Everyone can remember a situation that was handled badly in the press. Think BP Oil Spill, Ashlee Simpson caught lip synching on SNL….
Now, imagine what would have happened if the people involved would have been better prepared. I’m not saying you can predict everything that will happen, but having a person designated to answer questions when in a sticky situation, or at least a strategy (ex. wait to answer the media until executives contacted) can help. All communication needs to be done quickly, but buying yourself a little time is not a crime. Having a well thought out answer, rather than Simpson’s “My band started playing the wrong song, so I did a little jig to lighten the mood,” is soooooo much better then rambling and having to retract statements.
Just as bad as losing credibility is trying to act like nothing happened. How long did it take before BP owned up to what really happened in the Gulf? By the time they did, the whole world was angry because of the media’s coverage of dying animals, polluted waters/beaches and towns that were in risk of bankruptcy because they couldn’t fish and tourists weren’t going to visit. Once someone with a brain stepped up, the outlook for BP improved.
In my opinion, during a crisis situation you should say this is what happened and this is how we’re trying to make it right. No deflecting, hiding or lying- just be straight forward with the media, the public and with your own employees. Employees will help spread the word because you know that all their friends and family will ask what happened. Briefing EVERYONE, not just executives, will be beneficial to overcoming the crisis.
If you’re interested in crisis communications, especially in health care, check out this blog.
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