The Dividend of Crisis (Yes, There Is One)
[By Nora Jacobs, Hennes Communications]
If you want a recent wonderful example of an organization doing well by doing good, you need look no further than West Virginia’s Greenbrier Resort, which was at the epicenter of that state’s recent historic flooding.
West Virginia was declared a federal disaster area after torrential rains swept through the state June 23 and 24, leaving large areas flooded and 100 homes destroyed. Greenbrier County and White Sulphur Springs suffered 15 of the 23 deaths eventually recorded.
Those who have had the good fortune to visit the Greenbrier Resort know the facility is the lifeblood of White Sulfur Springs and nearby communities, drawing thousands of visitors to the region and employing about 1,800 local residents. As the flood waters began to recede, the resort’s management realized the hotel needed to close to address storm water damage, especially to some of the facility’s ancillary buildings. Most significant, however, was the damage to the resort’s four world-renown golf courses, which were slated to host the PGA Tour in July.
At this point, many disaster victims might turn inward, focusing on making the repairs to their property to allow them to return to business as quickly as possible. But this was the point when the Greenbrier turned its attention to the community instead. Within days, the resort activated the Neighbors-Loving-Neighbors campaign, which it had recently established as a tie-in the to upcoming PGA event. Instead, the campaign was retooled to serve as a way to help raise funds and provide other assistance to flood victims. The Greenbrier homepage was converted to a flood-related information clearinghouse and the staff immediately marshaled the resort’s Facebook page and Twitter account to begin sharing updates local residents could use to learn about emergency relief, donated supplies and other vitally important support during a time when roads were still closed, power was out and basic necessities were scarce.
Even more generously, the resort opened its doors to flood victims, eventually providing food and shelter to more than 200 individuals who were treated with as much hospitality as paying guests. The hotel offered its temporary residents complimentary swimming lessons at the indoor pool and family movie nights in its theater. Although the resort was closed to the public, owner and CEO Jim Justice pledged to continue paying employees as recovery operations continued.
On July 12, the resort reopened, but the golf courses will take an estimated year to repair. If Justice has concerns the closed courses may affect occupancy rates, he should take comfort in the outpouring of gratitude and praise the resort has received from the community and from Greenbrier patrons, chronicled on the resort’s social media sites. As one individual posted, “I’m looking forward to booking a visit for the first time. Not only because I have always wanted to visit this treasure of West Virginia, but because of how I have seen you respond to your community.” Another noted, “The whole Greenbrier organization has showed what the true meaning of having compassion for others in their time of need is.”
At a time when the Greenbrier could easily have justified focusing on itself, it made the bigger decision to focus on its stakeholders – its neighbors and its employees. The actions it took to help those in desperate need have built an enormous reservoir of good will that will pay the resort dividends for years to come. Not all crises provide the opportunity to enhance one’s reputation, but sometimes, doing the right thing in the face of extreme adversity has exactly that effect.