Duane's Dartboard

It happened earlier this month in Midtown Manhattan.

A motley group of us—mostly strangers—came together on West 49th Street in New York City.

We went there to become part of the disaster public affairs team of the American Red Cross. Our assignment was to supplement the excellent work being done by the local professionals who were already helping those affected by Superstorm Sandy.

We traveled from such faraway places as Anchorage, Chicago, Boston, California, Colorado, the Carolinas, Kansas City, Dallas, Seattle, Pensacola, Las Vegas and even Canada.

The miracle, if you will, was that such a diverse group could come together so quickly to form a cohesive, productive team. In the midst of the disaster relief efforts, our team overcame sizable obstacles and produced impressive results.

As I reflect upon what happened, I realize that our “miracle on 49th Street” can be attributed to the following factors:

1. Mission. First, we were united because we shared a sense of purpose. We knew why we were there, and we instinctively understood how public affairs must always be an essential part of any disaster relief operation.
2. Vision. We envisioned what success would look like before we actually set out doing our work. We had a vision—a clear picture—of what we could do together:  share information, tell stories, engage people in conversations and serve as the operation’s eyes and ears on the ground
3. Organization. Early on, we created an organizational chart and then revised it several times. We organized ourselves according to levels of experience, professional skills and areas of interest. This structure helped to make sure that “all the ducks were flying in the same direction and in the proper formation.” Read the rest of this entry »

I spent the first half of November in New York City helping people affected by Superstorm Sandy. I was proud to be part of the impressive disaster public affairs team of the American Red Cross.

Since I’ve returned home, many people have asked what I actually did. They are curious about the role of public affairs and how it fit into the overall disaster relief efforts.

To answer those questions most completely, I like to talk about what our entire team did. Working together, we created a synergy greater than any of us individually.

Here is what we did, and why public affairs was an essential part of the disaster relief efforts in New York and beyond:

Role of Disaster Public Affairs

1. We shared information. We told people where Red Cross services were available and how they could receive help. We knew that some were individuals asking, “Where is the Red Cross?” so our role was to share inform and help them access our services.
2. We told stories. We were surrounded by thousands of stories illustrating how the Red Cross fed the hungry, sheltered the newly-homeless and gave hope to those in such dire circumstances. People genuinely care about other people, and the community likes to hear stories about how their friends, family and neighbors are being helping. Volunteers and donors also need to be shown how their contributions of time and money yield an impressive “return on investment.”
3. We engaged people in conversations. During disasters, people have lots of questions. They also like to share what’s going on in their neighborhoods. They feel a need to connect with relief organizations. In the field, our public affairs team members conversed with the various people we met. Also, through social media, we engaged them in conversations and talked with them one at a time, person-to-person.
4. We were the eyes and ears on the ground. Those on the operations side of the relief effort sometimes relied upon our public affairs team to relay real-time information about what was going on in the affected areas. Occasionally, as with any massive relief effort, we experienced temporary breakdowns in service, and our public affairs team would quickly relay that information to the right people so we could better respond to meet the needs of those looking to us for assistance. Read the rest of this entry »