There is only one time that your company is guaranteed to get public attention. And that is when you least want it, during a crisis.
In the blink of an eye, years of outreach efforts can be undone by factors beyond your control, regardless of who is to blame. The mistakes of just one person can destroy the hard work of many, casting hard-earned reputations into the shadow of one terrible blunder. It is frightening and often unfair, but it happens all the time.

As a society, we are convinced that one’s true character emerges during stressful times. So in evaluating a crisis, how well the problem is handled is at least as important as how it started. And if the situation is handled with effective communications, you may even emerge looking better than before.

It is really about winning trust during an unfolding crisis. Trust that will allow you the time you need to discover and remedy negative events. That’s why it is vital for those in the public eye to pay attention to crisis planning before something even occurs, and crisis communications in case a disaster does happen.

Top executives and public individuals in positions of trust have to be versed in crisis communications so that they know how to react and be proactive by the time a crisis hits.

Here are some tips for communicating under fire.
Violations of public trust must be dealt with publicly. Avoid the overwhelming temptation to circle the wagons and shut down the flow of information. This only confirms to those who know you, as well as those who don’t, that you are hiding the truth. Maintain credibility and begin building confidence by quickly and publicly addressing the tough issues, even if it means acknowledging a shortcoming or error in judgment. Reveal what you know when you know it.

Develop your messages. Time and indecision are your main enemies in crisis communications, but that doesn’t mean you should speak off the cuff or deliver unprepared remarks. Key messages have to be developed quickly in a crisis. They will be useless, however, if they don’t address the main concerns that brought you negative attention, even if the best that can be said is a commitment to find out the facts and take action.

Stay on message. Decide who will speak for your organization and then make sure communication is funneled through those one or two key individuals. Conflicting messages issued by various spokespeople will contribute to the appearance of guilt or disarray. Be forthright and in control of your messages.

Seek to be proactive rather than reactive. In the opening moments of a crisis, you may have no choice but to react to a crisis as it unfolds before you. Your goal is to change that as quickly as possible and get ahead of the crisis by proactively finding ways to stem it’s repercussions. Effective crisis communications demand that you don’t wait until you know all you can possibly know before finding ways to take action.

Do the right thing. We think we know leadership when we see it, as well as real strength of character. Untested leaders might win our admiration, but we reserve our loyalty for those who lead through rougher waters. Plan for the best, but prepare for the worst, and you will be better able to meet those expectations when the time comes.

Source: Aileen Pincus link