Baking & Snack - August 2021 - 79

OPERATIONS
Crisis Management
DON'T PANIC,
PLAN
Planning and communication should be guideposts
in navigating any crisis and keeping staff safe.
by Michelle Smith
A
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to upend lives
and livelihoods around the world, businesses are already
looking ahead.
More than three-quarters of food and beverage executives
in North America are actively preparing for the next
global pandemic, and half are expecting another one in the
next decade, according to a study released earlier this year
by AIB International.
But clearly that's not the only crises that bakeries need to
consider. More severe weather events like hurricanes, fires
and floods threaten areas while concerns like recalls, cyberattacks,
workplace violence and more are all contingencies
that companies must prepare for and manage.
" We're sort of experiencing crises that are evolving over
time, " said Jennifer Colfelt, vice president, operations and
membership for the American Bakers Association (ABA).
" One thing is you have to always remain nimble and flexible
as you're trying to work through these things. We've
certainly gone through unprecedented times, so there's
not really a strategy book already written in terms of how
you manage. "
But businesses must figure out how to plan for these by
doing their research and developing an action plan when
things do go awry.
Pandemic lessons learned
The importance of clear, consistent communication is vital
to weathering any crisis, and it was a theme that many
emphasized, including Ms. Colfelt when talking about the
COVID-19 response.
" One of our key goals was overcommunicating because
we felt like information is power and that's really what is
important in those times of crisis, " she said. " And I think
that's how we continue to view this as it continues to evolve
and, honestly even as we're starting to think through what
might be coming down the road. "
At Tippin's Gourmet Pies in Kansas City, Kan., communications
have been a cornerstone while operating during
the pandemic, with bilingual memos to accommodate the
Spanish speakers and thorough explanations of policies.
" We really tried to keep people informed. We made a
lot of postings around the building. At one point we were
doing near weekly bulletins to our team members that got
handed out every Friday, " said Jim Antrup, vice president of
sales and marketing at Tippin's. " Probably the biggest learning
is not to just communicate what we're doing but communicate
why we're doing it. "
Companies also should keep communication lines open
with fellow bakers, government agencies like the Centers for
Disease Control and local health authorities, and professional
groups like the ABA.
" We always made sure to be communicating as quickly
and effectively as we could to our membership without
honestly overwhelming them, " Ms. Colfelt said. " We all
knew that they were having to deal with so much. "
Mr. Antrup, who took a leading role during the pandemic
at Tippin's, said he spent a lot of time reading information
online, watching webinars and listening to national
and local health officials.
Professional groups have been a big help to Anne
www.bakingbusiness.com / August 2021 Baking & Snack 79
Keeping the lines
of communication
open is vital when
a crisis strikes.
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Baking & Snack - August 2021

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