A crisis is any unplanned situation that could interrupt operations and cause harm to the reputation of a business, an individual or group. In private businesses, mitigating those risks usually falls to a number of people throughout the organization, but communicating during a crisis is usually a leadership task. When a crisis hits and all hell breaks loose, often that carefully assembled crisis plan sitting in someone’s drawer continues gathering dust. The need for a fast response sometimes can interfere with the right response. Let’s boil down the sage advice to a few highlights those leaders and the people advising them might want to remember first:

1.) Assume it’s going to get out and be prepared to get it out yourself.
If the crisis impacts people and operations, assume your key target audiences are going to find out about it. An organization that stays silent in a crisis, or one that has to be dragged into addressing it, is already seen as responsible for it. Attention should go immediately to containing and getting ahead of the crisis, not in trying to make sure no one talks about it. As a former reporter, I can tell you with confidence, someone can always be found to talk about it.

2.) Take responsibility. Blame laying WIDENS and worsens a crisis.
We saw this recently when Good Good Golf published an on-line ad where a company co-founder pushed a female to the ground and warned her against touching his clubs. The company’s CEO, President, and head content creator were forced to resign, even after a written apology, an explanation the ad was supposed to be a “parody” and then public back and forth about whose fault it was that an ad looking like it condoned female violence was approved. Contracts were cancelled, partners dropped sponsorships and no one actually took any accountability.

3.) Learn how to apologize like an adult.
Apologies have to come with a full acknowledgement of the harm caused, a commitment to rectifying that harm and a plan to make sure it doesn’t happen again. This gets tricky when a crisis is unfolding, when lawyers are in the room, but after containment, it’s the only way to get ahead of a crisis. Tell what you know, when you know it, and get ready to fully lean in to how you’re going to ensure it’s not repeated.

Of course, if it were easy, we wouldn’t call it a crisis. Plan ahead, prepare to lead, and remember clear, powerful communications will help get you through. For more call for a free consultation on how to match the power of your communications, to the power of your ideas. www.thepincusgroup.com