The key to a company's credibility lies in its ability to communicate. Although crisis media training generally focuses on speaking to the press, the same techniques can be used to increase effective communication between upper management and the rest of the company's employees and between the company and its customers.

In times of crisis, this communication becomes more important than ever. To paraphrase a former General Electric slogan, in times of crisis, credibility is our most important product. Consistently, executive and crisis media response teams that participate in crisis media training exercises on a regular basis inform and reassure the public better than the untrained.

Maintaining Credibility

The following crisis media training tips provide a guideline for planning for, dealing with, and coming away from a crisis with your reputation largely unscathed and perhaps even enhanced.

Plan ahead. Before a crisis occurs, know who will be in charge of what, and have a centralized headquarters established. Many organizations should have a second designated crisis media headquarters location in the event the first is unusable. Update emergency contact lists frequently and make sure that whoever would need to be reached in a crisis can be reached quickly. A chaotic situation means that it will take far longer for you to gather the information you'll need to communicate with the public.

Gather information. When crisis hits, gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. What happened? Where? Has anyone been injured or killed? These are the questions that you'll be asked by reporters, family members and employees. Know what you'll tell them.

Communicate early and often. Make a statement as soon as you can - but take the time to get organized first. Communicate frequently, even if it's only to say "We don't have anything further at the moment, but we will let you know as soon as we do." Don't treat questions as an annoyance. Convey concern and a desire to keep everyone in the loop. People are more apt to trust an "I don't know" than they are to trust silence.

Communicate directly with those affected. While the public at large may have an interest in what's going on, the people directly affected by the crisis need a more personalized approach. It's not fair for employees to find out about their own lay-off on the evening news, or have to consult a web site to find out if a family member has been injured.

Remember that the show must go on. Even though you're dealing with a huge problem now, your organization's operations still need to be attended to. Bills need to be paid, clients need to be contacted, and employees need to be given guidance. It's essential that you keep your day-to-day activities as close to normal as possible. The crisis will pass, but the everyday needs of your business will still be there.

Run practice drills often. Once you've established a crisis media plan and process for dealing with a crisis, you should put that plan into action as soon as possible. Conduct mock crisis media training drills to "shake down" the crisis media plan and see what needs to be improved. Too often crisis plans get put on a shelf and are forgotten. Keep your executives and crisis team sharp, so that if a crisis does happen, you'll be prepared.

By: Lou Hampton  link