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CRITICAL COMMUNICATIONS
AN OPERATIONS GUIDE FOR BUSINESS
by Sam Mullen

“Clear, precise communications are never more crucial than when human lives, property and
equipment loss, environmental damage, and perhaps even corporate survival are at risk. The
success of an emergency response plan to minimize loss and destruction depends on the
effectiveness of communications.

“Communications Consultant Sam Mullen details how you can mitigate disaster and facilitate
recovery, getting the desired, optimal results through the use of effective communication in
Critical Communications: Air Operations Guide for Business.

“Throughout his book, Mullen emphasizes the practical workings and intentional
implementation of a communications model to get the right message to the right person
before, during, and after a crisis.

“The reader will learn how to:
- introduce communications practices into the workplace
- enhance basic organizational communications
- use electronic tools for more effective crisis communications.”

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FROM THE FOREWORD

“Critical Communications: An Operations Guide for Business was written for people with
direct responsibility for the success or failure of core business and support operations in
organizations. These core operations have one pivotal characteristic in common: precise
communications (or mission-critical communications, as they are known to my clients) must
take place. It means that the sender of any message must compose it with care and deliver it
in a way that will produce a desired result, even if that result is to do nothing for the present
time.

“The practice of mission-critical communications (MCCs) does not lend itself to good
intentions or chance. MCCs are part of the overall design of a mission-critical service or
process. A doctor giving orders in an emergency room, a fighter pilot receiving orders to fire
ordnance at a target, a power plant supervisor giving orders to scram a reactor, a power
system dispatcher giving emergency instructions to a technician in a substation, and similar
tasks that parallel these in importance are all examples of MCCs. The fact that peoples' lives
may be at stake is a common characteristic of the kinds of tasks identified with MCCs. More
often, however, the fate of millions of dollars in equipment and other resources, possible
environmental damage, or, perhaps, the organization's survival may be at stake.

“This text will introduce the reader to MCCs in a concise format that should make it an
excellent resource as supplementary reading to a larger volume on contemporary
communications or for group work in a seminar. Through practical examples, the reader will
examine the forces at work in the MCCs environment, wherever it may be. Such issues as
how management might introduce MCCs practices in the workplace and what mission-critical
workers can do to maintain those practices will be addressed.

“A model will be introduced for helping to explain the process of MCCs. There will also be a
discussion on methods for training mission-critical communicators. Advances in
communications technology can affect MCCs, so the book will touch on how users of that
technology can avoid pitfalls that can lead to serious incidents.

“Damaging events have become commonplace in today's technical society, and have stricken
organizations and society the world over. As we seek to lessen the severity of these events,
one point is clear: effective communications plays a pivotal role in operations in any
environment.

“The lack of effective communications exacerbated such events as the Bhopal chemical
release, Valdez oil spill, space shuttle Challenger disaster, the Northeast Blackout, Three
Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear incidents, and recovery from the numerous natural
disasters experienced in recent years. If scientists and engineers, for example, are not
skilled communicators, they can expect to spend more time defending their actions during
and after damaging events.

“A number of books, papers, and magazine articles have been written on the new "information
society" and the growth of the "knowledge worker." Companies are reorganizing and
downsizing operations to meet the challenges of 21st century competition. There is no
question that MCCs will play a vital role in both the transformation and survival of
organizations. More so now than ever before, workers need to be able to communicate
effectively in all forms, including verbal, written, and the various types of electronic
communication used today. With fewer people doing a larger share of work in critical areas of
company operation, even inexperienced workers will have to shoulder a higher level of
responsibility, and they will have to explain their actions to others who are under the same
pressures to perform.

“Manufacturers engaged in developing electronic control and monitoring systems will have to
implement a growing information base of design criteria into the new systems. The
specification of each new system will carry with it the obligation to meet the user's specific
and growing needs. In the future, there will be less time to debug new systems and no
system will be of much practical use if the operator must go through a rigorous process to
retrieve information.

“A few years ago, hypertext and multimedia software tutorials and on-line help were options;
today they are expected. In-depth paper reference manuals for new systems will be more
readily available in electronic form on compact disc. Intuitive references are growing more
graphical in design, employing clear diagrams and charts. They will be designed to get users
up to speed on a problem or process in less time than through traditional means, such as
reviewing a thick technical manual.

“This book provides an insider's view of transactions that take place in industry, as they
contribute to either functional or dysfunctional operation. It also provides methods that can be
implemented immediately to enhance communications for organizations that wish to pursue
them.”

