I can't tell you what the next crisis to affect your company will be, but I can promise you this: there is a crisis out there with your name on it, and you'd better be ready. Be it a traumatic event at your location, a lay-off or a problem with a product or service, crisis will come knocking - and happy is the communicator who feels confident and prepared when it happens.
Confidence comes from having a crisis communications template in place before disaster strikes. Largemouth Communications recently developed a communications training presentation for one of our clients, with the goal of helping human resources and facilities managers at this company feel confidant and prepared to handle media inquiries in a crisis situation. We recommend a simple, three step process to prepare for and manage crises.
Step One: Do Your Homework
Before a crisis occurs, it is essential to identify specific individuals in your company who are authorized to speak to the media. Make sure all employees and anyone who answers the phone know who these individuals are.
It is also useful to outline your approval tree ahead of time. By this we mean the people (executives, attorneys, etc.) who must approve any internal or external communication before it is delivered.
As soon as you become aware of a crisis, immediately get to work gathering the "5 Ws"
What - what happened?
Who - who was affected?
Where - where did the event occur/where do those affected live?
When - when did this happen?
Why/Significance - why did this happen, or what is the significance of this event?
Use this information to craft the appropriate communications to internal and external audiences and route them through your approval process.
Step Two: Manage the Media
An asterisk to this step would read "*to the extent this is possible." You can't control the media, of course. What you can do is manage, to the best of your ability, the flow of information out of your company about the crisis. Here are some key tips:
1. When a reporter calls, find out the nature of their inquiry and their deadline.
2. Respond to reporters promptly, but only after properly preparing and gaining approval of the information you plan to share.
3. If you can't meet the reporter's deadline, be honest. There are few times when having a good rapport with reporters matters more than in a crisis situation.
Step Three: Control the Message
You can't control the reporters you deal with or the stories they write, but you can control your company's message - and you must.
Here's a simple fact: if your statements to the media only include the messages you want to deliver, then you ensure that those messages will be represented in the coverage. Why? Because you've given them nothing else to use. I'm not suggesting you play coy or stonewall - in fact I would strongly advise against these tactics. Craft a statement that gives the media as much information as you responsibly can, and stick to it, even if you have to repeat the same three or four sentences over and over.
Last but certainly not least, show your internal audiences the same respect you show the media. That cuts two ways. First, effective internal communication during a crisis helps mitigate rumors and protect productivity. Second, all your internal communications (or the absence of communication if you make that mistake) can and probably will be shared publicly. When it comes to employee communications in a crisis, it pays to be dogmatic about two things:
1. Make sure they hear it from you first whenever possible.
2. Don't share any information internally that you would not be willing to share with a reporter.
I close with a caution for those who think these guidelines seem so intuitive as to be unnecessary: when the feathers hit the fan and the adrenaline kicks in, you'll be glad to have a simple but well-thought-out crisis communications plan to fall back on. Take the time to get it on paper and get the necessary players on board while the seas are calm. You'll be glad you did.
Tags: communications | Largemouth PR | public relations | Media Relations
