Hallmarks of Leadership in a Time of Crisis

• There was an earthquake in Chennai. Your facility and team were impacted.

• News of your imminent merger was just leaked by a young, ambitious journalist who caught your CFO off guard at a networking event.

• Your CEO is being led out of your building in handcuffs.

These examples could all be real. Companies face such scenarios daily, and some are serious enough to bring down companies. The most recent and very public example is the Wells Fargo debacle, which culminated with the resignation of CEO John Stumpf. Those revelations were almost a textbook case of what not to do when a crisis arises.

So, the message here is: It doesn’t matter how large or small a company yours is; you simply can’t ignore crisis communications.

How do you plan and prepare for anything from a destructive tweet to a financial crisis? By having in place a solid crisis communications strategy. A documented, well-thought-out plan with actionable tactics. Just as a winning sports team has a crisis playbook, you can do the same, to help you make any bad-news scenario more manageable, less painful and, hopefully, ensure a positive outcome.

Here are a few tips on how to create a winning crisis strategy.

Expect the Unexpected

Not having a plan is like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. Sure, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day efforts for growing and managing your business, but it’s delusional to think a crisis won’t happen to you. You can never fully predict when one, or fallout from one, will hit, but I promise you that 90 percent of potential crises are known and you can be prepared.

What are the most frequent negative scenarios in your industry? A disgruntled customer? Violence inside a store or at a facility? Stolen documents? An offensive social media campaign?

When a crisis arises, work with what you know.

Once a crisis hits, the team needs to quickly ascertain the level or significance of the crisis. Sometimes it’s just an issue, sometimes it’s more. And it can change over time or circumstance. So be prepared for anything.

Once you assess the situation, determine the facts. What do you know? Start working with that. Respond quickly, factually, genuinely. 

Own it, fix it.

Implement a communications strategy to keep customers, stakeholders, and employees informed of everything that is known and real. Being up-front and honest is critical. Mitigate issues early on. Wells Fargo failed on all counts. It failed to apologize soon enough and underestimated the gravity of the situation and problem.

If your own company falters, fails or makes a mistake, don’t keep your mouth shut. Own it. Apologize for it. And take steps to make it right, quickly. 

Ask for help when you need it.

An outside perspective can provide clarity and remove the emotion or opinion from a crisis. Consider hiring a consultant or third-party expert who can guide you through or speak to media and customers. A communications expert has navigated issues like this before and can offer credibility, experience and expertise you may not have within your company.

Above all, the biggest mistake you can make in a crisis situation is doing nothing. Be prepared, work the plan, respond quickly and take appropriate lead. Your customers and your team may even thank you for your initiative.