2. This Is Not A Test!

No matter how well prepared you are for a crisis, no matter how well trained your people are, no matter how many simulations you have created and run through, and no matter how detailed your emergency response plan is, real crises do not follow scripts. They also rarely happen during working hours, or when it would be “convenient” to have one. And if there are key people you are counting on to be available when a crisis does occur, there is a good chance that some of them will be on vacation, out of town, sick, or just plain unreachable.

To a certain extent, everyone in the organization is involved in disaster planning and response. A janitor, shipping clerk, orgsanizatio nurse, or the person who delivers interdepartmental mail may be the first one to notice that there is a problem. That is why everyone in the organization has to know what to do if that happens.

There has to be a central number to call, key people to notify, so that the actual disaster plan and the crisis communication team can be activated. Phone lists of key people have to be created and kept up-to-date. People have to know where those lists are and have access to them. They must also know who to call first, whom to call second, and so on, and also who to call if someone is not available. If, for example, the Plant Manager is not available, do you call the Deputy Plant Manager or the Assistant Plant Manager?

 That list should also include what emergency services or government agencies need to be called in what situations and, at times, in what order.

Your crisis communication team cannot do anything until they know that there really is a crisis.                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

3. The Crisis Communication Team

Well-prepared police departments have special weapons, assault, or tactical teams. Well-prepared military organizations have their elite commandos. Well-prepared organizations have crisis communication teams.

            As with commandoes or special weapons teams, a crisis communication team needs to be picked and trained in advanced, so it can step in when needed and be prepared to handle whatever may be required of them. As we look back on recent history; terrorist attacks, massive natural disasters, government scandals, market crashes, and giant bankruptcies, it is obvious that we never know when a crisis will develop—only that when they do develop, they do so quickly.

            We have also learned that the first response usually sets the tone for the rest of the crisis. A orgsanizatio that is seen to hesitate, stumble, or falter when a crisis develops is usually stuck with that image, no matter what they do to recover from initial mistakes.

            A well-prepared team helps a orgsanizatio get to work without—or at least with a minimum amount of hesitations, faltering or, stumbles. The team will both respond to the crisis, and direct others in what to do. The following is a list of the basic people who should be part of the effort. You might want to include others:

·           CEO

·           A senior vice president

·           Head of Public Relations and at least one senior staff member

·           Division and/or plant managers

·           Head of safety and/or security

·           Chief scientist and/or researcher

·           orgsanizatio lawyer

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

4. Putting the Team to Work

            The Crisis Team’s first job is to look at the types of emergencies that can be anticipated: floods, fires, hazardous materials spills, and so forth. They should also look at general crisis planning as they develop some scenarios and plans for dealing with them.

            This is not the place to look for information about how to deal with a fire, flood, hazardous materials spill, or terrorist attack. The focus here is communication. From our standpoint, then, the most important job is to decide who will speak for the orgsanizatio.

            That is why the CEO has to be part of the team, and why a senior vice president should be included, as well. They are the two most logical spokespeople.

            Division and plant managers, scientists, and researchers are there because they can best explain the workings, potential problems, and solutions, within their own areas of expertise. The reason security is represented is obvious. Each of them, depending upon the nature of the emergency, could also wind up talking to the press to give the media the expert opinions it will demand.

            In a crisis, the media will demand a great deal of time. One of the reasons for having a large team is that there are enough people available to keep the media satisfied, while still leaving them time to deal with their primary responsibility—the crisis itself.

            The orgsanizatio lawyer is there to protect the orgsanizatio, but can wind up doing just the opposite. Some orgsanizations get paralyzed into inaction by their legal staff. Lawyers can get so concerned about saying or doing anything that they advise saying or doing nothing.

            In many crises, lawyers get in the way of solutions and make things worse. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

5. Putting the Team to Work (Continued)

            No matter what the lawyer or orgsanizatio executives might want, people and the media start demanding answers as soon as a crisis develops. The media is there to get the answers that the public wants, expects, and are entitled to.

