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Introduction
Hello and welcome to Crisis Resolutions Pro Strategies, a video training program for business hosted by the Center of Crisis Resolutions. I’m your host, and I’m here to help you learn how to deal with any crisis that may arise in your organization.
In this program, we’ll be using the 8 Good Ways model for crisis resolution, a research-based framework that provides effective and efficient strategies for managing crises. The 8 Good Ways are: Personal Continence, Mental Conscience, Practical Presence, Social Sense, Ethical Absence, Mutual Defense, Empirical Science, and Vital Essence.
Today’s episode is about Practical Presence, a strategy that involves being aware of the situation, taking action, and communicating clearly. We’ll show you how to use this strategy in different scenarios and how it can help you to resolve crises faster and better.
Topic
Practical Presence is the ability to adapt to changing situations and respond appropriately to the needs of the moment. It involves being flexible in your intuition, tensions, behaviors, relations, and emotions. By practicing Practical Presence, you can avoid rigid or impulsive reactions that may worsen the crisis or damage your reputation. You can also create a positive and supportive atmosphere that fosters collaboration and innovation.
We will show you some examples of companies that have successfully implemented Practical Presence in their crisis resolution strategies. You will see how they used their intuition to sense the signals of a crisis and act quickly and decisively. You will also see how they managed their tensions by balancing urgency and calmness, and how they adjusted their behaviors by being proactive and responsive. You will learn how they maintained good relations with their stakeholders by being transparent and empathetic. And you will discover how they regulated their emotions by staying composed and confident.
By the end of this episode, you will have a better understanding of what Practical Presence is and how it can help you to resolve crises more effectively. You will also have some tips and tools to practice Practical Presence in your own business situations. Stay tuned for more episodes of Crisis Resolution Strategies, brought to you by the Center of Crisis Resolutions.
Market Studies
Case 1 - H&M
In 2018, H&M faced a major crisis when it published an online advertisement featuring a black child wearing a hoodie with the slogan “coolest monkey in the jungle”. The advertisement sparked outrage and accusations of racism from customers, celebrities, and activists. H&M quickly apologized and removed the advertisement, but the damage was already done. The company’s sales and reputation suffered, and some of its stores in South Africa were vandalized by protesters.
H&M could have used Practical Presence to prevent or mitigate this crisis. For example, the company could have been more flexible in its intuition and tensions by conducting market research and testing the advertisement before launching it. The company could have also been more flexible in its behaviors and relations by consulting with diverse stakeholders and experts on cultural sensitivity and diversity. The company could have also been more flexible in its emotions by acknowledging the hurt and anger caused by the advertisement and showing empathy and compassion to the affected communities.
Case 2 - Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer is a British retailer that sells clothing, food, and home products. In 2018, the company faced a crisis when it announced plans to close 100 stores by 2022 as part of a restructuring strategy to cope with declining sales and profits. The announcement sparked public outcry and criticism from customers, employees, unions, and local authorities who feared the loss of jobs and the impact on local communities.
The company demonstrated Practical Presence by acknowledging the concerns of its stakeholders and engaging in dialogue with them. It also explained the rationale behind its decision and the benefits it expected to gain from the restructuring. It emphasized its commitment to its values and its vision for the future. It also offered support and assistance to the affected employees and customers, such as redeployment opportunities, redundancy packages, and online shopping options.
By practicing Practical Presence, Marks & Spencer was able to manage the crisis in a way that minimized the negative effects and maintained its reputation as a trusted and responsible brand. It also showed its ability to adapt to changing market conditions and customer preferences, and to innovate its products and services to meet the needs of the moment.
Case 3 - Zara
Zara is a global fashion retailer that is known for its fast and responsive supply chain. In 2013, Zara faced a crisis when it was accused of copying the designs of independent artists and selling them as its own. The artists launched a social media campaign called #ZaraSteals to expose the plagiarism and demand compensation.
Zara used Practical Presence to handle the crisis and restore its image. Instead of denying or ignoring the accusations, Zara acknowledged the mistake and apologized to the artists. Zara also removed the copied items from its stores and online platforms, and contacted the artists to offer them fair compensation. Zara also implemented a new policy to prevent future plagiarism and ensure respect for intellectual property rights.
By using Practical Presence, Zara was able to adapt to the situation and respond appropriately to the needs of the moment. Zara avoided a rigid or impulsive reaction that could have worsened the crisis or damaged its reputation. Zara also created a positive and supportive atmosphere that fostered collaboration and innovation. Zara demonstrated its commitment to ethical and social responsibility, and regained the trust of its customers and stakeholders.
Simulation
Imagine you are the manager of a popular restaurant that is hosting a large group of VIP customers for a special event. Everything is going smoothly until you receive a call from your supplier that there has been a delay in the delivery of some of the ingredients you need for the menu. You have only an hour before the guests arrive and you need to find a solution quickly.
