10 WAYS TO BETTER CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

Dealing with any unforeseen event that causes us or our business distress or the wider population harm is a crisis. And no matter how often we rehearse for the unexpected or update our risk register, there will always come a moment when our guard is down or someone or something lets us down and all hell breaks loose.

We try to mitigate for these occurrences as best we can through rigorous planning and effective risk and issues management, but no system is going to be infallible. There will always be an event that catches us unawares. It is how we then respond that demonstrates our true mettle and our values.

We have seen so many times how people, governments, institutions and businesses have failed to cope with or respond to a crisis. They are slow to realise the enormity of the issues, effects and the problems, and they are even slower to respond to public concern and safety, or customer anxiety. Too focused on covering their backs or avoiding admission of liability. We all seem to bask in the glory of power, money and influence when everything is going well but eschew all responsibility when things go wrong. Someone or something may be to blame, but all involved or connected are responsible for taking action and seeking resolution.

There are actions we can take when the wheel comes off and we or our business veers towards the precipice. Reputation is hard won and easily lost. Having a set of guidelines in place is not enough. We must learn them and use them as soon as it becomes necessary.

Here are 10 ways to avoid turning a crisis into a catastrophe:

1. Admit that, yes, this is a crisis.

• Trying to wriggle out of a mess is going to make more mess. Trying to cover up is going to attract much, much more criticism and scrutiny than admitting something has gone horribly wrong. Don't play with semantics in order to deflect or delay criticism. Now is the time to ensure others' safety and security, not save face by playing word games with customers, partners, regulators or the media. 

2. Appoint someone to take the lead on communication and make the decisions.

• Whoever takes charge has to have the power, influence and gravitas to make key decisions and ensure that all communication is consistent and contained within an agreed structure or hierarchy. If people receive mixed messages from many sources, confusion will reign. Not knowing who is in charge will lead quickly to a loss of public confidence. Build an alliance of all agencies involved and agree a linked communication response. 

3. Action has to be decisive and fast.

• In a crisis there is a golden hour - a window of opportunity - to find out as many of the facts as possible, inform those who need to know and get things in place and moving rapidly forward. This is true for the emergency response and investigation as well as for effective communication with stakeholders and the wider public. Establishing these lines of communication and key contacts internally and externally is essential within this golden hour. If we fail to get to grips with the situation within the first hour or so, we are in danger of losing control for the entire crisis and making it worse. We must release information that has been verified, but there is always something we can say, even if it is a holding statement that everything possible is being done at this time. The media appetite is voracious and if we don't feed it, someone else will. (See point 7 below). 

4. Agree the script.

• Whatever we say about the crisis as it unfolds must be agreed quickly among the primary partners. Whoever has to be involved in the response - the key players - there has to be an agreed structure at the centre of all communication: information coming in and going out. But information flow cannot be interrupted due to decision-making by committee. Statements, interview requests and appearances have to be examined, approved and released quickly. A lack of information will be seen as weak leadership and inept handling of the crisis. 

5. Use the media as our best way of disseminating information quickly and widely.

• Embrace the media, their expertise and their technical know-how to get information out fast. Television especially is the best way to inform a mass audience in most circumstances. This is not the time to criticise the media for negative reporting or aggressive interviewing. Antagonising journalists is one battle we will quickly lose. So cooperation and openness is the key to developing a mutually beneficial relationship. 

6. Personalise and humanise the message: people are our most important consideration.

• Whatever the crisis, it is going to effect people. And we should direct our immediate concerns and messages to anyone and everyone suffering as a result (physical, emotional, private or commercial and the families of any victims). Our first message must be how we regret what has happened and how we are working to support, save or reassure people caught up in the crisis. What people should do, who they can call, how we are sending supplies, recalling products, or whatever the issue is as the crisis unfolds and more facts become known. 
• Do not put the environment, property, shareholders, bonuses or our budgets above our consideration first and foremost for people. This will ensure that our reputation for doing and saying the right thing in a crisis is undiminished, no matter what else we are accused of. Property can be rebuilt, shipments remade, environments restored: people's lives, their wellbeing and their livelihoods are our paramount concern in any crisis. 

7. Give information out regularly and always agree to interviews.

• If we hide behind no comment or we don't have anything to add at this time, that void is going to be filled by someone else: and they just might be a critical and influential voice people are happy to listen to and believe. Yes, any good media package is going to have opposing views, but we must always be involved in that discussion or debate and give our side of the unfolding story. We must always be the one who is available and ready to talk, no matter how uncomfortable. 

8. Truth trumps lies - every time.

• Our default position must be to release as much information as possible, not as little as we can get away with. We will be seen as trustworthy and reliable if we are truthful and frank. Even if we have to say that you will go find the answer, or comment further later, we must always tell the truth and be as helpful and informative as possible given the circumstances and timing. 
• Every lie will be discovered at some point, now or later. Better to be uncomfortable and embarrassed telling the truth, than to be found out as a liar down the road. The first way, we may be seen as a fool but an honest one. Being viewed as deceitful is far worse. Remember, what we say of significance today, whether the truth or a lie, will resurface again and again and again whenever the media talk about us or our role in this crisis. 
• The media bandog and the internet have no boredom threshold. And they never forget. We really don't want to be baring our soul to Oprah one day in the future, squirming under her relentless accusatory gaze as we forlornly attempt to rebuild our shattered credibility. Honest truly is the best policy: no exceptions. 

9. Prepare, prepare, prepare. 

• Get our facts straight. Don't rattle off information unless we have checked and re-checked our facts and figures and know the emergency telephone numbers and other salient points. Giving out false information or false hope is worse than giving out no information. Only talk about what we know to be accurate. If we are talking about an explosion, for example, we don't say it was caused by a bomb unless we know this to be the case. Once a statement is made, it is very difficult to retrieve it. 
• When we take our principle spokesperson before the media at a press conference, or into a TV debate, ensure they have all the key facts and figures at their fingertips. If they have to jot down three key points on a piece of card, so be it. But make sure they are aware of all the issues and facts as they are known at that point. They must look and sound in control otherwise they will be pilloried for lack of understanding or lack of care. And they must talk from a position of authority, knowledge and belief in the response to the crisis, not half-heartedly from an obviously well-prepared and rehearsed script. If they don't know their stuff, find someone else who does. 

10. Cope with criticism by bold engagement, not aggressive retreat. 

• We will be criticised by the media, by governments, by those affected,  by anyone with an old grievance against us and an axe to grind. But we have to get over it. Step up and be strong in the face of adversity. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger!
• We must explain without becoming angry. Defend without becoming defensive. Inform without prevarication. Reassure without restraint. Apologise without caveats. 
• In any crisis it is important to recognise what has happened and who is suffering as a result. What we know about the event. What we are doing about it. And what we are going to do to ensure it never happens again. Once we have all of this in place, we will be able to answer our critics in positive terms without allowing things to degenerate into a damaging war of words. 
• We must stick to the facts and cooperate with any future inquiry or proceedings. 
• And we must learn the lessons and incorporate into our reworked and revised risk, issues and crisis management.