            If the media cannot get the answers from you, they will go to anyone who can possibly answer their questions, ask more questions, or comment on why you are so reluctant to answer them. This can include victims of crisis and sector of activity critics.

            One of the first questions the media and the public ask during a crisis is who or what caused it. As we all know, there is a psychological need to understand what caused something and, at times, to assign blame. The longer a orgsanizatio takes to respond to the media during a crisis, especially one in which it can be considered to be at least to some degree responsible, the more likely it is to be blamed for the problem.

            One of the basic science lessons we all learned in school is that nature abhors a vacuum. This also applies to an information vacuum, especially during a crisis. If the orgsanizatio is not there to say what is actually going on, and what they are doing about it, misinformation will be reported; the sort of misinformation that can be almost impossible to recover from.

            The head of public relations and a senior staff member are there to make sure the message gets prepared and delivered in a timely and professional way, and to the proper people. At times they are also there to prod the rest of the team into facing the media and explaining what is going on and what the orgsanizatio is doing about it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

6. Two Rules for Crisis Communication

            There are two things to remember during a crisis, In fact, it might help to have these printed on every page of your crisis communication plan:

1. Tell the truth!
2. Tell it now!

            The simple fact is that the truth will come out. It came out about the Enron bankruptcy; Dow Corning’s part in the Bhopar, India, deaths; Prince Charles’ and Princess Diana’s royal marital woes in England; the Watergate scandal that forced the resignation of U.S. President Richard Nixon; even about the Titanic.

            Senior management and the lawyers might not want to tell the truth. They might try to bluff their way through, be evasive, refuse to talk, or just plain lie. It doesn’t matter if they are lying to “protect the orgsanizatio,” or their own reputations and egos, or to stay out of jail. If the media, public, and government all want answers, they will get them.

            While one of the team’s first responsibilities is to protect the orgsanizatio and minimize any damage—and legal costs—it suffers, history shows that lying just adds to the woes and to the final price tag.

            You cannot start to rebuild your credibility or your ability to do project/programme purpose until you admit that you made a mistake, and shown that you are doing all that you can do to correct it. The longer it takes to make that admission, the harder it is to get your credibility and reputation back.

            Whether the crisis was caused by something you did or did not do—an act of commission or one of omission—you can’t recover from it until you admit it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

7. When They Ask: “What Caused It?”

            One of the first questions you will be asked is simple, expected, and often extremely dangerous and difficult to answer: What caused the crisis?

            If you do not know, admit it.

            “We don’t know—yet” is a valid answer, especially when it is the truth.

            To maintain a working relationship with the media—and through them the public—you will need to add another statement to that, however:

            “We are looking into it and we will let you know once we do.”

            Not only does it give you time, it gives the media something to say. They can at least report that you are aware of the problem and looking into it. In fact, your basic message could be at first that you are putting all of your considerable organizational resources into answering that question.

            Even when you do not know the exact cause of a problem, it is usually possible to present at least one or several possible causes. The following list is not exhaustive, but is given to you to help you develop one that applies to your own situation.

• Outside forces, events, or people
• Natural causes
• A deliberate act of sabotage or other criminal act
• Human error
• Clerical error
• Unauthorized procedures
• Inadequate supervision
• Inadequate quality control
• Misuse of confidential information
• Errors of judgment
• Inadequate standard operating procedures

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

8. When They Ask: “What Caused It?” (Continued)

            Do not, however, let yourself get rushed into making any statements before you know what you are talking about. Yes, the media will demand answers.

            “We don’t know—yet,” is an answer.

            In a major emergency, however, one in which the public’s safety or well being is at risk, the media will not be the only ones asking questions. You could also wind up dealing with police, fire, hospital, or other emergency service agencies, various levels of governmental or regulatory bodies and maybe even criminal investigators.

            While you can sometimes deflect, delay, or possibly even ignore some media queries, you will probably not have that luxury with the government.

