Risk Communication and Its Importance for the Security Manager
Identify what risk communication is and explain its importance for the security manager
Communication is a significant factor in all aspects and sectors of life. The social, political or economic features of are transmitted exclusively through communication. Communication is the act of conveying information and messages from an individual to another or a group. It serves to, teach, educate, learn, entertain and to warn among other purposes. Thus, in any organization or area of a corporate or personal life, it is imperative to have effective and efficient communication. The safety of a person, corporate organization or a nation can always be assured. Communication is, therefore, needed in ensuring this safety.
What is risk communication?
If you are told that, in the path, you are about to take, there is a gargantuan poisonous snake lying by the side of the path; you are left with a preference to make, whether to follow the route or not. Similarly, when an entrepreneur sees a business opportunity and decides to put their resources in that opportunity, there is a probability that the business may not work. Likewise, a weather man may predict a storm, and warn that people should not engage in a certain activity, and they still do engage. What of the time when there were no equipment to predict the coming earthquakes? All these incidences and possible outcomes have a certain factor in common. They all have a negative outcome attached to them. This outcome in some incidences is predictable, whereas in others such as the earthquake it is not predictable. Therefore, risk is this probability of undesired event transpiring within a given period and in specified circumstances. The undesired event connotatively has a negative impact on the recipient (Roeser, Hillerbrand, Sandin & Peterson, 2012).
In today's world, technology and advanced education makes just about everything possible. The advancements allow specialists to identify or detect any outcome to an action or event before it occurs. This height of success in innovation helps to foresee risks before they completely shape. Therefore, the persons involved can conduct the risk assessment and evaluation, once these signs and chances of the risk occurring are identified.
Risk may be categorized from different perspectives, such including, commercial risk, environmental, and accidental, health and deliberate risk among others. Once the risk is recognized, it is the duty of those involved to ensure that action is taken. This brings in the aspect of communication. The people who recognize the risk have a duty to convey the message to the expected authorities or departments that handle the matter (Sellnow, 2009). Moreover, if the risk is affecting persons including the public, then substantial communication is required to reach out the word to the people. The communication chain begins. Therefore, risk communication begins at the point when an undesired event is about to occur. Risk communication is thus, the channel and a way of conveying information about the emergent and evolving events that have a certain undesired outcome attached to it.
Risk communication is not simply identifying the risk and passing the information to the people; it involves various complex aspects that are equally vital. Risk communication is not just passing the understandable information to the audience; neither is it just as the ideal thing to say in times of crisis or words to use while passing the message. A complete risk communication process involves, discovering the risk, and then passing comprehensible information to the people, putting into thought, the intricate feelings and instincts of personal life circumstances (Kasperson & Kasperson, 2005). It includes the beforehand preparation of the audience before passing the information, and choosing the best approach to pass the information. Actions are most effective in communicating matters of urgency or threat to life. Communication of risk which does not consider the audience is deemed as incomplete. Therefore, effective risk communication incorporates the actions, choice of words and added interactions that cater for and respect all aspects of perception of the recipients of the information.
Risk communication and the security manager
The security of every person and commercial venture and all that is of value to any person is essential. It is for this reason, agencies both corporate and individual formed take the initiative to manage their safety. In the process of managing their security, they employ various methods and procedures. They are increasingly employing security managers (Fay & Fay, 2005). The security managers are either individuals or even organizations that offer the security services, such as insurance companies and security service providing agencies. The management...
The risk communication process begins with the identification of the risk.
The corporate world is marred by several risks, which are environmental, accidental or deliberate. Therefore, risk assessment and management should be handled systematically and in a methodical manner. To identify the risk, the risk manager conducts effective and in depth of the whole corporation or company with respect to the entire activities of the company (Fay & Fay, 2005). The manager after, identifying the risk facing the corporation or company, the next stage is to communicate the message.
The communication process is the culmination stage of the risk management activity. The risk manager chooses the means to communicate the message to the clients after conducting the survey. The risk communication is closely related to the cultural and psychological issues of the client. Therefore, it is imperative for the risk manager to recognize that individuals and organizations, due to their difference in culture and experiences they will receive the information differently (Fay & Fay, 2005). Additionally, their reaction will be different, and this calls for a keen selection of mechanism for the communication of the risk. The manager should, therefore, take into account all the stakeholders perceptions of risks.
In communicating the message, the manager, using the understanding of the models of communicating risk, tailors the message depending on the group to whom it is addressed. Risk communication helps the manager in passing the information to the recipients by following the subsequent cardinal steps of risk communication. The first goal of the security manger is to emancipate the client on the risk at hand. Therefore, in this, the manger, should accept and involve the client or public as partners (Hayes 2007). The objective is to produce informed client, and not to diffuse their ideas and fears. Thus, through this risk communication principle, the manager effectively and sufficiently achieves the goal. Secondly, in view of the recipient of the message, the security manager, should plan carefully and evaluate the personal efforts of the audience. The clients may have different goals, and thus they will require different actions. Therefore, a security manager who understands the goals of the client will choose the best method to approach the communication of the risk to the client. The third principle of risk communication is listening to the client's concerns. Most clients are often interested in credibility, competence and trust rather than the statistics and details of the matter. Therefore, understanding this, the security manager can substantially meet the requirements and expectations of the client. Moreover, they will dissipate the risk information with a much empathetic approach, thus helping clients to acclimatize and respond accordingly.
Sometimes, the information may be hard and hurting. Nonetheless, risk communication calls for one to be honest, frank and open. It is hard to obtain trust and credibility and, therefore, by applying this principle of risk communication, the security manager, will easily gain the trust of the client. Moreover, the client also benefits as the manager will deliver the true and expected result from the risk analysis and the consequent management strategy to the risk is accurate. A dishonest manager will communicate wrong information, which may aggravate the risk further.
Additionally, the risk communication calls for team work. Security manger should, therefore, work with other credible sources to ensure that the information dissipated is credible and accurate. The principles of communication of risk also require the person dissipating the information to ensure that they clearly and compassionately articulate the risk (Lindell & Perry, 2004). It is essential that the security manager, pass the information in a concise manner, which is understandable to all the audience. Where the risk is emotionally involving, the manager's compassionate sides helps make the client understand the weight of the matter. Moreover, clear articulation of words and in its simplicity, helps the recipients of the information relate with the risk and approach it knowledgeably.
Risk communication is essential for the security manager in dissipating the information to the client and also getting feedback from the audience. There are three phases that the security manager employs in the whole risk management process (Seeger, Sellnow & Ulmer, 2003). These phases are the preparation stage, the reporting stage, and the response stage. These three phases of communication directly involve the manager and the audience. The security manager, after identifying and assessing the risk, the stage of communicating the…