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CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

FOREWORD

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
What are Mission-Critical Communications?
Proposed Audience for This Text
Objective
Introduction and Key Points
Discussion Topics
End of Chapter Quote

CHAPTER 2 MISSION-CRITICAL COMMUNICATIONS IN USE
Who are the Communicators and When and Why Do They Communicate?
Purpose of This Exercise
Where are MCCs Likely to be Used?
Introduction to Transaction Sets
Who's Responsibility is it to Adhere to Specific Language?
What are the Problems that Communicators Encounter?
When Communications Fail
Communicating and Thinking Visually
Successful Communication at Work
Reviewing Job or Task Language and Associated Tools
Today's Environment: A Greater Need for Transaction and Communications Training
Key Points
Discussion Topics
End of Chapter Quote

CHAPTER 3 THE TRANSACTION SET MODEL
Model Defined
Performance Criteria
Handling Distractions
Critical Needs Introduced by the Model
Operating Within a Specific Job Transaction Set
Inter-Task Activities
Key Points
Discussion Topics
End of Chapter Quote

CHAPTER 4 JOB TRANSACTION SET DESIGN
Developing Job Transaction Sets in the Organization
Transaction Sets and Job Design
Job T-Sets: Maintaining Task Oriented Dialogue
What to Remember in the Examples
Key Points
Discussion Topics
End of Chapter Quote

CHAPTER 5 THE COMMUNICATIONS ENVIRONMENT
Where We Work
Factors Over Which We Have Some Control
Speaking of Solutions
Fatigue in the MCCs Environment
Key Points
Discussion Topics
End of Chapter Quote

CHAPTER 6 COMMUNICATIONS AND DECISION MAKING
Importance of Communications in Decision Making
Decision Making and Planning
Beneficial Decision Making Attributes
Providing Useful Input in the Decision Making Process
Effective Communications in Task Force or Committee Work
Key Points
Discussion Topics
End of Chapter Quote

CHAPTER 7 USING ELECTRONIC, PC-BASED SYSTEMS
Facts, Data, Graphics and More
Multimedia Training
New Technology Means New Training Challenges
Growth of PC Resources in the Mission-Critical Environment
Productive Use of PC Technology and Related Devices
Operator's/Users Role in Software and Hardware Development
Key Points
Discussion Topics
End of Chapter Quote

CHAPTER 8 SYSTEMS IN USE IN ORGANIZATIONS
Use of Systems in Transaction Set Communications
Who Will Be Chosen to Use the Advanced Systems?
The Role of Transaction Costs in Mission-Critical Systems
System Needs of the Mission-Critical Communicator
Key Points
Discussion Topics
End of Chapter Quote

CHAPTER 9 COMMUNICATIONS AND CONTINGENCY PLANNING
Written Communications
Writing Contingency Plans
Writing Technical Procedures and Plans
Writing Useful and Accurate Logs
Electronic Logs
Telephone Transactions
Key Points
Discussion Topics
End of Chapter Quote

CHAPTER 10 USING VISUAL TOOLS FOR TRAINING AND OPERATIONS
Where Do We Use Diagrams and Visuals?
Developing Effective Diagrams
Using Software to Create Visuals or Graphics-Based Information
Step By Step Diagram Development: A Model
Key Points
Discussion Topics
End of Chapter Quote

CHAPTER 11 OVERVIEW OF EXPERT SYSTEMS USED IN THE MISSION-CRITICAL
COMMUNICATIONS ENVIRONMENT
What are Expert Systems?
Development Software
The Lure of Expert Systems in Utility Operation
A World of Applications
The Load Forecaster
The Gas Turbine Expert System
Lockout Diagnostic Assistant
The Reactor Emergency Action Level Monitor (REALM)
Vigilant Approach to Development
Key Points
Discussion Topics
End of Chapter Quote

CHAPTER 12 EPILOGUE: CRITICAL BALANCE MAINTAINED

ENDNOTES

INDEX

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“Recognized communications specialist Sam Mullen is the owner of MPS Communications
and Planning Services. Mullen specializes in "mission-critical communications" working with
electric power companies and other organizations who need communications guidelines in
preparation for emergency situations.

“Mullen is also the author of Emergency Planning Guide for Utilities. He has more than 25
years of experience in the industry.”

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1996, 163 pages. Order #DR491.

The Binomial Bookstore

Crisis Management, Crisis Communication

Rothstein Associates Inc.