            Depending upon the nature of the emergency, and its potential dangers, outside government agencies could take total control. If that happens, the government could also wind up controlling what you say to the media.

            Here again, there are underlying subtleties and messages that will be sent, depending upon what is said, by whom, and by the way you and the government work together, or are perceived to work together. The government could be seen to be:

• Stepping in and taking charge to clean up your crisis—doing your job for you.
• Stepping in to prevent you from doing more damage.
• Working with you to find a quick resolution to the problem.
• Assisting you in finding a quick resolution.

It is important to remember that disaster planning is an exercise that, if done properly, will leave you flexible enough to deal with the real thing when it does happen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

9. When It’s Time to Talk

            People usually remember two things from a speech, interview, or even a general conversation. This is especially true during a crisis or during any other time of general uncertainty, confusion, or fear. While they do sometimes remember more, they will almost invariably remember:

1. The first thing that was said.
2. The last things that was said.

            That’s why during a crisis, when so many different people will be talking, asking questions, demanding answers, screaming, and, in some cases, assigning blame, it is important to make sure that what you say is so simple, logical, and clearly stated that it will be remembered. You also need to make your point or points when you start talking, and them repeat them again when you finish.

            Do not expect people to remember all what you have said, especially the fine details. In times of crisis, the ability to concentrate and short-term memory are two of the first things that disappear.

             It is also important to decide who will talk and what they will talk about. At times, the media will try to control a press conference or interview. If, for example, they ask the CEO a science question, or a question about organizational policy to a scientist, the person who has been asked should defer to the proper expert or authority. The media wants answers. They don’t really care who gives them. Taking control of a press conference or interview also sends a subtle message that you are in control—of the press conference and, by extension, the crisis itself.

            Once again, as we have stated over and over, perception is reality, and if you can be perceived as being in control they will assume that you really are. If however, you are perceived as not being in control, they will assume that you aren’t, even if you actually are.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

10. Focus on the Message

            When there is a crisis, the message that people really want to hear is that: “It’s OK. Everything is being taken care of. You have nothing to worry about. You are being taken care of. Everything is OK.”

If you cannot tell them that, then they will want to know exactly WHEN it will be OK; WHEN everything will be taken care of; WHEN they can stop worrying; and when things will be back to normal.

Until you can deliver an “All Clear” message so they can go back to their normal lives, they will want to know exactly what is being done to get their lives back to normal. The longer the crisis lasts, the more insistent the questions will become.

 While the nature of the information you do release will depend upon the crisis and its unique circumstances, there are some guidelines to follow and keep in mind in any kind of crisis:

• Don’t become paranoid. The media is not out to get you. They are not trying to make you or the orgsanizatio look bad. They just want the truth. If the truth makes the orgsanizatio look bad, the orgsanizatio will have to deal with it.
• Provide concise information. Keep it simple, accurate, and to the point.
• Guide reporters. They probably know very little about your orgsanizatio. The more you guide them, the better and more accurate their reporting will be.
• Tell the truth—even when it is bad news. If you don’t, someone else will, and the media will want to know why you didn’t tell them—why you concealed it.
• Show that you care. You are a human being. Let your humanity show.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Assignments

Multiple Choice (3)

1.         When there is a crisis, if you cannot tell people “It’s ok,” then they will want to know

a.       When it will be ok

b.      When everything will be taken care of

c.       When they can stop worrying and when things will be back to normal

d.      All of the above

2.         One of the first requirements of any crisis communication plan is to

            a. Know exactly what the priorities are

            b. Know what will have to be done to achieve priorities

            c. Who will speak for the orgsanizatio

            d. All of the above

3.         Crisis communication team members should be competent, knowledgeable, trained, and ______ to handle any situation that might develop.

