HRM 595 -- rewriting ----1250 words (excluding reference)............

Introduction

As we prepare for the future of Blossoms Up!, it is imperative that we look at situations that could occur unexpectedly. One significant case that must be planned is the unexpected death of our CEO Seth Smith. As this problem happens, there are questions and public relations matters that must be answered in the result of Mr. Smith's demise. In the following information provided, it is outlined how to deal with a tragedy such as this.

Crisis Management Team

For the transitional period between the death of Mr. Smith and the interim CEO to go smoothly, we have chosen a functional management team for a crisis such as this. This group will include individuals from various entities that are a part of the company. Role variability is a flexible way in which a company can respond to a crisis the crisis management team helps to hold this in place (Jobidon, Turcotte, Aube, Labrecque, Kelsey, & Tremblay, 2016).The process that is associated with a crisis management team also helps to formulate an uncertainty if what is expected and can cause the different entities to have difficulty understanding their role and prove challenging to achieve your goals.

The focus of the crisis management team is to be a support system in case a significant crisis occurs (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2016). At Blossoms Up! this team will be the leading system that implements the responses to any inquiries as well as the transition period. The primary purpose of the crisis management team is to ensure that the employees, stakeholders, and clients are made aware of the issue and that it will and can be resolved within a timely manner to ensure the business stays doing well (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2016). Each entity that deals with this plan are listed below as well as their role in the tragedy:

Human Resources - The job of the HR team will be to ensure that the communications between the team members of the CMT are knowledgeable to the task at hand. We will also help to assist the PR team in communicating with the shareholders the process in which things are going. Also, HR will ensure that a representative is made available to ensure that benefits are disbursed as well as personal effects.

Top Management- the Executive team will ensure that the transition between Mr. Smith demise and Andrea ascension is made as smoothly as possible. They will also act as a liaison between HR and the internal team that has been developed.

PR/Legal- This individual will ensure that any statements or communications that are made to the public as well as the stakeholders inadequately tailored to the audience that it is intended for. These comments include the death and the announcement of the new CEO. We also want to ensure that if a successor has already been named in the final wishes, it is given to the company to order the previous CEO wishes.

Insurance- The insurance companies that we use dealing with the company should be made aware as well. We want to address any issues that could arise in response to the death of Mr. Smith.

Policy Statement

In the event of death, it is essential to notify the police and medical authorities. We do not inform the family of the tragedy. The best thing that we can do is allow the individuals that are trained in delivering such news to the family. Also, if the death occurs in-house (at the company) leave the scene of death the way it is so that if there is any evidence of anything considered foul play can be seen. It is best to keep the location of the event secure.

In an emergency, use extreme tact and caution in your actions and statements to members, the media and others. We also will provide counseling to any employees that need help in the process of dealing with the death of an employee. The funeral services of an employee will seem as an excused absence. As we want our members to support each other. We are a family owned business and will continue to act as such even in death.

Stakeholders and Media Responses

As with all crises, these are brought on by a trigger event. In this case, the trigger event of CEO Seth Smith needs to be a contained event. To keep a crisis management plan in play, an appropriate response to the issue is required. In the fact of the death of Mr. Smith, the board will choose the successor of the CEO. Due to the succession planning that has been done on all levels of management and coaching an entirely adequate plan has been put in place and is mobile when needed. Our public relations director will announce the passing as well as the interim CEO. This initial announcement will be provided to the individuals in the company as well as any shareholders. Once the company has been given the statement, the public will be notified last. During the time as the interim CEO, we will ensure that they are as knowledgeable as we think about the status of the company and the running of the business. Once this finite period has passed the helm shall be entirely passed. The media will be provided with a statement given by our public relations director. The announcement will be as follows:

With the passing of our CEO Seth Smith, we meet this time with great sadness. As we mourn the loss of our CEO and founder, we want to extend our heartfelt concern toward the family. This company would like to thank the family of MR. Smith who left behind a legacy as a great leader, father, and husband. As our business looks forward into the future, we want to ensure that the brand that Mr. Smith has fought hard to build his legacy and to ensure that this is carried on we have named Andrea Smith as the interim CEO. Andrea Smith is the wife and Vice President of Blossoms Up! She has worked alongside her husband building the brand that Blossoms Up! has become since the beginning. She will work along with the rest of the leadership team to provide a smooth transition as we mourn the loss of a great leader.

Human Resources

The HR team will provide counseling to any and all individuals who need it during this time of mourning. Also, the job of the HR department is to work closely with the executive team to assure that the transition between CEO is smooth. As with the CEO position, a succession plan has been done to place all hire up positions into their new role in case a tragedy such as this occurs.

Post-Crisis

Once the issue has been resolved, in the following weeks an assessment must be done. This post-crisis analysis will allow the company to understand if the CMT was able to fix the issues promptly and what changes could be made (Lando, 2014). The review should allow for the following questions:

· Were there any signs that could have made us prepare earlier than we did?

· Is there any way that the company could have recognized this issue any sooner or reacted sooner?

· While this crisis was in effect what were the weaknesses and vulnerabilities that we need to correct?

· Was there a part of the CMT that should be removed or added?

· Was the communication between the different entities effective?

· Did the leaders perform as needed during this time or should there be training on the CMT?

· What part of this plan should be changed?

· Are there any parts of this plan that should be performed differently?

By answering these questions, it will allow for Blossoms Up! to be better prepared for future occurrences. By collecting this information, Blossoms Up! will be more knowledgeable on how to handle issues such as this and even other issues. Any time that a company can persevere through a crisis provides an opportunity to learn how to handle the situation better. Once we have completed the assessment, the thoughts and feelings of the employees will be evaluated as well as to how we dealt with the situation. Once this is done, we will thank everyone including employees for their cooperation in the transition.

Conclusion

As we prepare for an event that we hope never to occur it is a necessary precaution that our company is ready for the blowback that may arise. Negative publicity is not a significant concern, but the scare of not knowing what is next for the company could cause issues such as lack of value, trust, and uncertainty of direction within not only the stockholders but all entities tied to the company. It is vital that the team performs the actions needed by effectively communicating their needs as well as taking direct action to ensure stability. Blossoms Up! will ensure that all stakeholders, as well as the media, feel as if we are taking this issue head-on and with confidence while overcoming this major obstacle.

References