This article discusses three lessons learned from crises over the last seven months. Steps to avoid these missteps should be included in your crisis communications plan. Over the past seven months the media have relentlessly covered major crises ranging from a superstar athlete’s fall from grace, a massive vehicle recall because of safety problems, two [...]
Did you ever wish something you said could be grabbed from the air before anyone heard it? From a high-ranking government official to the owner of a local car repair business no one is immune from misspeaking in an interview, especially in the high-pressure environment of a crisis. Thankfully, there are measures you can take [...]
One of the most important components of crisis response is effective communications, but to whom should you be talking and what should you be saying? That depends on which stage your communications efforts are in: Initial Stage Primary Stage Recovery Stage Let’s take a look at communications in these three stages. Initial Stage Making a [...]
From the world’s best golf professional to a politician to the director of a local charity, personalities at the top of their profession can engage in behavior that can damage or destroy their reputation and that of their organizations. Situations like these are some of the most difficult a communicator can face because they inevitably [...]
A crisis communications plan organizes your team into neat, specific roles and responsibilities to facilitate rapid and accurate response. But ask anyone who has responded to a crisis, even a “small incident,” and they will tell you there are myriad administrative events and developments that fall outside those roles that can overwhelm the communications team. [...]
Bright lights switch on. Microphones and tape recorders are thrust at you. Harried reporters ask brusque questions. What kind of person voluntarily steps into such mayhem? If you are a member of a Crisis Communications Team that person might very well be you. Even if you aren’t going to face the bright lights and microphones, [...]
In the last article we discussed the role and responsibilities of the communications team leader. This article covers the duties of the communications analyst, the person who ensures the response is effective. An Important Crisis Management Role The analyst gathers and interprets data about the crisis from several sources to determine the effectiveness of the [...]
The first step in communicating about an event that places your organization’s reputation at risk is a thorough understanding of the roles and responsibilities required for a successful response. Depending on your organization’s mission and the type of situation you’re facing some of the concepts discussed in this article will be appropriate, others not. You’ll [...]
Regardless of its size or purpose no organization is immune from a crisis that can damage or destroy its reputation. An image is fabricated; a reputation is earned. An image is mostly an internally generated description depicting how an organization wants to be perceived. Some Mission, Vision, Values Statements and marketing campaigns fall into this [...]
