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Communicating during a crisis: Be prepared, use your networks, and remember ASH (Accuracy, Speed and Honesty)
I have been thinking about some of the big issues and crisis challenges I have faced over the years.
These have ranged from child sexual exploitation, failing schools and forcibly clearing Europe’s largest illegal traveller settlement, to advising governments on managing the national fallout stemming from Hybrid attacks from malign foreign actors.
One thing that I have learned in over three decades in corporate and government communications is this:
“It is not a matter of ‘if’ a crisis will strike an organisation; it is a matter of ‘when'”.
Accordingly, senior leaders need to be prepared to deal with any crisis, whenever it happens. In my experience, too many organisations and senior leaders are underprepared. This leads to frantic efforts to ‘close stable doors after horses have bolted’. This will lead to inevitable reputational and collateral damage to the organisation and those it has responsibilities to.
The following seven rules are a summary of what I have learned working through numerous crises and difficult issues over the years.
1. Have a corporate crisis plan
Map out how the organisation will respond when the unforeseen happens. This list is not exhaustive but will include putting together a crisis team involving a detailed list of who is responsible for various tasks, a 24/7 on-call rota, a full list of key contact details, both internal and external, including media and key partners. Importantly there should be designated spokespeople to issue reassuring holding statements in the very early stages, while intelligence is gathered and senior spokespersons (CEX / leader / other) are prepared and positioned.
It has been said that no plan survives first contact, but it is nevertheless essential to provide a framework and guidance in crucial early and often confusing hours of an event.
2. Partnership relationships are vital.
A key part of the crisis plan is mapping out partnership relations and knowing how the organisation will communicate with partners in the early moments. These will include statutory partners, major contractors and crucially also the media. The organisation's own staff become particularly important in difficult times. As far as possible, all of these groups, especially staff, should hear about events from the organisation first. Establish a clear hierarchy of which groups are told first, and understand how briefing to other groups is coordinated.
3. Anticipated crisis
While some crises literally come out of the blue, others can be anticipated and plans put in place before the issue enters the public domain. Many organisations have fallen at this hurdle by at best failing to plan adequately, and at worst ‘burying the head in sand’ in the forlorn hope that the issue might pass unnoticed.
Go into the public domain as soon as legally permissible and strategically appropriate. Put up prepared spokespersons and explain, among other things, what the organisation has already done to ensure it cannot happen again.
4. Strong, effective media handling vital, including the digital domain.
An organisation that has a strong and trusted relationship with the media will always be able to better manage any crisis; even when events are catastrophic.
In the current environment must also have a clear view of the digital landscape, including social media. Be prepared to post, correct, rebut and engage as appropriate.
A strong pragmatic relationship with the traditional media is still central to the reputation management of any large organisation. The relationship should exist before any crisis occurs. ‘The pig cannot be fattened on the day of the fair’
5. Identify and train key spokespeople.
Be very clear about who the appropriate and, most importantly, the strongest people in the organisation are to put forward for tough media interviews where the reputation of the organisation is at stake.
Organise media training for key spokespeople as a matter of standard practice, rehearsing a range of hypothetical but plausible scenarios. If the expertise does not exist in-house, bring in specialists. This is an investment that will pay dividends both in in more effective day-to-day communication.
When a crisis is anticipated, refresh the training by rehearsing the known scenarios. When a crisis strikes without warning, immediately prepare to deploy previously selected and trained spokespeople.
Senior spokespeople must be prepared to make personal sacrifices in times of emergency. This includes but is not limited to being available out of hours and cancelling or returning from vacations or other personal engagements. This may seem obvious, but remember the BP CEO who “just wanted his life back”. And always have a backup for the times when the principal cannot be available.
6. What was learned
When the crisis has passed, or at least calmed down, bring together the crisis team and carry out a rigorous analysis of what worked, what did not, and what lessons can be learned for the future.
Having a crisis plan is not a one-off activity; it is an evolving process. Never forget what the great Prussian military strategist of the nineteenth century
Helmuth von Moltke the Elder said:
“No plan survives first contact with the enemy”
7. Apply the ASH principle
When a crisis hits, an organisation must respond with Accuracy, Speed and Honesty. I call it the ASH principle. Responding in this way is critical if the organisation wishes to protect the interests of its most important stakeholders while at the same time defending its all-important corporate its reputation. It will however not be possible to act with accuracy, speed and honesty if the foundations laid in steps one to six have not been set in place.
Westco’s emergency communication audit can help assess your preparedness and build your resilience. We also offer media training to prepare your senior officers and councillors for a crisis.
Contact: simon@westcocommunications.com
By Cormac Smith, Westco Associate Director
Accordingly, senior leaders need to be prepared to deal with any crisis, whenever it happens. In my experience, too many organisations and senior leaders are underprepared. This leads to frantic efforts to ‘close stable doors after horses have bolted’.
