Baking & Snack - April 2015 - 12

Surviving the future 101

When my 5-year-old son experienced his first fire drill about two years ago, it scared
him so badly that whenever he walks into a building, he still searches out the fire
alarms, just in case. When I moderated the crisis planning panel at ASB's BakingTech
2015 in Chicago last month, I could've pointed out the fire exits as an opener, you
know, just in case, but alas, the little guy wasn't there to point them out for me.
"Coulda," "woulda," "shoulda" - words that inevitably follow the statement, "It
can't happen to me." When I assembled my panelists, Sandy Whann, president of New
Orleans-based Leidenheimer Baking Co., topped the list. Who better to speak about
crisis preparedness than someone who rebuilt his business after surviving Hurricane
Katrina and who, eight days after the storm, found himself standing ankle-deep in
about 10,000 lb of melted yeast inside his darkened plant with armored trucks lumbering through the city's remains outside?
But not everyone lives in hurricane country, and Mother Nature doesn't dispatch
every crisis, so I called upon Scott Skifstad, vice-president and risk control manager for
Lockton Co. in Chicago, and Gini Dietrich, CEO, Arment Dietrich, Chicago, to speak
about risk assessment and crisis communication, respectively. The panel presented an
invaluable 360° view of what constitutes a crisis and what steps you can take to navigate
whatever sort of disaster the future might hold.
Most companies don't have a crystal ball in the board room, but a white board can
be the next best thing. It all starts when you bring together your key stakeholders to
brainstorm every possible worst-case scenario. Determine alert levels for your plant,
from early to severe. "Each of these levels has specific instructions and responsibilities
for all managers and employees," Mr. Whann said.
Once you can identify what "crisis" means for your company, decide now how far
to drill down. "What are the lengths you're willing to go to, to work with employees,
vendors and customers to get up and running? How bad does it have to be, and how far
are you willing to go?" Mr. Whann asked.
It's easy to assume - or even hope - that your insurance policy is ready and waiting
for you when you need it. But hope isn't a plan, and setting a plan is not the last step.
Remember to take it out and dust it off regularly. Mr. Whann has group text lists set
up in managers' cell phones and makes sure the numbers, whether for internal or
external contacts, are updated several times a year.
While technology can be on your side in a crisis, don't forget that
social media has the potential to create one, too. A crisis plan
should include communication that uses social media as a tool
and not an avenue for further destruction. Keep in mind that
someone who knows how to use Twitter might not be an expert in crisis communication.
Crisis planning might feel like you're inviting trouble, but
take it from Mr. Whann: "You'll think more clearly on a pretty
spring afternoon than you will in the midst of chaos."
As for me, I'm heading home so my kid can help me check
the smoke detectors, you know, just in case.
- Joanie Spencer, editor/managing editor
jspencer@sosland.com

12 Baking & Snack April 2015 / www.bakingandsnack.com

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Baking & Snack - April 2015

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