How would you practice Practical Presence in this situation?
Here are some possible steps you could take:
- Intuition: Use your experience and knowledge to assess the situation and identify the most urgent and important needs. For example, you could check your inventory and see what ingredients you have available and what dishes you can still prepare with them. You could also contact other suppliers or nearby restaurants and see if they can help you out with some of the missing items.
- Tensions: Manage your stress and anxiety levels and avoid panicking or blaming others. For example, you could take a few deep breaths, remind yourself of your strengths and skills, and focus on finding solutions rather than dwelling on problems. You could also communicate calmly and respectfully with your staff, suppliers, and customers and explain the situation honestly and apologetically.
- Behaviors: Adapt your actions and plans to the changing circumstances and respond effectively to the challenges. For example, you could revise your menu and offer some alternatives or substitutions to the guests. You could also delegate some tasks to your staff, prioritize the most critical ones, and monitor the progress and quality of the work. You could also apologize to the guests for any inconvenience and offer them some complimentary drinks or desserts as a gesture of goodwill.
- Relations: Maintain positive and cooperative relationships with your stakeholders and seek their support and feedback. For example, you could thank your staff for their hard work and flexibility, appreciate your suppliers for their efforts and cooperation, and listen to your customers’ preferences and expectations. You could also ask for their suggestions or opinions on how to improve the situation or prevent similar issues in the future.
- Emotions: Express your feelings appropriately and empathize with others’ emotions. For example, you could acknowledge your frustration or disappointment, but also express your optimism or confidence in resolving the situation. You could also recognize and validate others’ feelings, such as your staff’s stress or your customers’ dissatisfaction, but also reassure them that you are doing your best to make them happy.
By practicing Practical Presence, you can demonstrate your professionalism and competence in managing crises. You can also create a positive impression on your customers and staff, enhance your reputation and credibility, and increase your chances of success and satisfaction.
Analysis
Let’s take a look at how you did in the simulation. What worked well? What didn’t work? What could you have done differently? We’ll discuss the key takeaways from the simulation and how you can apply the strategies learned to your own organization.
The simulation teaches the importance of using experience and knowledge to assess a crisis situation, managing stress levels, adapting to changing circumstances, maintaining positive relationships with stakeholders, and expressing emotions appropriately. Practicing these principles can lead to demonstrating professionalism and competence in managing crises, creating a positive impression on customers and staff, enhancing reputation and credibility, and increasing chances of success and satisfaction.
Conclusion
In this episode of Crisis Resolutions Pro Strategies, we explored the strategy of Practical Presence, which involves being aware of the situation, taking action, and communicating clearly. We learned how Practical Presence can help businesses to adapt to changing circumstances, respond effectively to the needs of the moment, and create a positive and supportive atmosphere that fosters collaboration and innovation.
We also presented three case studies of companies that successfully implemented Practical Presence in their crisis resolution strategies: H&M, Marks & Spencer, and Zara. We discussed how these companies used their intuition, tensions, behaviors, relations, and emotions to manage crises in a way that minimized the negative effects and maintained their reputation as trusted and responsible brands.
Finally, we practiced Practical Presence in a simulation scenario where we had to deal with a crisis in a restaurant hosting a special event. We demonstrated how to use experience and knowledge to assess the situation, manage stress levels, adapt to changing circumstances, maintain positive relationships with stakeholders, and express emotions appropriately.
By practicing Practical Presence, businesses can demonstrate their professionalism and competence in managing crises, create a positive impression on customers and staff, enhance their reputation and credibility, and increase their chances of success and satisfaction. Join us in the next episode of Crisis Resolutions Pro Strategies, where we will explore the strategy of Social Sense and show you how to use it to resolve crises more effectively.
Disclaimer
Our Guides focus on helping you practice effective ways to overcome challenges and achieve well-being. Our Good Ways Model, which is our protocol for Crisis Resolutions, is presented in a simple, systematic, and repetitive manner throughout all episodes, so you won’t need to remember it. Personal and cooperative practice is key to mastering this model.
While the Good Ways Model can be a helpful tool, it is not required to practice effective ways and resolve crises. Self-effort is the foundation for becoming more autonomous, confident, and resilient in resolving all sorts of human-sustained crises, and we are here to provide assistance.
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a professional should be sought.
This production is not affiliated with or endorsed by any company mentioned in its case studies. The views and opinions expressed in this production are those of the authors and that of artificial intelligence and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the showcased companies.
This publication has been licensed under Creative Commons CC BY SA. This means that it can be shared, remixed, and used for commercial purposes as long as attribution is given to the original creator and any derivative works are licensed under the same terms.
