The latest examples in the news of situations requiring strategic crisis communications are Boeing and Jussie Smollett, but you can be certain that others will follow.
To err is human, but to acknowledge those errors — accept accountability, honestly describe what went wrong and how it will be fixed — requires strategy, maturity and humility. (A good crisis communications firm doesn’t hurt, either.)
Somewhere at the crossroads of media, money, celebrity and human fallibility exist the inevitable art of crisis communications. I say inevitable because, for most companies in the public eye, the need for crisis communications counseling is more a question of when, not if.
The good news is that much of the work around crisis communications can be performed prior to the catastrophe. Just as the need for crisis communications is virtually inevitable, the reasons that most companies would need to employ crisis communications tactics are also fairly predictable. It isn’t difficult to guess what type of worst-case scenarios the communications leaders at Boeing (or Chipotle or Tesla, for that matter) stay up late at night worrying about.
From huge, multibillion-dollar conglomerates to small mom-and-pop shops, all businesses should take note of these crisis communications best practices so they are prepared when unfortunate events strike.
Use your only ally: time.
The more thoughtful, deliberate crisis planning and analysis you perform during a calm, business-as-usual setting, the less decisionmaking you’ll have to go through on the fly during the tense, fast-moving and chaotic swirl of events that is the crisis. Take full advantage of this head start of sorts.
Identify a few of the most likely crisis scenarios, key messages, scripts, spokespeople and crisis chain of command ahead of time. Document everything in a crisis plan. Even if you never have to invoke the plan into action, its mere existence will provide peace of mind to company executives, and hopefully job security for marketing and communications leadership.
Admit fault.
Mistakes are a part of life. Admit to them when warranted and mollify the situation quickly. You’ll be in a better position to admit you’re wrong than allowing others (including your competitors) to drive the narrative by pointing out your flaws. If you address the problem immediately, you send the message that your company is actively searching for a solution.
When communicating mistakes to the market, be sure to include these three essential elements: what happened (explain your narrative with concise language, leaving no room for ambiguity); why it happened (explain the reason you’re in this situation in the first place — it may be best to run this by your lawyers first); and how you’re responding (explain the actions your organization is taking and policies you’re enacting to ensure a repeat event doesn’t occur).
Control the narrative.
Once a crisis hits, respond quickly and honestly. If you don’t jump in to provide the facts and control the narrative, the news media and your competitors will be more than happy to fill the void.
Use your organization’s most effective communicator (who has been preidentified during the planning process and may or may not be the CEO) and all available channels to spread the message. Call on friendly journalists with whom you’ve established solid working relationships — don’t wait for them to call you. Deliver a simple, straightforward and, most importantly, consistent message.
Repair your reputation.
After the initial response phase of the crisis has passed, it’s time to begin thinking about a post-crisis plan. It isn’t exactly a return to “business as usual,” but it’s a welcome change from the previous state of emergency.
At this point, it’s important to follow up on any public promises made during the crisis to release information. Also, provide regular updates on any steps taken to mitigate future crises, any information on the recovery process or results of investigations into the cause of the crisis.
Without question, a crisis is a negative situation that we would all like to avoid, but if there’s one positive, it’s the opportunity to learn from the experience. Perform a post-crisis analysis that examines and details everything that worked and everything that didn’t. Update your crisis response plan accordingly, and cross your fingers that you don’t have to dust it off again anytime soon.
