Crisis Management Keys

Crisis Management Key # 1:Define What Constitutes a Crisis Before a Crisis Happens

Note to readers: Over the course of a 30 year career in public relations, I've had the opportunity to manage scores of crisis communication situations... from relatively minor scenarios all the way to the death of a public official and the resulting investigation by ABC 20/20. Along the way, I learned that there are five keys to managing a communications crisis… proven techniques that I'm happy to share with my readers.

Believe it or not, many organizations slip into a communications crisis without even being aware that it is happening...until it's too late to get in front of it. Equal measures of poor internal communication, management denial or just plain ignorance of what the news media will cover can combine to paralyze an organization as a crisis develops.

I counsel my clients to have a crisis communications plan in place and to have all managers familiar with it. And the heart of a good crisis communications plan is the definition of what I call "triggering events". An organization that is able to pre-define a crisis situation is an organization that will be able to manage it effectively.

Of course, triggering events will vary depending on the nature of the organization or business. But just to get you started, here are several events that I believe are universal in their applicability:

1) The death or injury of any person on company premises

2) The arrival of police at the company... for whatever reason

3) The loss of regulatory or accreditation status or any form of regulatory intervention

4) The arrest of a company employee for any reason

5) Service of a lawsuit of any kind on the organization or company

I could go on and on with examples of triggering events... but I think you get the idea. Think inside and outside of the box to identify possible negative events and incidents and put them on the list of your triggering events.

Remember, the only purpose of defining triggering events to know when to activate your organization’s crisis communications plan. Whether it's 30 minutes or 24 hours, any time for planning and preparation can spell the difference between being part of a news story or becoming the victim of a news story.

Crisis Management Key #2: Know the Facts Before You Say Anything

Sounds obvious, doesn't it? But, you’d be surprised how many executives can plunge into a public comment as ill-informed as Custer was before he led 300 soldiers into perhaps the most poorly considered military offensive in history... against 5000 plus Native Americans who were seeking to avoid placement on reservations.

Lets face it, the adrenaline-inducing environment of a crisis can loosen even the most seasoned executive’s lips... they perhaps have been answering questions from police or medical personnel... or have been notifying legal and insurance counsel.

Into this environment can enter the news media... full of questions and invariably on some drop dead deadline. Too often, we can place the news media on a pedestal and feel as if we should cooperate instantly with their needs.

The problem is, once you say something to the news media you cannot take it back. This has implications far beyond the PR arena... just ask any lawyer who's been confronted with a news clip months later in a court or deposition setting.

So I advise my clients to make sure fact-finding is the very first activity to take place once the crisis communications plan has been activated. Fact-finding needs to be conducted in a disciplined and measured fashion... no matter how stressful or exciting the environment has become. And, it doesn't have to take a lot of time... you just have to know what and who to ask.

I give my clients a checklist for fact-finding. Again, the checklist will vary depending on the nature of the organization or company but here is a basic list that could at least get you going:

1) What happened, when, where, to whom, by whom?

2) Which laws or regulatory requirements, if any, were violated in the incident?

3) Which company guidelines or policies were violated in the incident?

4) What is the exact nature of any collateral property damage or personal injury associated with the event?

5) What were the procedural or human factors that led to the event?

Again, the list can go on and on but I think you get the point. And, the point is "knowledge is very definitely power" when it comes to getting in front of a developing crisis.

Crisis Management Key #3: In the Court of Public Opinion, Silence Equates to Guilt

If I were a lawyer (I’m so happy for you I'm not), I might complain that there's no due process in the Court of Public Opinion. The sad reality is that in a crisis involving a business, service organization or nonprofit, the news media will approach their coverage looking to put the black hat on the “bad guy”... and guess who the leading candidate almost always is?

Decades of 60 Minutes-style journalism have trained the public to expect the worst from companies and corporations when crises arise. Unfortunately, this bias is only strengthened and confirmed by the pro forma "no comment" posture that many companies reflexively retreat to when the media inquiries begin.

So, to successfully manage communications during a crisis, you must be willing to come out of the foxhole and present your side of the issue. Failure to do so invariably leads to damage to the company's brand and credibility.

Okay, okay….. I know what you're thinking... what lawyer on God's green earth is going to let me say anything to the press during a crisis which carries with it legal implications? The answer is, most will if you take the time to explain the dynamics of public opinion.

You need to get the lawyers head out of the law library and into the reality of news coverage. You might begin by reviewing the rules of the road when it comes to crisis communications:

Rule 1: The event will get covered whether you participate or not.

Rule 2: Your choice is to remain silent and let the other side frame public perception of the event OR to speak up and ensure that media coverage reflects your voice and views.

