Navigating a crisis with confidence: 5 lessons every comms leader should know

Navigating a crisis with confidence: 5 lessons every comms leader should know

A crisis management strategy should be an essential part of every business communications plan, but in reality, is one that often gets overlooked.

Last week, I attended the PR Week Crisis Communications Summit, where comms experts shared their insights on navigating crises. From leading through uncertainty to rebuilding brand reputation post-crisis, several key themes emerged consistently.

Here are my five crucial takeaways for all crisis communications professionals:

??1. Establish clear internal communications to align on goals: Effective internal communication is the foundation of crisis management. While everyone may be working toward the same objective, individuals often take different routes. Johann Alexander from Samsung Electronics advises that trust in comms from the C-suite is built from PR teams providing the routes, rationale, evidence and reasoning around managing a crisis.

Introduce the 5 C’s—clear, compassion, consistent, control, and credible—to guide your response. Transparency, leadership, and clarity about the end goal can help align your team and keep them focused. Remember, everyone wants the best outcome for the business; you just need to communicate the rationale of your route.

??2. Data, Data, Data: In crisis communications, data is your most powerful ally. As Jim Pierpoint of Metricomm rightly states, “if you can't measure it, you can't manage it.”

Tracking sentiment, identifying trends via social listening, and keeping tabs on the narrative will help you stay ahead and catch issues before they escalate. Start gathering data during peacetime, so you’re prepared when a crisis arises. Use this data to guide decision-making and present compelling evidence to enable a stronger, more informed response. Then continue to track data as you rebuild so you can measure the impact of your response. Ultimately, comms can get a seat at the board table when it is able to prove its impact on commercial objectives and results - Craig Noonan from Evri hits the mark.

??3. Stay Prepared: Don’t let the calm between crises lull you into complacency. Drifting is a common trend, but this is the time to ensure your crisis materials, response plans, and guidelines are up-to-date and easily accessible. Define clear roles and responsibilities, know who the first point of contact is, and build a network to lean on when the crisis hits. Having political and media connections can help avoid getting stuck in a crisis—build relationships now so you have people to call when it counts.

Flexibility is key. While it’s essential to have a plan in place, be ready to adapt as the situation evolves. Practice your response through secure simulations to identify gaps and understand what is not working, so you’re a well-oiled machine when it’s needed. Proactive preparation makes all the difference for effective response. ?

?4. Your Crisis Management Team is your guiding star: Establishing a core crisis management team is essential for agile decision-making. Co-ordinating internal, external and stakeholder communications can fall apart easily with too many cooks. A cohesive team keeps the flow of information smooth, helping to manage roles and responsibilities during a high-pressure situation. Think carefully about who is required in the room and what skills are needed to navigate the crisis, then call on subject-matter experts (i.e. legal) to provide counsel where needed.

??5. Know when to bring in external support: No crisis team is an island. Understand where the gaps are in your team's skill set and know when it's time to bring in additional support. Whether it’s external consultants or partners in crisis communications, knowing where to seek help can alleviate pressure and allow your team to focus on their core strengths.

Safeguarding your corporate reputation requires clarity, data-driven decisions, and a unified team, but most importantly, preparedness.

??Do you need help prepping for the unexpected? Reach out and let’s chat about how we can help you navigate reputational challenges with confidence.