often organizations believe it can’t happen to them. Then they find themselves on the evening news. Completely unprepared. Churches are extremely vulnerable because of the high expectations of morality that are associated with them. If those expectations get violated, it can shake a ministry to its core unless they’re prepared.

I can also tell you that when it happens, there’s a very good chance it’ll be by someone you know and never suspected. It’s in these moments that we go into crisis communication mode. There are good ways and terrible ways to handle these situations. The problem is the terrible ways seem like good ideas at the time, but the consequences simply make the problem worse.

So let’s prepare. Over the next few Wednesdays we’ll be going through the process of developing a crisis communication plan and what to do in times of crisis. Here’s your homework for the week: Compile a list of scenarios that would be worse-case situations. Then think about how you would handle them. What would you say to reporters, employees and family members? Comment and share them with us and we'll do our best to examine your particular example.

We’ll pick it up from there next week.

Crisis Communication: Speaking to the Media

Years ago, I worked as the state communication director for a mainline denomination. One day I received a phone call from a reporter who is a friend of mine about a breaking story involving one of my churches. A woman had come forward stating that she was sexually assaulted by the youth minister.

There was just one catch: the incident happened in the 1960s.

This was very prominent and large church that had weekly television broadcasts of its services. But in the wake of the Catholic sex scandals dominating television at the time, this church had done something very different. Even though the incident allegedly occurred four decades earlier and no one currently working on staff was around then and the vast majority of the congregation had also changed, the church followed the principle of doing everything right.

First of all, the former youth leader was actually a retired pastor in a different denomination, but they notified the denominational leaders of the situation. Secondly, they immediately took care of counseling needs the woman had by paying for therapy with a licensed counselor. Thirdly, they dug up the records of every church member they could find from the time of the incident to present day, and they sent out letters to all of them explaining the situation and asking for anyone else who may have been victimized to please come forward.

They didn’t try to hide the situation. They dealt with it head-on.

The phone call from the local station came anyway. But from a PR standpoint we were sitting on two advantages.

1.) The church had made an ethical response, regardless of any embarrassment.

2.) I had a well-established relationship with the reporter.

In the wake of stories dealing with churches hiding from sex scandals, as tragic as the situation was, this was a story about a church doing everything in its power to make things right. There was just one problem. No one wanted to speak with the media.

As the communication director, this was the point where I had to explain what would happen if they didn’t. The victim would give her story. It would be terrible and it would be heart wrenching. Then the reporter would ultimately say, “We tried to talk with the church officials, but they refused to comment,” and all while splashing video of this very recognizable church. Suddenly, the church has gone from doing the right thing to hiding. And in journalism and public perception, hiding always means one thing… Guilt.

Suddenly, by not talking, the church officials were going to take a bad story that was turned into a positive and turn it right back into a negative.

Eventually I was able to sway their attitudes, and they agreed to do the interview. Then the victim decided she didn’t want to pursue the story any longer. At the end of the day, no story ran.

Much good can come from speaking to the media in a crisis situation. So don’t run from them. We’re going to start a series soon on how to deal with the media on a day-to-day basis and how to prep for an interview. But the first thing to remember is they’re not your enemy. They’re just people who have a job to do, and the easier you make their job, the better off you’ll be in the end.

Crisis Communication: Thinking Clearly

I want you to start a notebook. A notebook that’s brightly colored and easy to find. Take notes. This stuff is important.

Imagine receiving a phone call from the local police department with some of the worst news imaginable. Your youth minister had just been arrested for soliciting sex with an underage girl on the Internet who was actually an undercover police officer. This is the nightmare scenario that keeps church leaders awake at night. When the trust is broken that had been placed in the hands of someone, who was adored by many, the shockwaves will ripple through an entire ministry.

It’s this kind of news that can leave a church leader stunned and at least for a while unable to think clearly. The problem is this very moment is when you need to have your A game in play. The next few minutes will set the tone and direction of everything that is to follow. You want to make it count. This is why you want to establish protocols before anything happens.

The initial response is almost always to shut down, not to speak to anyone and hope it goes away. THIS IS THE WORST POSSIBLE RESPONSE. It won’t go away. It will only fester, gain pressure and explode. Ministries are particularly vulnerable to outrage and rightfully so. We need to be mindful of our particular place in society and the role we play in people’s lives. We need to set the example even in the worst of situations.

So to get you started, I want to imbed one main point. We represent Christ. We do the right thing, even in the worst of situations. We don’t hide. We don’t make excuses. We do the right thing. Repeat it to yourself and write it at the top of the first page of your notebook in bold letters. I want it to be the very first thing you see in that moment of sober realization of whatever tragedy has just occurred. Those words will help you find clarity and could save your ministry.

Next week: Get the facts.

Have you dealt with a crisis in your ministry? Please comment and let us know!

