Beyond Sept. 11, Cont’d
In any tragedy, corporate leaders must first demonstrate calmness and reassurance to employees, customers, shareholders and communities who look to them for leadership and confidence during a time of crisis. But in the aftermath of tragedy the magnitude of Sept. 11, corporate leaders must also pay attention to lessons learned in a changed world:
–Expectations have changed. Think the unthinkable in your crisis planning. Companies have been “warned” about the threat of catastrophic loss and face an even greater expectation from employees, customers, investors and the media.
–Focus on employees, families and customers. These are the mission-critical audiences of greatest importance for any crisis plan.
–Online is a vital link. Online communication was used by companies hit in the attacks to provide information and updates for employees, families, customers, investors and the news media. One key lesson is the importance of “blind” sites that are built in advance and can be quickly updated and activated in times of a crisis.
–Create communications redundancy. Planning must include redundant on- and off-site crisis communications capabilities.
–Relate to country and the global community. Corporations will be expected to act with a very high level of social responsibility. CEOs must address larger social concerns in a crisis response.
–Build staff depth. Crisis planning, training and drills must reach deeper to develop stand-in leaders and their capabilities. Corporations must be able to function in a crisis with “seconds” or even “thirds” taking command.
Eric Borsum
Senior Managing Director
Hill and Knowlton Inc.
Los Angeles
El Toro, Cont’d
In your Oct. 29 editorial you state that the V-Plan departures will fly directly over The Irvine Company’s Shady Canyon development currently being graded and constructed in the southwest open space corridor between El Toro and Crystal Cove.
This is incorrect. The pending Shady Canyon development is about 0.50 mile from the side line of the proposed departure route, and roughly 3.95 miles from liftoff from the proposed Runway 1-19. The planes would be at an altitude of approximately 2,800 feet upon nearing the Shady Canyon development. As the county sees it, they would rather fly over 40,000 existing homes with a proposed airport plan at El Toro that the airlines would not care to invest in, than to fly over 2,000 homes that do not yet exist.
As far as The Irvine Company goes, I believe that they, being the foremost master planner, would be most interested in an airport plan at El Toro that is safer, more efficient, and state-of-the-art. Their tag line is “good planning goes a long way.”
Russell Niewiarowski
President
The New Millennium Group
Santa Ana Heights
Supervisors Smith, Coad and Silva recently signed off on the EIR for a new airport at El Toro.
This comes at a time when customers (at our already half-used John Wayne Airport) are down, initially about 30%-35% and more recently down about 17%. Parking, car rentals, and food sales are down similar or larger amounts, causing huge revenue shortages at JWA. Security costs are way up, and very likely to go up further. We have airport bond issues placed in warning status across the nation. And one of the cost issues which is going virtually unnoticed at JWA and all other airports is the loss of insurance against terrorist actions.
What a great time to launch a new airport, especially one which will assume the debt of the current one while cutting off its use (and revenues) at the very outset of commercial operations. The county plan for El Toro is a disaster waiting to happen.
Michael Smith
Mission Viejo
Argus
Regarding your Oct. 22 editorial questioning the appropriateness of Argus Hamilton’s humor during the period immediately following Sept. 11, I believe each individual should decide the appropriateness of the material to which he or she is exposed. Only material damaging to national security should be censored.
In my opinion, Argus reflects the mood and feelings of most Americans. He begins his daily on-line column with the phrase “God bless America.” He is one of the few commentators with seemingly no political agenda,he equally satirizes the right, the left and the middle. The object of his “bite” is anyone or anything he observes as absurd, ridiculous or just plain funny. Frequently it is the Hollywood community that he is a part of.
Every week when I receive the OCBJ, the first thing I do is turn to the back pages to seek my fix of Argus. Then I go back to the front pages to read about the business community in which I live and work. It is a disappointment when his column is not to be found.
Dave White
Partner
Haskell & White
Irvine
I think you should publish the Argus jokes that are the funniest and the most relevant and not worry about whether or not they’re offensive,I hate to see the other approach being taken. Going with what’s relevant and funny is the point of the column.
Wendy Hagmaier
Fullerton
