Communications

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

OBSERVATIONS

1. Crises are inevitable. The question is not whether an organization will find itself embroiled in a crisis, but how soon and how big?
   


2. There are different types of crises. The Oxford dictionary defines a crisis as “a moment of danger or suspense in politics, commerce, etc.”
   


3. A crisis is a crisis when the media, Parliament and/or credible or powerful interest groups identify it as a crisis. A crisis need not pose a serious threat to human life, but it must somehow challenge the public’s sense of appropriateness, tradition, values, safety, security or the integrity of the government.
   


4. A crisis is exacerbated if there appears, even briefly, to be confusion or nobody in control.
   


5. From a communications standpoint, the media develop a symbiotic relationship with interest groups.
   


6. Most electronic-media-focussed crises are short-lived.
   


7. During a crisis, the logical concept of risk versus benefit is suspended. If the issue of risk is to be discussed, only zero-risk explanations are acceptable to the public and the media.
   


8. Every crisis is different, but all share to some extent the following characteristics:
   
   
   • Surprise;
     
   
   
   • Insufficient information when you need it most;
     
   
   
   • Events outpace response by organization (real or perceived);
     
   
   
   • Escalating flow of events;
     
   
   
   • Loss of control (real or perceived);
     
   
   
   • Important interests at stake;
     
   
   
   • Intense scrutiny from the outside;
     
   
   
   • Development of a siege mentality;
     
   
   
   • Panic;
     
   
   
   • Disruption of regular decision-making processes; and
     
   
   
   • Affected managers focus on short-term planning/decision/action.
     
   
   
9. Although every crisis is different, the media and interest groups react with predictable sameness. Three key questions invariably provide the focus for their attention:
   
   
   • Who is to blame (when will the party “at fault” be fired)?;
     
   
   
   • When did the organization discover the problem, what did it do before it became a public crisis, and what is it doing now that it is a crisis?; And
     
   
   
   • How can the interests at stake be protected and/or compensated?
     
   
   
10. Effective crisis management depends, to a large degree, on effective communications — within the organization and with external interest groups.
    
    How a crisis is handled in the opening hours can determine if it lasts for a week and is then over, or if it does damage which lasts for years.
    


11. During a crisis, particularly in the early stages, there tends to be a natural resistance within an organization embroiled in a crisis to be forthcoming with information. This may exacerbate the perception that events are outpacing the response.
    
    The usual arguments for being silent during this critical stage must be resisted. These include:
    
    
    • We need to assemble more facts;
      
    
    
    • We shouldn’t be panicked into action;
      
    
    
    • We haven’t got the right spokesperson;
      
    
    
    • There are legal implications we must consider;
      
    
    
    • We must be careful of our corporate image;
      
    
    
    • We must safeguard powerful interests or important institutions/industries;
      
    
    
    • We don’t know the solution to the problem;
      
    
    
    • We want to be careful we don’t reveal competitive information.
      
    
    
    These are all valid considerations, but not with respect to first communications with the public.
    


12. The reasons for communicating are far more compelling and avoid problems implied by each of the reasons for not doing so. They include:
    
    
    • Address concerns of the affected public;
      
    
    
    • Initiate contact with or respond to the media;
      
    
    
    • Control escalation factor — avoid confusion;
      
    
    
    • Ensure that you are seen to be taking action; and
      
    
    
    • Provide valid and timely guidance on what affected persons should do.