TWA [TWA] Flight 800 goes down. Texaco [TX] executives are accused of racism. Mitsubishi [2694Z] is racked with allegations of sexual harassment by supervisors of its female employees.
A sect holes up in a building in Waco. Britain's cows have gone mad. Hong Kong's chickens have to be destroyed.
What do they have in common?
They are crises - plain and simple. They all share the common elements of a crisis - namely, they are profoundly important; urgent in their requirement for action; and can result in significant consequences if not handled properly.
Notwithstanding outcomes, they bring into question fundamental issues of propriety, or credibility for the organization(s) involved.
There are six crisis concepts that should be considered when corporate communications professionals are asked to help an organization deal with these crises.
1. Make communications a priority:
- Anticipate and lead; don't merely react. If you don't control the agenda, events or others will.
- Be visible; don't hide. If it's not perceived or accepted that you are dealing with the crisis, those involved, and the public, begin to question whether you really have any control.
Make the CEO available early on in a major crisis. However, recognize that the media is not going to be satisfied with a statement or a mere photo-op. The boss must be ready to respond to the media's questions.
In the case of TWA, the then-president of the airline angered the media by refusing to take questions in his first news briefing.
The irony here? Even if you don't know the answers you still have to respond to the questions coolly and with great care about the people involved.
2. A crisis occurs with little or no warning:
- Afterwards, it is often discovered that early warning signals may have been discounted or ignored.
- Don't ignore the tips - the flare-ups that could mask a more serious situation which may be brewing just below the surface.
- To gain perspective and strategic insight, develop a record of the actions you have taken prior to a potential incident to demonstrate that you were concerned about any potential threat to public safety, regardless of how remote the odds were of it actually happening.
3. Don't rely solely on the media:
- Remember, that while journalists play a significant role in a crisis, they are not the only players.
Count on clear, direct channels of communications. Addressing concerns brought by organizations, agencies, stakeholders and communities are vital to success.
4. Remember that it is easy to manage the wrong issue:
- You must uncover the real issue, which can be obscured orremain hidden.
In Mitsubishi's case, the executives appeared to think that the issue was the supervisors' word against the women's word. Not at all.
The real issue was: "Do you care about how women are treated in your workplace?" Instead, Mitsubishi rallied its employees to bus them to a demonstration to show support for alleged harassers. (Footnote: The Crisis Institute in Louisville last year reported that sexual harassment was the fastest growing area for crises in organizations, rising by 117% over the past decade.)
- The media often determine the issue. The corporate communications adviser must be able to anticipate how the media will "frame" each event as it unfolds.
- Set clear objectives in order to restore order or return quickly to "normal."
5. The media can help or hinder your response:
- They are often the first to find out, even before you do. They report early and constantly.
- They can get your message out to the public - for warnings or help.
- They can obscure facts - especially if you do a poor job communicating what you know or what you are doing.
- The media decide early on in the crisis who is credible and who isn't.
- If you try to shut the media out, they'll seek other sources - without the benefit of your perspective.
- Your goals are to be honest, accessible, responsive and visible.
6. If you wait until you know everything to communicate, you'll never say anything:
- A great deal of time in a crisis is spent trying to discover facts and sort out confusion, so it is vital that whatever you say not be subject to contradiction as events unfold. So don't overreach. Tell the truth. Learn to say "I don't know." Speak on verifiable facts and label what is known, unknown and presumed.
- Standby tools can allow you to hit the ground running with accurate baseline information and coherent direction. These tools include: fact sheets, backgrounders, maps, available in hard copy and diskette.
Barry J. McLoughlin is president of Barry McLoughlin Associates Inc. media training consultants and McLoughlin MultiMedia Publishing Ltd., a communications publishing firm with offices in Washington D.C.; Princeton, N.J.; and Ottawa, Canada. He can be reached at [email protected]. Barry will be participating in a panel discussion at the PR NEWS Conference on Advanced Crisis Management on February 17th in Washington D.C. Note: Some of the above material is excerpted from the pocket tips booklet, "Risk and Crisis Communicators" from McLoughlin MultiMedia Publishing Ltd.
Six Key Crisis Steps
1. Communicate;
2. Know crises happen with little warning;
3. Don't rely on press solely;
4. Don't manage the wrong issue;
5. Know that the media can help or hinder response; and
6. Don't wait until you know everything.