QUOTE OF THE DAY "They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." –Andy Warhol --as featured in Bits & Pieces on Leadership COVID-19 UPDATE
At the time of reporting, The New York Times showed 3,512,792 cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and 137,319 fatalities. Bing’s COVID-19 Tracker showed 3,533,905 cases of COVID-19 and 138,358 deaths. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp suspended all local ordinances on wearing masks in his state, a move that was condemned by advocates who say mask use saves lives. Kemp’s executive order says mask use is “strongly encouraged.” The U.S. saw its 17th straight week of first-time unemployment claims totaling over 1 million, with the week ending July 11 hitting 1.3 million.
What are the steps to take when facing a crisis without a plan? Here is a guide to help you deal with immediate concerns if you are caught by surprise and don’t a have a prepared crisis plan.
Ask for help when you need it. When trying to preserve your emotional resilience during COVID-19, it’s important to ask for the resources you need. Here are some tips for prioritizing self-care as the pandemic crisis continues. Go beyond “gestures” with your BLM response. Here are some ways that communications professors and experts argue your brand should embrace the discussion around racial justice, equity and inclusion. Twitter responds to hack of high-profile accounts. The hack came after internal employee tools were compromised by hackers, offering a stark reminder of the crucial nature of cybersecurity for your organization right now. The Verge wrote: Late in the evening, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey wrote, “Tough day for us at Twitter. We all feel terrible this happened. We’re diagnosing and will share everything we can when we have a more complete understanding of exactly what happened.” Kroger to require masks in its stores. The grocery chain is just one of several retailers, including Walmart and Starbucks, who will require customers to wear masks in stores beginning July 22. WLWT Cincinnati reported: With the increase in COVID-19 cases across the country, we are committed to doing our part to help reduce the spread of the virus," a statement from Kroger reads. "Starting July 22, we will require all customers in all locations to wear a mask, joining our associates who continue to wear masks." American Airlines warns of possible layoffs for 25,000. The airline says it will be forced to reevaluate staffing levels after its stimulus money runs out Oct. 1. The airline encouraged workers to join with unions to advocate for more government relief to avoid layoffs. It wrote in a statement, in part: This is a union-led initiative across our industry, but American is supportive of any legislation that would protect our team’s jobs during these extraordinary times. If you are interested in supporting these legislative efforts, we recommend that you work with your union leaders to ensure your voice is heard. Build a better conversation with employees about race. Here are some tips to guide important conversations with your workers about Black Lives Matter and other important cultural issues currently facing the nation. Vox Media makes cuts as ad revenue slumps. In a note to employees, Vox’s chief executive Jim Bankoff listed measures the company had taken to try and stave off the drastic measures he says are now necessary. His letter says, in part: Our hope in May was that business would bounce back in the months that followed. As we discussed in last week’s all-hands, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the second half of the year will not rebound anywhere near our pre-COVID forecasts. Furthermore, as cases rise tragically across the country and many of our elected leaders avoid decisive action, we have very limited visibility into the timing or strength of a recovery. Employers should use COVID-19 crisis to reevalute traditional schedules. Here’s how advocates for a new way of working are making their case for “results-driven” work. Redbull addresses executive departures amid tensions over BLM response. The company shook up its North American executive team, a move some say is related to executive attempts to improve diversity and push the company to speak out on racial injustice. International Business Times wrote: “We reject racism in every form, we always have, and we always will. Red Bull has always put people and their dreams and accomplishments at its core and values the contribution of each and every person—no matter who they are. We want everyone who feels this way to be welcome in Red Bull," Red Bull’s board of directors told the Journal in a statement. Virtual Conference Alert Join us for Ragan’s Remote Employee Engagement &Culture Virtual Conference on Tuesday, July 21 to learn internal comms strategies and best practices to meet the challenges of the new reality. Join our Crisis Leadership Board Ragan’s Crisis Leadership Board is the resource you need before, during and after the crisis. As a Board member, you have access to all back issues of this newsletter—as well as research, data, case studies, checklists, tip sheets, articles and other resources—plus a peer-to-peer discussion board and an all-access pass to the annual Crisis Management Conference. Sponsorship/Advertising Opportunities Contact Hannah Lavelle at HannahL@ragan.com with sponsorship and advertising inquiries. Pitch Us Have a great story to share about crisis communication or your own take on current best practices? Contact Editor Ted Kitterman at TedK@ragan.com. Sign Up Subscribe to Ragan’s Crisis Daily newsletter today. | 