Thursday, October 6 2011

We have become "hurricane-wary" and businesses have adapted by being perpetually ready to move into emergency mode.

While a state of emergency is a man-made phenomenon, it affects business in some of the same ways.

Customers use less time considering your products and services as spending falls. Bill-paying is delayed as opening hours are cut.

Uncertainty rises as the government's power to affect commerce expands, and plans become harder to make.

I would hazard a guess that most strategic planning retreats held in TT last year never envisioned a state of emergency, and as a result, are now useless.

The hard fact is, we live in the Caribbean where hurricanes and drug-related crime will always be a factor.

None of us are immune, and we need to develop plans that assume these kinds of impairments.



Entering the New

Communication Mainstream



One phenomenon we noticed in Jamaica was how quickly Facebook news replaced the traditional media houses.

A new page was launched on the first day of Jamaica's state of emergency specifically for the purpose of spreading breaking news.

It's Like-membership rose to 10,000, and then 20,000 within days, and today stands just under 70,000.

Of course, one needn't be a member to read all the news that's streamed in a constant flow from its followers, who are called "reporters."

That compares quite favourably to the circulation of our most popular newspaper, which tops out at 100,000 on a Sunday.

What happened during our state of emergency is that face-to-face communication took a backseat, and online, mobile communication took over.

As the roads became deserted, the data circuits lit up as people, craving timely information and ongoing connections changed their behaviour in unprecedented ways.

A few firms were prepared. They had Facebook pages to continue their interaction with customers.

Mailing lists with current email addresses allowed them share how the store and staff were faring.

A prescient handful even had phone numbers for text messages with news of changing business hours and quick sales.

But too many were left in the dust.

It's too easy to assume we in the Caribbean don't need the fancy tools that are in use around the world, and that we are "different."

I remember a communications consulting advising me a few years ago that executives don't read web-sites, and that they need to see brochures.

Companies that stick to this strategy are doomed to paying more for less, especially during a large-scale disruption.

Making the switch to the new mainstream might mean convincing an Owner or Chairman that these channels are necessary, by finding and sharing examples from around the world.



Expanding the Stream



At some point, the state of emergency will indeed come to an end, but it's a mistake to think that everything will go back to the way it used to be.

Our economy in Jamaica remains affected by the drop in business that started when our man-made hurricane was initiated. Our crime was also impacted significantly: the murder rate has fallen by over 40 percent after 70 of our top criminals were alleged to have been killed in battles with security forces.

One of our most dangerous criminals was extradited to the US.

It's hard to forget images of our TV anchors, with no source of fresh news, reading live Facebook and Twitter updates on the air.

Beyond these very public changes, others have taken place quietly.

More companies are using Facebook as an important means of contact, building databases and learning how to use the Internet to stay in touch with customers without having to see them in person.

Firms are announcing their presence on social networks in print and television advertising.

Management teams are looking to communicate with employees using interactive text messaging, which is particularly useful when a sudden turn of events takes place.

The best companies didn't just take a dip in the new information stream.

They took it as a baptism of sorts — the genesis of a new way of doing business that allows them to thrive even when traditional commerce suffers.



Framework Consulting is a firm specialising in solving tough people problems.



The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of Guardian Life of the Caribbean Limited.