What Not to Do During a Crisis: Close Your Eyes

It is said that children stuck on scary roller coasters sometimes close their eyes and wait for the ride to end.  So, apparently, do grown-ups heading businesses and organizations.  Yesterday’s informative New York Times article “What Not to Do in an Emergency” – the second most frequently emailed article by the way – looks at the PR missteps of three behemoth corporations: BP, Toyota, and Goldman Sachs ( New York Times: What Not to Do in an Emergency").  The article is a worthwhile read. 

Like children closing their eyes during a scary coaster ride was the conventional explanation for how three enormously successful enterprises managed to prolong and deepen their public relations agony. They broke the cardinal rule of crisis management as they didn’t seem to have a crisis plan in hand. They sought to minimize the extent of their problems, were not forthright with the public, and never seemed to display an understanding for the situation they were in.  It is an interesting read in how executive teams and celebrities (i.e. Tiger Woods; Mel Gibson) and their professional handlers assess a situation and respond.  Two takeaways for me include: the importance of having a plan and how you communicate when things don’t go according to plan (so true as disasters never follow a script). Communicating internally within the company and externally to stakeholders and media presents big-time challenges when disaster strikes, especially when the   situation is unclear.  When you are in the mix of these really obtuse situations where nobody really knows the facts, in some sense the facts become less important than the posture of the organization towards the facts.  How leaders lead changes.   Focus upon corporate profits becomes secondary to making the situation right and being able to move forward with reputation intact. Stakeholders will allow for mistakes to be made, but people have little patience and will not forgive a dishonest cover-up.

The importance and challenges of internal and external communications will be touched upon the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Informed and Inspired Speaker series this Wednesday.  The event will focus on disaster preparedness to better position your business ahead of disasters and other emergencies. Questions such as communicating with employees and stakeholders, accessing critical data, replacing assets and practicing your plan will be addressed.  I am pleased to be sharing the presentation with Chip Smith, President of Marshall Bruce Printing here in Nashville who faced these issues first hand as his business was severely flooded during the May floods.  I have been so impressed by the company’s action steps in the days immediately following the disaster.  I will also be sharing the presentation with James Carothers an IT Systems Manager at InfoWorks who will be providing incredibly helpful information to businesses for whom having access to their data is as important as oxygen is to our bodies.  The Chamber event this Wednesday is free and you can register by clicking on this link (View event details and register).  What will be offered may help you keep your eyes open if/when you find yourself on an unanticipated roller coaster ride.