From Issues Management to Crisis Management
The Dubai Ports World deal is a classic example of how lack of issues management can turn an issue into a crisis. It's hard to get the genie back into the bottle at this stage, but I have to admire those who are trying. Sen. McCain made a good case on This Week on ABC this morning. There is a case to be made that this company already has our national security in their hands based on the number of ports they are already running around the world. And they've been extremely cooperative with the U.S. government. So, what's the big deal?
Let's say the facts are there to justify this deal and this was all a big misunderstanding. You're Dubai Ports World. First thing you do is "voluntarily" call for the 45 day review required by law, which they have already done.
What else do you do? What are your messages? Who are your messengers? Or do you just "go to ground" and hope this blows over?
I've been very impressed with the thoughtfulness of the comments, as my previous post attests. Keep it up. I believe it is useful to apply the elements we are learning in class to the big issues as they arise. And, whether it deserves to be or not, this has tuned into a big issue. Cheney's probably glad it came along. Makes his assassination attempt seem pale by comparison.
You should only need to read the attached story to get a full recap of how we got where we are on this issue.
Bush's Response To the Ports Deal Faulted as Tardy: "To anyone listening, it was clear that President Bush had a problem on his hands. But Bush was not listening. And his political team had its attention elsewhere. By the time they noticed, Bush's problem had grown a lot bigger."
Let's say the facts are there to justify this deal and this was all a big misunderstanding. You're Dubai Ports World. First thing you do is "voluntarily" call for the 45 day review required by law, which they have already done.
What else do you do? What are your messages? Who are your messengers? Or do you just "go to ground" and hope this blows over?
I've been very impressed with the thoughtfulness of the comments, as my previous post attests. Keep it up. I believe it is useful to apply the elements we are learning in class to the big issues as they arise. And, whether it deserves to be or not, this has tuned into a big issue. Cheney's probably glad it came along. Makes his assassination attempt seem pale by comparison.
You should only need to read the attached story to get a full recap of how we got where we are on this issue.
Bush's Response To the Ports Deal Faulted as Tardy: "To anyone listening, it was clear that President Bush had a problem on his hands. But Bush was not listening. And his political team had its attention elsewhere. By the time they noticed, Bush's problem had grown a lot bigger."
posted by Guy Noir | 3:20 PM
1 Comments:
As with many of us, I agree with most of what has been said about DPW's response to this situation. I think the best idea is to get the American executives out in front, but I also think that this particular situation has moved beyond the public education stage.
As Pat made clear last week, it can take years to effectively educate the public about an issue as complex as international port management. I certainly had no idea how this part of global trade worked before the last week or two. So, on this one deal, I think the best they can hope for is to get your messengers out where you can, stick to your message ("We are a friend to America and a partner in the War on Terror"), and ride it out.
In the longer run, I think that you send one of the American executives into some hostile territory (Lou Dobbs' show?), so that the next time a deal comes up, no one can claim that your company isn't sufficiently transparent.
Getting yelled at by Lou for five minutes may not be a good time, and you may not get all of your talking points out, but it gives you some bulletproofing for the next time you want to buy an American port or fleet or something.
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