Crisis Communication: Breaking Your Own Story

Very often organizations that find themselves vulnerable to a situation want to hide that situation. If they pretend it doesn’t exist, then hopefully it will go away. But remember, we’re not average organizations. We don’t hide things. We do the right thing.

If there are victims, the right thing is always to take care of them first. Do not hesitate. This is our moral obligation. But being sincere in our response also has the added benefit of making any PR efforts easier. So the next thing you do after attending to your ministry’s community is break the story. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to call every news outlet (though depending on the situation, you might), but you will at least need to tell your congregation and write a press release and post it to your web site.

Breaking your own story has a several benefits. The first is that you’re able to release the story on your own terms and in your own words. If someone else goes to the media as a victim or representing victims that will automatically place your ministry into the villain category. Situations vary, but if you have done your job and first helped anyone who may have been hurt in the situation, then you have established your ministry as part of the healing process. This makes it very difficult to vilify your ministry. The second is that it establishes a baseline of integrity for your organization by demonstrating you’re not hiding anything. Finally, this puts you in the offensive position instead of the defensive. You’re not dealing with allegations, you’re being proactive in the handling of a bad situation.

Next week, we’ll discuss the media’s role and how to handle them.

The Social Ministry: Being Over Social

I know the type person you’re thinking of right now. They are always smiling, always chipper, and always ready to talk to you about your week. Most times they even have some clever or sweet anecdote to close with if you have had a bad week. We think of them as being “over social” at times. In a social ministry being “over social” can take a different form.

Too Many Platforms

We all get excited about new things. We want the latest and greatest. When it comes to social ministry, we must think about whether or not it will help further the ministry. With too many platforms the people running the social ministry can feel overwhelmed. This overwhelming feeling can lead to a mis-management of sites. It can also lead to a lack of interaction.

Over Management

Over management can take many forms. There is over management through excessive scheduling. This is when the site has so much information being pushed through it that followers feel overwhelmed. Also during this “over social” time the important information gets lost in the noise of other messages. A second way of over management is to focus too much on providing a response. Everyone needs a response; a timely response is important, but people should not feel obligated to drop everything simply to reply to a question. A third way this happens is through too many managers. It is best to have the least amount of people sending out messages as possible. This keeps all of the messages consistent in content and format.

Too Much Content

Stemming from the first part of over management, sending out too much content is overwhelming. This can happen through management issues. It can also happen from having too many people managing the sites. In this way no one knows who is posting and thus multiple people post different messages really close together. This can lead to confusion among followers. Also posting above and beyond the scheduled content can lead to this problem.

These are three areas where a ministry can be over social. Most of these happen in isolated incidents. To move past these issues, the first step is to create goals as a social ministry team. The next is to make sure each team member has defined roles to play. Finally approving a schedule and proper posting etiquette will help round out a defined social ministry team.

If you have any other suggestions to add or questions about social ministry do not hesitate to start a conversation through the comments section!

The Social Ministry: Conclusion

Over the past two months of Monday’s we have looked at social ministries. As a company which provides online services, we can appreciate the drive a ministry might have to pursue a social ministry. The goal of the series was to shed light on how a social ministry should be comprised.

First, we answered the social question. We lined out exactly what is a social ministry. We showed who should participate and how it should work. This laid the foundation for the series.

Second, we talked about who should be social. In all honesty, anyone can be social. We lined out how different groups could be social. Understanding that any ministry can start a social ministry is key. It helps build confidence, as a group understands how their ministry can become social and reach an entire new group of individuals.

Third, we looked at what can happen if an organization is over social. We looked at several different forms this can take. As a ministry takes the steps to become social they need to understand how to avoid making these rookie mistakes. With this groundwork laid, they can begin actually looking to the ministry aspect, which comes from being social.

Fourth, we laid out how a ministry can begin engaging. There are several different ways in which a ministry can engage people. We looked at the best ways to maximize engagement. Our fourth article in the series led directly into the final topic of our series.

In our fifth article, we talked about growing. As a ministry begins to engage people they will grow. It is important for every organization to understand how to handle growth. We hope that the final article helped with this.

We have spent five solid weeks lining out how a social ministry works. Now it is up to you. You have to go out and create the ministry. God has called each of us to something. We have handed you the keys to lay the groundwork for your own social ministry. You have the charge now to go out and create. As always, if you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to help you begin to embrace a social ministry mindset.

The Social Ministry: Engaging

As a ministry we are called to engage people. As a social ministry engaging takes on a whole new definition. We not only must be willing to reach out but to also maintain conversations that happen. As we have emphasized with every part of this series, we must have a plan. So we will look at engaging people with a plan in mind.

Outreach

What should always be on our mind is reaching out to people around us. This is included in social ministries. We should be looking for ways to reach out to those in our community online and see how our social ministry can help them. Engaging through outreach can be a sensitive situation. At times there will be people who do not want to be reached. We must be very respectful in our conversation. Remember that any conversation we have online as a ministry plays into our reputation both online and offline. So when reaching out and engaging we must be mindful of these things.

