Essay Sample on Airport Manager's Communication Strategies for Crisis Management

Introduction

Communication can be defined as the method of imparting or exchanging information by speaking, writing or using other mediums. Communication is vital in many aspects of our lives. Communication is essential in negotiations to ensure one achieves his goals, in business transactions as well as in the working place to ensure one good relationship with their colleagues. Communication is also an essential tool in crisis management. The main aim of this paper is to focus how an airport manager would respond and communicate to the mayor, airport board, employees, tenants, TSA, FAA, CBP and the community if the airport has seen a 95% in traffic due to Covid-19.

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Covid-19 is also referred to s Coronavirus. It is an infectious disease that is spread when an infected person coughs sneezes or exhales the virus droplets, and they are transmitted to other people. If one breathes the virus, then one becomes infected with the disease (Gavi, 1). Other ways that one can be infected is if one touches contaminated surfaces and then touches their eyes, mouth or noses. Covid-19 is a crisis that has claimed many lives throughout the world (Gavi, 1) The Airport Manager should respond and communicate with the different stakeholders on the various methods and strategies that have been implemented in the airport to ensure that the crisis is managed. The following are the ways through which the airport manager would respond and communicate.

Communication through Paid and Earned Media

The airport manager may use the different forms of media to respond or communicate with the various shareholders of the airport. Paid media includes advertising, digital and outreach efforts while the earned media includes journalism, content shared by others and social media. These platforms have the power to send messages to a very wide population within a very short period. The airport manager can, therefore, use these types of media to ensure that he informs people of the measures taken to contain the spread of the disease and the crisis, especially at the airport. The airport manage can communicate about the different strategies that they have undertaken such as screening people at the airport, disinfecting people to avoid further spread of the disease as well as encouraging people to maintain social distancing.

Collaboration with All Colleagues across the Industry

The airport manager should ensure that they collaborate with all the stakeholders across the industry. It ensures that the various stakeholders contribute their views and opinions on how to handle crisis such as Covid-19. Collaboration also ensures that when the airport manager is communicating with different people, they represent the views of all the stakeholders in the industry. It provides that credibility and trust are earned, and the people believe in the strategies that one is using to manage such a crisis.

Having a Communication Team Leader at the Executive Leadership Table

The airport manager should ensure that a communication professional is consulted when making critical decisions in the organization. The communication professional is responsible for understanding the methods in which the decisions made and policies implemented can be disseminated to the internal and external audiences. Getting a professional communication leader who is well knowledgeable in the aviation industry is very helpful as they may have handled such a crisis before. Therefore, they could provide illustrations of how such a crisis was managed in the past.

Tailoring Each Message for Each Audience and Channel

The airport manager is required to address all the audiences with different messages. One message may not be fit for all audiences as they are involved in various fields. The audiences that the airport manager is supposed to address include the mayor, airport board, employees, tenants (airlines, concessionaires), TSA, FAA, CBP, and the community. All these audiences have different capabilities and obligations in handling the crisis at the airport. The airport manager should, therefore, create specific messages for each audience so that they may address the various issues that they are likely to face.

Honesty and Transparency

Honesty and transparency are critical components of crisis management. The airport manager has the responsibility of ensuring that honesty and transparency are upheld in all communications with the different stakeholders. When honesty and transparency are upheld in all communications, the stakeholders can identify the loopholes that may worsen the crisis and therefore take the necessary steps to ensure that the crisis is managed. Honesty and transparency also ensure that trust and credibility are earned, and all the stakeholders have faith in the steps that are taken to manage such a crisis.

Leveraging Influencers, both Supportive and Critical

The airport manager should ensure that all the influencers are leveraged. The manager should not only leverage the influencers who are in support but also those who have various critics. These influencers should be leveraged so that they can spread information to the public on the different ways that they can use to ensure that they are not affected by the disease. It would be critical in the management of the crisis.

Conclusion

The airport manager can respond to the different stakeholders through different ways as discussed. They include tailoring each message for a specific audience, leveraging influencers, collaboration with all stakeholders in the industry as well as being honest and transparent. Communication can also be done through paid and earned media or a communication team leader in the organization.

Works Cited

Gavi. "What is COVID-19, and how is it spread?" 2020, www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/what-is-covid-19-and-how-does-it-spread.