Controlling,the,Context,Issue, communication Controlling the Context Of An Issue

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A few years ago, an email went out to regular passengers of Virginia Railway Express (VRE), a commuter railroad.  The missive addressed an issue near to the heart of any traveler: on-time service, or, in this case, the lack thereof on VRE's Fredericksburg line. Besides VRE, there were two other business entities involved: * CSXT, self-described as the "largest rail network in the eastern United States."* AMTRAK (which, for those outside of North America, is our much-beleaguered national train service, a monopoly).VRE, by taking the lead on communicating to its riders about the delays, quickly and very firmly took control of the context of the issue, ensuring that its passengers understood who was mostly at fault -- CSXT. Is that true? I have no idea, I'm not a railroad analyst. What I do know is that many, if not most of their customers would have concluded that VRE is doing the right thing by them, and that CSXT has to fix the problem. This exemplifies one of the most critical tasks facing crisis managers at the onset of any issue -- rapidly and effectively taking action to control the context in which stakeholders perceive the matter. I have been very challenged when called in to assist a client already bested at this form of arm-wrestling by crisis-savvy opponents. It is possible to take back control of an issue's context, but it is always harder to do once the tone and tenor has been set by someone who does not have your best interests in mind! If I found a fault, besides minor syntax and grammar errors,it was, perhaps, a bit too much finger-pointing. The former investigative reporter in me wants to look under that rug a bit to see if more of the dust is VRE's than meets the eye. But I doubt most of the intended recipients would react that way. Please enjoy the letter, reprinted verbatim below, and with my italicized comments bracketed after each paragraph. Train Talk June 21, 2005 12:35p To Our Valued Passengers: When you're not happy, we're not happy. Right now, we are downright frustrated. [Establishes common ground and empathy with passengers] The on-time percentage of our Fredericksburg line has been significantly below par causing you delays and difficulty in what is supposed to be the least stressful part of your day. Because of a variety of CSXT related issues on their tracks and with their signals, the performance of VRE trains has not been acceptable and, quite frankly, has been substandard. [Identifies problem and takes control of the context of the issue] In addition to dealing with heat orders for the last 9 out of 12 days, CSXT has outlawed trains in our territory, had several switch and signal problems, and currently has more than 20 small slow orders (independent of the heat restrictions) on their tracks. This has caused not only a large number of delays, but also several significantly late trains. [Continues to control context] Heat orders alone cause minimal slow downs. However, combine these with any other problem (switch, freight, etc) and delays mount exponentially. And, in fairness, Amtrak has contributed some delays with their problems at Union Station and VRE has contributed with some mechanical delays. [Adds one other target for consumers to look at, but then also does a very mild mea culpa] No one in the VRE organization questions the need to do what ever is necessary to keep you and the rest of the VRE passengers safe during your commute. [This almost sounds like "Caesar was an honorable man"]. We support CSXT 's efforts to improve their track. Several improvement and maintenance projects are currently underway that are designed to improve the railroad infrastructure and on time performance. These projects include: -> New crossovers at Arkendale (near Aquia Harbor in Stafford) scheduled to be in service early in the fall. -> The new Quantico Bridge, while a long-term project, will ultimately improve the ability to move along the rail. -> Tie replacement program, which is scheduled to begin in August. This replacement of more than 81,000 ties will help keep the rails secure and decrease the amount of day-to-day maintenance that is currently required. [The way this information is presented could almost trick the mind into thinking VRE is doing this work, yet they make no such claim...some would consider this clever, others devious.] However, as we support these programs, both in spirit and with state and federal dollars, we strongly believe that we need a renewed commitment from CSXT to operate VRE trains on time. [Again squarely pointing the finger, albeit in a non-abusive way.] Yesterday, I communicated with John Gibson, CSXT's Vice President of Passenger Operations and Planning. In that letter, we have detailed the problems and voiced our disapproval of the treatment VRE commuters have received. We also asked for a swift remedy to the chronic delays. In addition, Michael Ward, President and Chief Executive Officer of CSXT, was briefed on yesterday's incident. [Translation: We are responsible for making sure they do their job, we are forcing a solution on your behalf.] While we are committed to being a good partner to CSXT, it has become necessary for VRE to act decisively on behalf of our customers and on behalf of the entire community that depends on our service. We look forward to their response, and more importantly, to a more dependable service to the VRE riders. [Sound of applause from crisis managers everywhere other than at CSXT.] Dale Zehner Chief Executive Officer