Storm Response Excellence: A Leader’s Internal Email Praises OPPD and Models Great Comms
On Friday, I received the note below from Omaha World-Herald alum and Comms Pro Erin Grace sharing her praise for Omaha Public Power District’s (OPPD) communications to clients following a wind storm that took out power to over 200,000 homes, some for over a week, with highs in the 90s.
The note, sent to her comms team, highlights great analysis on the right steps OPPD made with crisis communications. But as you read, be sure to use an internal communications lens, too:
Hi all,
Hopefully you all have power (and wifi!) restored by now. But if you’re like my elderly parents or out-of-town sister with three little kids, you’re sweltering in a hot, dark house. Boo!
I wanted to flag a comms effort to watch because, in my view, it’s good. OPPD – one of the nation’s only public power districts, by the way – has done (in my opinion!) a great job communicating out relevant, important information on their efforts in the wake of Wednesday’s storm.
Their social is good on X. @oppdcares. Regular, updated, and informative.
Their messaging overall is good on digital. They look like they’re on the ball and they explain (patiently) why they can’t get right over to your house.
They use graphics/photos in helpful ways, though I do quibble with their map of outages as in the colored blocks don’t tell me much in an area like Dundee, where it can be block by block or house by house in terms of power outages.
Their stories are interesting – look at one on “birddogs.”
It is not OPPD’s fault that half the city lost power – a historic number of power outages (the most ever, according to OPPD). But people get testy when they’re hot and in the dark and wonder why OPPD isn’t doing more and faster, dangit!
Poke around on their storm website.
I have depended on OPPD updates bc I’m caring for people I love and want to know when, for example, I can stop worrying if my sister’s dog is gonna be too hot in their house 😊
Anyway, wanted to share how important it is to have a good ground game in a crisis!
Have a great weekend,
Erin
OPPD Outtakes:
I agree with all of Erin’s OPPD analysis, and she later added that her house was fortunate and kept power, making it far easier to write a positive note than if she’d been in a hot, dark at home for days.
At my house, we were in the dark with no power, and I would add one more channel OPPD leads on: proactive automated phone call updates if your contact information is up to date.
Erin’s colleague, Blake Ursch, shared this comment:
I’ve also always thought it was a small bit of genius to brand themselves @oppdcares on social media. It almost subconsciously generates a spark of goodwill with users on a platform that’s usually a pit of rage.
Internal Communications Outtakes:
Here are quick positive takeaways from Erin's email, analyzed through an internal communications leadership lens:
Empathy and Personal Connection: Erin opens the email by acknowledging the challenges her team may be facing due to the storm, relating her own family’s struggles to theirs. This demonstrates empathy and a personal connection, which are key to effective leadership communication.
Recognition and Praise of External Efforts: By highlighting OPPD’s communication efforts, Erin models how to recognize and praise the good work of others, even outside the organization.
Encouragement of Critical Thinking: She doesn’t just praise OPPD; she also critiques areas where she thinks they could improve (e.g., the outage map). This balanced approach considers both strengths and areas for improvement in communication efforts.
Clear Call to Action: Erin shares specific resources to explore and learn from OPPD’s communication strategy.
Relatable and Light-hearted Tone: The use of informal language and humor (e.g., “Boo!” and “dangit!”) makes the message approachable and relatable. This tone helps in maintaining a positive team morale, especially during stressful situations.
Before you go…
Here’s a throwback article from January where the Clarity Rating Scale gave OPPD a 5/5 for weather crisis communications: