The return of Peter Pan

Two months ago America’s favourite peanut butter Peter Pan was withdrawn from supermarket shelves across the nation when the company was hit by a salmonella scare. It is now set to return in July and there are doubts whether will regain its former consumer popularity. Read more here

What puts companies at risk?

FAO’s rapid response crisis management centre

Crisis! How Would You Respond?

How would you react in a crisis? Do you have what it takes to not only survive disaster but perhaps even lead others out of danger?

Three experts give their view.
If you're pretty sure you'd do OK, you're not alone. Disaster expert Anie Kalayjian says research shows most folks believe they have what it takes to survive a crisis.

"We often fantasize about what we would do or how we would act, and we often feel positive about our ability to handle a crisis when it occurs, says Kalayjian, a professor at Fordham University and founder of MeaningfulWorld.com. Unfortunately, Kalayjian says, research shows people often don't react as well as they think they will. They panick and are far more excitable than they predicted.

Lehigh University psychologist Nick Ladany, PhD, says he's not surprised. " We would all like to think of ourselves as that Hollywood hero or heroine who saves the day, but in reality that's more often the exception than the rule."

Al Siebert, PhD, says the best survivors are the ones who are able to "read" the new reality rapidly, focus on problem solving, and take practical action -- all within the moment.

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The docleaf quotations competition

“The record business is a disaster, Broadway is a disaster. Things are bad but I'm doing well”

David Geffen, Motown mogul

“I always tried to turn every disaster into an opportunity”

John D Rockeller, founder of the Standard Oil Company

"The only thing harder than planning for an emergency is explaining why you didn't"

Unknown

“A business continuity planner is more powerful than all the king's horses and all the king's men, because with a plan in place we "can" put Humpty Dumpty back together again!”

Doug Rezner, consultant

“When written in Chinese the word crisis is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity.”

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

"If it's stupid, but it works - it isn't stupid."

Murphy's Laws of Combat

"At the onset of an emergency, everyone's IQ goes immediately to '0'".

Winston Scott, Director of Florida Space Port

“Plans are nothing, planning is everything”.

Dwight Eisenhower

“A good plan violently executed today is better than a perfect plan next week.”

George Patton

“Any company trying to compete must figure out a way to engage the mind of every employee.”

Jack Welch, former chief executive of GE

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

Alan Lakein, time management expert

“Plan ahead: It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark!”

Unknown

“Lack of, or poor, communication is one of the most common causes of project failure. Remember, if you don’t communicate – someone else will.”

Mel Gosling, UK management consultant

We don't have a plan, so nothing can go wrong.”

Spike Milligan

The Fast Company magazine, in an interview with David Neeleman, the founder and CEO of JetBlue, the US airline which recently faced a severe crisis of confidence with its customers, insights the intense strain management is under at such times.

Its worth reading at here