Rule 3: Thoughtful coordination with legal counsel will yield usable content for release to the news media... no matter what the issue.

So... the moral of the story is never, never, ever retreat to a "no comment" mode of communication. No lawyer should object to minimalist statements such as "we recognize the significance of this event" or "we are carefully reviewing this incident" or we regret this tragic incident and extend our condolences to those affected". Always say something. Never let a lawyer muzzle you into a corner from which you'll never escape publicly.

Crisis Management Key #4: Find Your Core Message and Stay On It...Relentlessly

A common, and needless, complication in crisis key occasions is variable messaging.

This can be a fatal malady... anyone from an opposing attorney to an enterprising journalist will be happy to point out inconsistency in messaging from a company besieged by a crisis.

Companies that do not have the discipline of a crisis communications plan are at risk for messaging that wanders reactively as a crisis progresses. This breeds mistrust on the part of the media and the public alike and should be avoided at all cost.

So, as soon as the fact-finding phase of crisis communications management is complete, the crisis team must work diligently to articulate the "one true thing" that it wants to communicate about the crisis.

Core messages should be brief, direct and simple. Some examples:

• "XYZ Company has launched a full review of this incident and will report its findings at a later date"
• "ABC Company regrets the tragic incident that occurred at our plant today and extends sincere condolences to the family of our employee"
• "PQD Company denies the allegations raised in the lawsuit filed today and is confident that a fair-minded jury will find that no wrongdoing has occurred"

Short. Direct. Credible. That's what a good core messages be.

Once you have your core message established, the art of the game is to stay on it... relentlessly. Your core message should be the first thing in the last thing you utter any media encounter. I know, it sounds a bit robotic, but trust me it works.

Core messages are accompanied by secondary and steering messages. A secondary message is merely an amplification of detail and context as warranted by media coverage and is guided by legal counsel. It's about putting some flesh on the bone.

Steering messages are rhetorical strategies that allow a spokesperson to safely and surely return to the core message when an inquiring reporter raises the question that you cannot safely answer at that time. A simple example: "it would be premature to speculate on that question, but PQD Company denies the allegations raised in the lawsuit filed today and we are confident that a fair-minded jury will find no wrongdoing has occurred"

See? You haven't refused to answer the question, and you have reinforced your core message.

So I hope you get the point here. Find your core message early in a crisis and keep faith with it throughout the crisis. That strategy will never let you down.

Crisis Management Key #5: Thou Shalt Have But One Spokesperson

As any media crisis progresses, the temptation will arise to diversify the spokesperson duties. In a game of tennis, this would be called an unforced error.

Why stick with one spokesperson? For openers, the special intensity and charge that exist around the media crisis tends to "bond" both media people and consumers with the one person who has been the initial public face of the company. A change in spokes person or the addition of spokespeople at a minimum creates confusion and may signal a lack of confidence or, even worse, the necessity of having a second spokesperson because the first is unwilling to make a particular comment.

A second reason is very practical. Speaking to the press, especially in a crisis situation, is not an easy task. Let the person who has already been in the trenches continue in this role rather than risk putting a rookie on the firing line. Experience counts, very much, in this case.

The third reason is a bit more strategic. Designating a spokesperson can provide a useful "ring fence" around key executives who, if made available to the press, might easily be placed in a corner, unable to credibly limit their comments to only the core message. Example: the chief financial officer would find it hard to avoid direct questions on financial practices, whereas the single spokesperson can credibly say that he/she does not know but will check and get back to the reporter. At a minimum, the organization gets some breathing room to evaluate whether or not it wants to add a secondary message.

Any company that is midsized or larger should have an established spokesperson. This is someone who should not necessarily be limited to his/her innate communication skills. I highly recommend media training for those executives who will be the public spokesperson in times of crisis. These sessions are usually a daylong, should involve "real-life" simulations on videotape and include active coaching by a qualified media trainer.

In selecting your corporate spokesperson, look for somebody who is by nature low-key and self assured.. You need somebody who can remain calm while all those about him/her are about to wet their pants. The pressure of media spokesperson duties at the head of crisis is significant.

Finally, it is entirely appropriate to retain the services of a public relations consultant to serve as spokesperson. In fact, this could be a good option for small or midsize companies who do not have a well-developed public relations function. Typically, such a person is engaged on an hourly basis, is basically familiar with the companies line of business, and is on-call to respond in a crisis situation.

And so ends my five-part discourse on crisis communications. I hope you found it helpful. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you don't have a crisis communications plan in place I strongly urge you to develop one.

Till next time...