Survival
Often Hinges on What You Do and Say in the 1st Hours
In most crisis
management scenarios, the outcome depends heavily on what you do and say in
the first few hours. What the news media report in their first stories — and
how they view your coping skills — will often set the tone for the entire
crisis. Chances are, the media’s first impression will persist until you have
overcome the problem and emerged victorious ... or you’ve been humiliated,
fired, put out of business, arrested, sued, divorced ... the list goes on and
on. What is a
Crisis? A crisis is an
event, revelation, allegation or set of circumstances which threatens the
integrity, reputation, or survival of an individual or organization. It
challenges the public's sense of safety, values or appropriateness. The
actual or potential damage to the organization is considerable and the
organization cannot, on its own, put an immediate end to it. If and when the media
discover the crisis, your skill in influencing how they report it —
or decide not to report it — are key factors that determine the outcome.
There is value in having an effective Crisis Management
Plan in place before you need
one. The tone of the
early stories usually hinges on how well reporters and editors know you, your
understanding of media strategy, your
experience and reflexes in dealing with journalists. One of the most
difficult steps in crisis management is making the decision that
there is a crisis. Wait too late, and you may not be able to save
the sinking ship. Send everybody
to battle stations when hindsight shows there was no Armageddon looming, and
you’ll look like a poor, paranoid manager who’s out of touch with reality. Never
under-estimate the crisis. If you
under-estimate, once they learn the real extent of the problem, reporters will
feel like you tried to deceive them. If you
under-estimate, you can be blamed for your lack of knowledge and skill, once
we know how bad it really is. If solving the
problem becomes a long, difficult task, the news media expected it to be, and
you won’t be faulted. If you
over-estimate the crisis and then solve it quickly, it appears you have
immense power and skill. Bring the news
media inside your crisis. Brief them frequently. Let them watch at close
range how you handle the crisis. At first glance, this seems absolutely
absurd. But it works. Here’s why: Reporters are,
by nature, gossips. Being inside
gives them special knowledge, power and prestige. By watching your
decision-making process, reporters can better understand the options. They are more
likely to report you were the good guy who did the right thing, and made the
best of a bad situation. Crisis management is crucial. |