When an Old Crisis Resurfaces: 4 Principles for an Effective Response

avatar

By 

Yesterday, I was driving home with a friend, and the conversation turned, as it inevitably does, to Howard Dean’s famous scream in the 2004 presidential campaign.

(Okay, it’s not really inevitable, it’s just funny to say that, and it goes to a point I’m about to make.)

And that point, to borrow from an old Douglas MacArthur phrase, is that old crises never go away.

Today, as Paula Deen launches a comeback, and as the 20-year-old allegations against Woody Allen are back in the news, and the Monica Lewinsky scandal resurfaces, that’s a fact worth addressing. For brands and their communications teams, crises are part of the permanent record. Dealing with that, though, can be tricky. It starts with the knowledge that while apologies will be demanded in the heat of the crisis—and most of the time must be offered—and forgiveness will be granted by many, mistakes are never forgotten. (In the case of Woody Allen, of course, he denies the allegations absolutely and has never apologized.)

So what to do? Here are a few essential principles.

1. Be aware that the record will include the crisis, no matter how old. This means you must plan for that inevitable resurfacing. That starts with the creation of a plan, but even more fundamentally, you need to learn from the crisis, and resolve never to repeat it. All subsequent business activities and decisions need to be made to ensure that objective. The elements of the plan, though, start with these next concepts.
2. Be open and non-defensive. You’ve acknowledged that the crisis occurred and is part of the permanent record, so there’s no point in reacting defensively if it comes back up. Don’t be emotional or angry. Don’t be indignant. If appropriate, use humor, as Howard Dean does when asked about his scream. And outline how you’ve learned and changed.
3. Have testimonials lined up. One of the best ways to reassure stakeholders when an old crisis crops back up is to have credible testimonials from well-selected supporters. It may be that you won’t want to directly address an old crisis, or respond to those who are reviving it. But having others speak for you can be very effective.
4. Deliver on your word. This is the most important. If an old crisis resurfaces, the most eloquent response you can make is to have a record in the intervening time that demonstrates that you didn’t just apologize and promise to make adjustments to get past the crisis. If you have years of a flawless track record, then that will be very persuasive in the court of public opinion.

—Tony Silber
@tonysilber

2,314 responses to “When an Old Crisis Resurfaces: 4 Principles for an Effective Response”

  1. There are so many sports betting Philippines sites out there. And as we mentioned, not all of them are worth your time. To make sure you don’t sign-up with malicious sites, we review dozens of online sports betting sites on your behalf and recommend the best. When ranking our sports betting online sites, we check the available betting options,

  3. Indiana state Sen. Jon Ford said his state tried unsuccessfully to pass internet gambling this year, an effort that was at least partly undone by an analytical report from legislative researchers that worried that online gambling would eat into revenue from brick and mortar casinos to an unacceptable extent.

  8. I’m often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your web site and maintain checking for brand spanking new information.

  9. Good post! We will be linking to this particularly great post on our site. Keep up the great writing

  11. HTML Meta Tag thanks أكبر شركة لانتاج أنابيب البولي ايثيلين و يو بي سي ومستلزماتها للمنتجات الصناعية في عيراق

  14. Keep in mind that Platin Online Casino may request additional verification documents before processing withdrawals to ensure the safety and security of players’ funds.

  16. You’re so awesome! I don’t believe I have read a single thing like that before. So great to find someone with some original thoughts on this topic. Really.. thank you for starting this up. This website is something that is needed on the internet, someone with a little originality!

  17. I’m often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your web site and maintain checking for brand spanking new information.

  18. I’m often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your web site and maintain checking for brand spanking new information.

  21. I’m often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your web site and maintain checking for brand spanking new information.

  25. Thank you for sharing your personal experiences and insights on this topic. It’s always helpful to hear from someone with firsthand knowledge.

  28. naturally like your web site however you need to take a look at the spelling on several of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very bothersome to tell the truth on the other hand I will surely come again again.

  29. Thank you nice blog admin. Nice read time my blog web site Gebze Escort look at me. Mükemmel yararlanmaya başlayın. hoş vakitler geçirin. Model bayanlarla alakalı aradığınızı bulabileceğiniz, bulamadığınızı site içerisinde aramalar yapabileceğiniz en popüler bayan arkadaşlarla tanışmanız kaynaşmanız yönünde sizlere sunulan hizmet seçeneklerinden yararlanabilmeniz sağlanmaktadır.

  39. Отличный сервис: в Томске доставка цветов на уровне крупных федеральных сервисов.

    dostavkacvetovtomsk6

  48. ?Сервис по атмосфере очень дружелюбный, не чувствуешь себя «одним из тысячи заказов».
    цветы томск

Leave a Reply

Related

No related posts.

Recent