Crisis Communications 101 for Leaders

My toughest PR job was my first agency gig at Edelman Public Relations in Atlanta. It was the first time that I had to juggle multiple clients (about 10 at any given time) and document my time in 15-minute intervals! At first, the pace would give me heart palpitations, but eventually I found a rhythm and things got easier. However, even after becoming acclimated to the responsibility, there was one department that I didn’t envy at all: The crisis team.

We’d come into the office every now and then to discover that a major crisis happened in the middle of the night, and the crisis team had taken the first flight out to go work with the client. I’d think to myself, “Man, I could never work in an environment with so much unexpected chaos!” ?And God laughed, and like the Usher meme said, “Watch This!!”

Sadly, I’ve experienced more than my fair share of crisis moments throughout the years – both on the entertainment side and in higher education. Sometimes it was a scenario that we could plan for (like two beefing rappers descending upon an awards show), but most times it was an issue that caught everyone completely off guard (like a threat to public safety). Whether you believe that you’re in an industry that will experience crisis or not, I’ve learned these situations are a part of life that very few leaders get to avoid. Even with the best made plans, something unexpected can happen in an instant. If you find yourself in leadership on that fateful day, here are a few tips to get you through.

Gather all the relevant players who can help address the crisis

The first step is understanding the issue at hand with a team of people who can make decisions quickly. That may include the president/CEO, COO, head of public safety, leadership from any specific department impacted and the head of communications. Have these numbers readily available (i.e. pre-programmed into your phone).

Here’s what we know: Find out all the available facts as quickly as possible

Before you can say anything, you have to gather as much intel as possible about the current circumstances. Is anyone in immediate danger? Does anyone need to be evacuated? Is there an ongoing threat or is the immediate threat contained? You may have to loop in local authorities depending on the type of crisis.

Develop a message to share with key stakeholders

Once the details have been identified, prepare and distribute a statement to notify your stakeholders. Calls may need to be made to certain key partners to provide a heads up before the public message goes out. Distribution channels may include email, company social media platforms and/or emergency apps, if available. The message should address the issue, the steps taking place for correction and relevant information for those immediately impacted. Additionally, if the crisis requires the support of external authorities, the comms team will collaborate with that group to keep messages and information aligned.

Manage Media Inquiries

Often the message to the stakeholders becomes the message to the media. Also, be prepared that any internal message will leak to the media. If you need the media’s assistance to help get the update out widely, you can proactively contact them. Other times, you may want to hold the statement to distribute upon request.

Typically, the statement will stand alone without media interviews because there may not be anyone available while all hands are addressing the crisis. This one is tough because when media descend upon your organization, your instinct may be to respond like you would with normal media interest. However, when you’re in the middle of an emergency, does it help to have someone standing on camera with no answers? Not at all. So, as difficult as it may be, sometimes the best response is to share the statement until more information is available.

Seek Professional Help When Necessary

Every now and then there may be issues that require outside support. The Olivia Popes of the world really do exist, and there is no shame in calling on an outside firm if your internal team is overwhelmed while managing a crisis, especially while managing ones that are not going to end quickly. I’ve had the pleasure of working with and for several firms and they always bring an additional sense of calm to the conversation. While your team on the ground is caught in the play by play of a situation, a firm can become the portion of the team that’s always thinking about what’s next.

Don’t Shoot the Messenger (Again)!

This last one is for the stakeholders themselves. I understand because we’ve all been a stakeholder as some point. You see something harmful happening at your favorite business, alma mater, civic organization, place of employment or worship, and your first thought is, “what are they doing over there?” I know it’s going to be challenging, but please resist the urge to blast your beloved group on social media. Don’t fan the flames with your discontent publicly. Why? First, how does that help them get a grip on what’s going on? Will your commentary bring clarity or more concern (and eyeballs)? If you really want to help this organization out while they’re in the midst of a crisis, remain silent. If you’re well connected, send a private email to someone in authority to let them know you’re available to assist, but don’t go in the public group chat and gossip. If you do, please don’t be surprised when the national media picks up the story. Journalists read Facebook, too!

Nine times out of 10 the public may never get the full play-by-play of what transpired during a crisis, but that’s because many issues cannot be corrected through the court of public opinion. Plus, there may be legal or political factors to consider. Remember, the internal team’s goal is to identify the issue, correct it and recover, which is difficult to do while still trending on social media.

I could double the length of this newsletter with examples of crises gone by, but I’ll save that for the memoir. Hopefully these nuggets provide a glimpse into the exciting world of issues management, and the next time you see an organization you care about in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, you’ll think of the good people, like yours truly, in the trenches and send up a prayer instead of a post. Lastly, the best crisis management happens when the public never hears about the issue. Those won’t make the book, but I’m sure you can imagine!!