Fast-Forward, Rewind: Approach to decisions in crisis

We deal with a lot of crises in student housing. As the point person for the Campus Advantage Rapid Engagement (CARE) team, I am often one of the first people to respond at a corporate level to crises.

When making decisions in crisis, having sound and well-thought out policies and procedures are essential, which is why we do a lot of planning for every crisis type we can think of.

There are also several keys to consider when making decisions in crisis, and I thought I'd share one here that I think about every time I deal with a crisis now.

I call it my "Fast-Forward, Rewind" approach to decisions in crisis. I find that surprisingly, some people tend to err on the side of under-reaction in crisis, when at times, the opposite approach is warranted.

I have started to apply this technique as part of my thought process in making decisions in crisis, and find it often creates clarity.

1. First, "fast-forward" to potential ramifications of the action(s) being considered. Consider the potential results of taking action (or inaction, as the case may be). Think worst and best-case scenarios.
2. Now, "rewind" to the decision at hand. Consider how this decision would look in hindsight given the potential outcomes you considered in step 1.
3. When possible, run your decision by someone who is not directly involved in the crisis at hand.
4. Finally, I believe it is best to err on the side of over-responding in crisis.

When combined with following pre-determined procedures and policies, this can help guide you in making on-the-spot decisions in crisis.

Remember, when it comes to crisis, there is no substitute for advanced planning and preparation, but hopefully this technique can add to your "toolbox" for making quick decisions in crisis.

IF MOM CAN’T NAVIGATE IT, NEITHER CAN YOUR PROSPECT

Here's a great article from @Eric_Urbane about website design: IF MOM CAN’T NAVIGATE IT, NEITHER CAN YOUR PROSPECT.

The premise is this, Have you clearly defined want you want your prospects to do once they visit your web site? ASK MOM, IF SHE CAN’T NAVIGATE IT, NEITHER CAN YOUR PROSPECT When is the last time YOU visited you own web site? 

No matter who your audience is, this is a good reminder.

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Who to follow? #studenthousing

Who should student housing folks be following on Twitter? This post and the Student Housing twibe are an effort to compile a good list of folks to follow on twitter for those of us int he student housing world. Join the Twibe, and post your replies here to create a list in the reply thread.

Think individuals in the industry, publications, companies... let's build a great list!

Publications for Student Housing Professionals?

@jonathanbove and I are putting together a list of publications useful for student housing folks. He started this via twitter, so I thought I'd create a post on it here. Please add to the list below by replying to this post.

• Talking Stick (ACUHO-I)
• Chronicle of Higher Education
• UNITS Magazine
• MFE Magazine
• JPM the Journal for Property Managers IREM mag

Be sure to check out the resources post for additional online publications, associations, and blogs.

Student Housing Industry Resources #studenthousing

Student Housing Resource Links:

Blogs & Groups:

• ACUHO-I Blog
• Student Housing Management Linked-In Group
• Student Housing Planet
• StudentHousing.pro

Employment:

• HigherEdJobs.com
• StudentHousingJobs.com

Resources:

• ResidentAssistant.com
• ResLife.net
• Student Housing on Twibes

Associations:

• ACUHO-I (Association for College & University Housing Officers)
• NAA (National Apartment Association)
• NMHC (National Multi-Housing Council)

This list is just starting up. Please add to it!

@starbucks w Lydia

Testing out the phone/blogger connection. Sent this via email from my phone. Pretty cool.

Crisis: Opportunity Riding on a Dangerous Wind

I recently wrote on this blog about the true purpose and vision of @campusadvantage and was reminded of it again yesterday. I had a Friday full of crisis. We had to activate our CARE (Campus Advantage Rapid Engagement) team to provide extra support to the staff and students at one of our communities at which a crisis was unfolding. It was a crazy Friday. Our team was amazing.

As I went through our planned procedures for dealing with the situation at hand, I consciously stepped back and thought about the human impact of the situation and was reminded that the best policies, procedures, tools and response mechanisms are all in place simply to better serve PEOPLE. This is what we are about.This is what we do. We serve students. We strive to make a difference in their lives by the way we operate, the communities we build and the opportunities we create.

This mindset can be easily lost, especially in the midst of crisis.

I've been told that the Chinese symbol for crisis is translated as "opportunity riding on a dangerous wind." Usually when it comes to humans in crisis, this opportunity is to step in and make a difference.

What is the opportunity in the crisis you are facing today? Think about it.

Nothing has changed except for the tools.

Since no one else with a blog has ever written a post about social media or social networking, I figured I'd step up.

OK. I lied. There are over 80 million Google results for the term social networking. There are countless self proclaimed "gurus", free ebooks, expensive twitter seminars, and dummies books about the topic. I go to a conference without hearing about social media mastery, Facebook 101, or how social media is changing the world of student housing. I've even presented some of these sessions, yet...

I call bullsh!t.

Nothing has really changed except for the tools. Most of the "gurus" understand the tools, but many miss the point.

I admit, I am a bigger geek than most. I get excited about the newest Facebook feature, the shiny new Twitter app, and the next real time social media application. I just checked in on Brightkite. This blog entry will automatically turn into a tweet. My runs are mapped and logged by my phone and recorded on Facebook through MapMyRun.

I get excited about geeky stuff, but at the end of the day, these are just new tools for an age-old principle. People want to connect. People want relationships. People need people.

What does this mean? I learn a lot from these gurus, and so should you. You must keep up with the latest social media strategies. Look at the cool stuff being done all over the industry. You must innovate. You must keep up and keep others chasing you down. But you must not miss the point. Don't miss the relationship. Don't forget things really haven't changed. From telegrams to twitter or pigeons to Pidgin, the need for connection is constant. The tools are just helping us get there in different ways.