Class Discussion Week 12 - Essay Example

Discussion Week 12 discussion week 12 Lussier & Achua asserts that to be effectively prepared for any eventuality, strategic leader’s responsibility is to set a pre-crisis plan. This includes listing all the vulnerabilities to the organization and how to tackle them, and identifying other probable solutions to the crisis. A team of a core group consisting of the Chief Executive Officer, organization’s Public Relations people and legal counsel is assembled to undertake division and specialization of roles.

The key elements of the pre-crisis plan include identification of crisis, preparedness and assigning of duties (Lussier & Achua, 2013). Chelsea Football Club has faced a public relations crisis after it emerged that a group of its fans were involved in a racial row after being filmed singing racist songs and refusing to allow a black man to board a carriage on the Paris Metro. The club did the right thing of countering the racist slurs by using its Public Relations team to issue statements disowning the behavior, and inviting the man who was racially discriminated to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea Football Club would have done better in handling the situation by requesting or advising the involved fans to issue a public apology (Rowitz, 2014). Chief Executive Officer, Public Relations team, legal advisor, a member of the public and a board member should be in the crisis management team within an organization. The human resources executive’s role is utilizing his/her knowledge and abilities to ensure the team delivers through staffing, performance management and strategic decision-making.

A clear, appropriate and comprehensive communication strategy by someone from the public relations department should be developed for different stakeholders (Klann, 2003). Responsible communication content and approval lifts the image of the organization.References Lussier, Robert N. and Achua, Christopher F. (2013). Leadership: Theory, Application, & Skill Development (5th Ed.) South-Western: Cengage Learning.Rowitz, L. (2014). Public health leadership: Putting principles into practice. Burlington, Mass: Jones & Bartlett Learning.Klann, G. (2003).

 Crisis leadership: Using military lessons, organizational experiences, and the power of influence to lessen the impact of chaos on the people you lead. Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership.