Crisis Communications for a 24/7 News Cycle

It’s not a matter of if, but when. Today, every organizations operates in a complicated world, and the chances of something going wrong, and needing a carefully worded and positioned response at some point, is inevitable. 

To help prepare for this eventuality, communications professionals and organization leaders should consider five key factors to successfully navigate crises and sensitive issues. You won’t find these factors in a textbook or case study; rather, they come from decades of experience (and a fair share of learning from mistakes) managing real-world situations. 

Take the “critical 10” minutes

Answering any inquiry in haste during a crisis may exacerbate the problem. And being on the receiving end of a phone call or urgent message always puts you at a disadvantage, as you may not only be unprepared, but also operating on someone else’s timetable. In these situations, always defer your availability and offer to call back. And then be sure to do it.

These “critical 10” minutes (or however long it takes) can make the difference between managing a sensitive issue and facing a full-blown crisis. Always give yourself time to digest, reflect, and analyze before responding. Then, when you get back to the inquirer, you have a much better chance of being prepared and in control of the conversation — and are better-suited to provide valuable information and answers.

When negative comments are posted online by others seeking a response from you, don’t engage in the battle. Try to get the person into a conversation offline as soon as possible. Taking the “critical 10” can keep you from firing back and later regretting it.

Use concise messaging

Don’t literally think in 140-character tweets, but keep all messaging consistent and concise. When a crisis occurs, and all the information is not available, organizations should have prepared holding statements until more information becomes available. These consistent and concise statements are best when containing the following three components: fact, empathy, and what’s next. There is no room for speculation.

The same process is necessary when crafting “key messages” later on. Limit yourself to one page and 14-point font, and craft 5-7 messages that are useful for all audiences. This ensures a consistent and clear voice, and enables you to provide valuable and transparent information for all your information partners (for example, journalists, regulators, customers, employees) in disseminating your key messages to larger audiences. 

And as you prepare for digital or on-camera responses, prepare your messages in writing first. Too many situations have gone poorly when messages weren’t committed to writing for everyone to use and reference.

Prepare who speaks for the organization

While one person should be designated as the primary spokesperson for your organization (often the CEO or other executive), be sure you train and prepare subject-matter experts and other backups to your designated spokesperson. Training can be effectively done by both in-house and outside staff — just be sure you are objective about the training you are getting. Sometimes the CEO wants to be the spokesperson, but this doesn’t automatically make him/her the best choice. In this instance, an outside consultant can help with an objective opinion.

Unforeseen circumstances may prevent the designated speaker from continuing, and while it is preferable to only have one spokesperson, not having an appropriate replacement is unacceptable. And remember this: “You can always go up, but you can’t go down.” If you put your most-senior leadership person out in front of an incident, then be sure he or she stays there until the situation has been resolved.

Bridge with your ATM

During a particularly sensitive interview or inquiry by a reporter, a regulator, or a customer, think about your ATM: Acknowledge, Transition, Message. 

Acknowledging a question or point may be difficult, but demonstrates a reflective tone, active listening, an attempt to understand, and empathy. Phrases such as “No comment…”, “Look…”, “Listen…,” or “What you need to know…” are dismissive, combative and demoralizing, and can hurt your reputation further. Instead, once you’ve acknowledged the inquiry or concern, begin with the phrase “What I can tell you is…” to return to and emphasize your key messages.

Always take the opportunity to reiterate your message

This technique is one of the easiest, yet often forgotten or dismissed. At the conclusion of most interviews or inquiries, an opportunity is almost always offered and seldom taken. The answer to a concluding question such as: “is there anything else you would like to add?” should always be an emphatic “yes.” Use this gift to reiterate one of your key messages and potentially save the interview. Do not use this opportunity to offer new, additional messages. Keep it simple and be prepared. 

If you keep these five critical response steps in mind the next time you must respond to a sensitive or crisis situation, you will most assuredly be better-equipped with a reliable compass to more successfully navigate the storm.

Are you being heard?     

Michael Meath is a senior consultant at Strategic Communications, LLC, which says it provides trusted counsel for public relations, including media relations, employee relations, and community relations. Contact him at mmeath@stratcomllc.com