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James E. Lukaszewski, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA
At the end of a recent major daylong conference for a large group of defense industry crisis communications managers, a very excited observer, who was in charge of First Operational Response within his corporation, came up to me. It seems he had an epiphany early in my presentation about the incredible value communication adds to the crisis response process. On the one hand, most of us in communications would say, “Well duh.” On the other, his reaction points up something we know all too well - how operations tends to minimize the value of communication until everything is just about leaked, foamed, burned, or blown away, and the victims are screaming or crying in front of the TV cameras.
Getting management attention during crisis preparation requires talking about three major areas: things that don’t work and cause problems; what they can expect that might surprise them that goes beyond their experience; and how to understand and know what to do next when these adverse situations occur.
A crisis is the only time communications becomes an operating strategy and process.
One of the more difficult areas, of course, is the order in which communications and operational activity proceed. The general strategy I recommend is a five-step process.
First, stop the production of victims, i.e., put out the fire, stop the leak, and prevent further harm and damage.
Second, manage the victim dimension. It’s victims that make a crisis truly a crisis. Mismanagement, non-management, or delayed management of victims, or behaving like victims when really the perpetrators is what make those in important, powerful, and well-respected companies look like idiots.
Third, communicate with employees. It comes as a dramatic shock to management that failure to communicate makes everyone a communicator. In fact, the less management says, quite often the more employees feel they have to speak, simply making it up. It’s ironic when you consider that management’s greatest excuse for not talking is that they “don’t know very much right away.” Employees almost never know much of consequence about events but they talk convincingly without any direct knowledge whatsoever when management refuses to speak or says too little.
Fourth, notify those directly affected - government agencies, neighbors, friends, business associates, and allies, those who have a problem only because you have a problem and they are associated with you in some way.
Fifth, respond to and deal with the self-appointed, self-anointed - those who opt in on their own: competitors, the news media, critics, and other uninvited guests.
Failure to follow this process or to take the steps out of order, or attempting to skip or defer steps, will damage the effectiveness of any response process - operationally and in terms of visibility.
Victim management is the main area where most crisis responses fail and causes the greatest opportunity for senior executive career-defining moments. This is an area management schools avoid. It’s simply too emotional and unscientific. Victim management and ethical behavior are not extensively taught in law schools either.
The key process of crisis response planning and execution can be summed up in four crucial strategic words:
1. Whereabouts, meaning the ability to locate crucial decision makers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This process provides 85 percent of crisis response readiness. A good contact list is one of the most crucial documents or databases available when a crisis occurs.
2. Preauthorization: the goal of crisis planning is to identify those scenarios that present the worse threat. Work each one through to determine what questions will have to be asked if such a scenario were to occur. Preauthorize the answers to those questions as a part of the preparation process. Waiting for answers is what often turns a serious problem into a full-blown crisis and emergency.
3. Empathy, particularly toward victims and employees is among the most difficult challenges for management and their legal advisors. The overwhelming fear of blame and responsibility get in the way. I tell clients constantly, if we get sued hire more attorneys. Preventing litigation is a virtual impossibility. Manage the victims well and you will reduce your litigation exposure. Manage employees well and you begin to control the grapevine and confusing anonymous commentary.
4. Testing: Untested plans fail in most every respect.
These are truly operational concerns and concepts. They will get management’s attention.
James E. Lukaszewski, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA is one of America’s most well-known crisis experts. His new book, Crisis Communication Plan Components and Models, co-published with the Public Relations Society of America has just been released. It is available through the Public Relations Society of America, 33 Maiden Lane, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10038-5150, 212.995.2230, or on the Web at Amazon.com and www.rothstein.com/data/index.htm.
To review the complete Table of Contents, e-mail your request to tlg@e911.com, or visit The Lukaszewski Group Web site at www.e911.com, click on the yellow tab “Articles and Monographs,” scroll down to the “Books” section, and select “View Table of Contents” under Vol. III Crisis Communication Plan Components and Models, Crisis Communication Management Readiness.
Copyright 2006 Jim Lukaszewski |