Conversations

With social ministry there will be conversations. People are engaging us as a ministry. When people engage us as ministries, we need to be prepared for how we will respond. Every ministry should set a time frame on responses and, in particular, know how to respond when adversity comes. Conversations can be a great way to allow people to see how a ministry will operate. So once again we must remember that holding ourselves in the most upright manner is what we are called to do.

Inreach

A social ministry is a great way to reach within our ministry and keep ourselves connected. Using the ministry to reach within ourselves and maintain relationships is a great engaging opportunity. When we take the time to reach within our ministry and engage each other, it allows us to build community like never before. As stated earlier in the series, a social ministry is a great way to keep a ministry connected. This is where inreach comes in. A social ministry should have a plan on how to keep the ministry community they have built engaged and active. An engaged and active ministry community will do leaps above any other plan on how to engage others.

With these three sections in mind, we now can go and build a plan on how to engage or keep engaged a ministry community. A plan for engagement will set us up for next week's topic. So come back next Monday and we will tackle the next part of our social ministry series. If you have any questions about creating an engagement plan, we would love to start a conversation with you!

The Social Ministry: Growth

Growth is an important thing. With social ministry there are many areas to grow, but not simply in numbers. We will look at a few different areas where growth can happen through a social ministry.

Learning

The first area of growth will be learning. This happens especially with a volunteer social ministry team. As they spend time focused on their ministry, they will learn important things about it. They will learn about when the right time to post will be. They will learn the most effective ways to get the community involved. They will also be learning how to minister online and use the tools. Learning these things will help not just the ministry grow, but it will also help the ones doing the ministry grow in their vocations.

Reach

Reach is a word used in social circles. As a ministry grows, the ministry's reach grows. This comes with the learning. As the social ministry team members grow comfortable in their work, they will find where they can reach the online realm. Reaching leads to the next step, which is the community.

Community

As the ministry grows through learning and reach, the community builds. This is where the numbers will grow. Obviously it’s not all about numbers but numbers are a part of growth. As the community comes together they will be able to point the ministry on where to reach out. The ministry will also continue to grow in their learning as the community grows. That is the neat thing about growing: every part of the growth is tied together. The most important thing is the last area of growth we will look at today.

Ministry

With the growth that happens in the other three areas we have looked at today, it expands our capacity for ministry. Ultimately what we are seeking with any ministry is to be able to grow in what we are doing. Ministry growth happens in more ways than numbers though. As a social ministry grows online, the social ministry team will have more avenues to do ministry -- and not just for more people but in more meaningful ways also. This is where the learning growth is applied. Ministry leaders will know how to be more effective and thus do more ministry through their growth. With a strengthened community, ministry has a stronger impact in an individual’s life because of the support network. As stated before, when we are able to see how each of these growth areas are interconnected, we will be able to even further grow the ministry.

The largest takeaway we can have from this article is to document growth. Document each experience so that, down the road, the ministry will be able to evaluate what it needs to do in order to continue on the trend it is on. Through documentation the ministry can also see areas where it can further grow.

As always, we'd love to hear from you!

The Social Spotlight

Over the past few months we have been looking at ways ministries can establish themselves online. Now since we have laid the groundwork of what a social ministry is comprised of and how it should work, this week we start a new series where each Monday we will spotlight a different social media platform. There are several questions we will seek to answer in each spotlight. Essentially each article will work as a guide for the platform spotlighted and will serve to help any ministry distinguish not just which platform to dive into but how to use the platform. These are some of the questions we will seek to answer:

Who uses the platform?

If we haven’t stressed it enough in previous articles, understanding the demographics your ministry is going to reach is key. With each platform we will look at which demographic will be reached. This will help a ministry maximize their time and platforms.

What is the platform used for?

Every platform has uses they are known for. When a ministry has the knowledge of what the platform is used for, then they will be able to maximize their potential uses. We will look at the many uses each platform has and how they work. This way a ministry can know how to maximize the uses of each platform.

How does the platform work?

We will get down to the nuts and bolts of the operations behind each platform (maybe not down to the actual code but pretty close). As we get into the series we will look at how the platforms operate. Understanding how the platforms work will help ministries reach out in the most effective ways possible.

Where a ministry should start.

Every ministry has a place to start. Each week we will cover the three topics above and this fourth one. The platform that we spotlight will also include what ministry it works best with. This will complete a comprehensive understanding of how the platform can perform for the ministry.

Our goal is to help ministries as they move online. With this series we will be bringing forth the basic information needed to operate each platform that we spotlight. The how-to's will help guide any ministry as they begin to make the online transition. This is not an advanced series; this series simply will lay the groundwork for any ministry looking to get started online. If you have any platforms you would like us to cover, leave us a comment.

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