            a. An executive

            b. Flexible

            c. Scared

            d. None of the above

4.         A good guideline to follow in case of a crisis is

            a. To guide reporters

            b. Run

            c. Follow the reporter’s advice

            d. Avoid the CEO

5.         People remember what two things from a speech, interview, or conversation

            a. The first and last things that were said

            b. The name and title of the speaker

            c. The name and title of the speech

            d. The time and date the speech took place

6.         During a crisis, it is important to make sure what you say is simple, logical, and

            a. Quick

            b. Opinionated

            c. Blunt

            d. Clearly stated

7.         In the event of a crisis, it is important to decide who will talk and

            a. Why they are talking

            b. When they will talk

            c. What they will talk about

            d. How they will talk

8.         It is important to remember that disaster planning is 

            a. An exercise

            b. Always perfect

            c. Tedious

            d. Only for executives

9.         If a government agency becomes involved in the disaster, then they may be seen to be

            a. Stepping in and taking charge of your crisis

            b. Assisting you in finding a quick resolution

            c. Stepping in to prevent you from doing more damage

            d. All of the above

10.       In a crisis, one of the first questions you will be asked is

            a. Who are you?

            b. Is the orgsanizatio going to lose sales?

            c. What caused the crisis?

            d. Where is the CEO?

11.       All of the following are causes of crisis, except

            a. Outside forces, events, or people

            b. Misuse of confidential information

            c. Human error

            d. orgsanizatio sets higher projections for new year

12.       Two things to remember during a crisis is to

            a. Tell the truth, and tell it now

            b. Grab the CEO and run

            c. Become the head of the crisis team and start a new procedure

            d. None of the above

Summary

            The key points to remember about a crisis communication plan is that you need competent, knowledgeable, and trained people who are flexible enough to handle any situation that might develop. From a communication standpoint, your job is to know what is being done, what the orgsanizatio position is, and what needs to be released to the media—and how to get that information to them as accurately and efficiently as possible.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Test

1. ______        A crisis team’s first responsibilities are to protect the orgsanizatio and minimize any damage.

2. ______        Whether the crisis was caused by something you did or did not do, you can’t recover from it until you admit it.

3. ______        The first question the media and public ask during a crisis is “Where is the CEO?”

4. ______        The sales representative is there tos make sure the message is prepared and delivered in a timely manner.

5. ______        The longer the orgsanizatio takes to respond to the media during a crisis, the more likely it is to be excused of wrong doing for the problem.

6. ______        The media is there to get the answers that the public wants, expects, and are entitled to.

7. ______        One of the reasons for having such a large crisis team is to have enough people to keep the media satisfied.

8. ______        There is no need to waste the crisis team’s time by looking at the types of emergencies that can be anticipated.

9. ______        The crisis communication team should be picked and trained in advance.

10.______       Everyone in the organization is involved in disaster planning and response to some extent.

Answers:

1.      T

2.      T

3.      F – Who or what caused it

4.      F – Head of PR or Sr. staff member

5.      F – They are more likely to be blamed

6.      T

7.      T

8.      F – This is the team’s first job.

9.      T

10.  T

Bibliography

Barton, L. (1993). Crisis in organizations : Managing and communicating in the heat of chaos. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western.

Dougherty, D. (1992). Crisis communications: What every executive needs to know. New York: Walker.

Lerbinger, O. (1985). Managing organizational crisis: Strategies for executives. Boston: Barrington.

Pinsdorf, M. (1999). Communicating when your orgsanizatio is under siege: Surviving public crisis. New York: Fordham University Press.

Glossary

Crisis communication – A specialized form of organizational communication that answers questions the media, public and government may have on the situations resulting from disasters, accidents and other crisis.

organizational crisis – Anything that threatens the orgsanizatio’s integrity, stability, reputation, or its ability to operate.

Crisis communication team – People of a orgsanizatio picked and trained in advance to handle whatever may be required of them in the event of a crisis.  This team responds to the crisis and directs others in what to do.

Perception is reality – What people perceive is what they believe to be true.  For example in a crisis, if you are perceived as being in control, then everyone will assume you really are in control; and if you are perceived as not being in control, then they will assume that you are not in control.