I attended a crisis communications workshop conducted by Andy Eklund, a veteran in the field of communications. It was an interesting session with simulations of crisis scenarios and also practical case studies of what can go wrong when things do go wrong and how to be prepared for it.
The key to crisis communications ( and also crisis management) is preparedness.
The principle is simple : If you are prepared, you will respond with intelligence and not come across as a fool. When one is not prepared and a crisis strikes, one tends to behave irrationally and with no sense of order or control. There is chaos not only outside, but in people's heads as well. The objective of preparing is to have some clarity in one's mind and respond intelligently.
Andy shared an interesting case study of Coca-Cola Belgium in which the company went through horrendous experiences all because they did not respond well to a
crisis in 1999. What had happened was this : On drinking coke, a few chilren fell it. This was not addressed by the company for many weeks. After a few weeks, a few hundred children were reported sick.It is only then that the company decided to react - and when they did; by setting up a hotline number; it was too late. The countries around Belgium had decided to ban coke. This had not only an effect on the revenues; but also the company's reputation. Ultimately, the CEO and Chairman had to resign.
A detailed enquiry a few months later revealed that the children were sick not from drinking coke, but from stress releated to exams. The fact that they had coca-cola was just a coincidence. Had Coca-cola decided to invest some time and intellectual capital on crisis preparedness; they would have been saved a lot of trouble and embarrasment.
We can see examples all around us when corporations and individuals face a crisis - which not only affect them professionally, but also dent their reputations irreparably. How one prepares and responds to them saves them a lot of trouble.
So, what are the steps to preparing for a crisis communications plan ?
Here are a few :
1) Build a system of communication - a core team who will be responsible to decide what to say and to whom. A core "crisis communicatios team"
2) Decide on what to say and the core message when a crisis does strike
3) Do not avoid the media . "No comments" can be deadly and can come across as being insincere
4) In the messages to the outside world show : Empathy, action and also put things in a context. Your/ your company's actions should resonate with the reality outside and show the others that you are doing the best that one can do.
5) Get third party endorsment for your communications if required ( for eg. a fire expert or someone from the fire-brigade) if there has been a fire disaster. This helps build credibility.
If the above principles are kept in mind, communications during a crisis can become seamless and sharp. One comes across as sharp, in control and above all sincere and in control of the situation. And that is the whole purpose of crisis communications.
