Filed under: Crisis Communications
As a 20-year member of Houston’s Grace Presbyterian Church, I was saddened to receive the e-mail below:
Dear Grace Member,
This week Grace Presbyterian was served with a lawsuit alleging that in 1990 a 15 year old female was allegedly subject to improper sexual conduct while returning from a mission trip in West Virginia. The suit incorrectly asserts among other things that the alleged offender was a Grace Associate Pastor. Shortly after the trip, we understand that then Grace Senior Pastor, David McKechnie, met with the young woman and her father regarding the alleged incident.
Given that this situation occurred 21 years ago we currently have very few facts. We have retained legal counsel to investigate and respond appropriately to the suit.
We are stunned and saddened by this event. Our hearts and prayers go out to anyone who faces such circumstances. Grace Presbyterian Church takes the safety and security of our children and youth very seriously and we have robust practices and policies in place to protect our young people. Anyone who knows Grace, knows that the accusations alleged in the suit are completely counter to our beliefs and mission.
Scripture tells us that we are to be reflective in and to pray through all circumstances. We ask for your prayers for the alleged victim, her family, others involved in this case, and Grace.
Despite the grave nature of this communication, I’m glad I received it. As anyone with crisis communications and reputation management experience knows, it’s VITAL for companies, organizations and institutions to communicate as quickly as possible in the case of an incident. Why?
- Control: By communicating immediately after an incident, you can improve the chance of protecting your company’s reputation through effective messaging–before internal and external audiences learn of it and damaging rumors take on a life of their own.
- Peace of mind: Had I heard of an alleged sexual assault through the wrong parties, I may have been worried about my own children. Reading that this alleged incident is dated back to the year we joined the church, however, I am put at ease. While I am still disturbed by the subject matter and concerned for all parties involved, I do not intend to leave the church. In the case of a corporate incident, the sooner employees, communities and shareholders understand the facts, the sooner they can make educated decisions on their own behalf or step up to offer aid if appropriate.
- Respect: We respect friends or colleagues who communicate directly and honestly. And, while I know it was hard for our church leaders to send that e-mail, I admire them for being straightforward with the congregation. On the other hand, when companies hold off on offering facts or politicians take weeks to confirm allegations that end up being true, I ask myself why they didn’t come clean in the first place. In the end, I lose respect for any person or organization that tries to cover the truth.
I hope my church’s situation will be resolved in a manner that is fair and appropriate for all involved. In the meantime, I’m appreciative of the honest communication. By “owning” this crisis, Grace Presbyterian will continue to have my respect and dedication.
My computer, iPad and iPhone have taken on lives of their own since the Casey Anthony verdict. Buzzing with the fury of a million tweets and just as many Facebook status messages, nearly everyone I know is mortified that the young mother has been found “not guilty.”
Well, I’m not touching that one with a 100 foot pole, at least not in this post. I was personally annoyed by the ubiquitous coverage of the trial itself, all but boycotting CNN for its made-for-TV-movie segments that will surely garner them an Emmy. And quite frankly, Nancy Grace scares me. The bottom line is that I watched very little coverage and read even less about courtroom tactics and spectator shuffles–that is, until the verdict came in.
Then something caught my eye. Not long after the verdict was read and just moments after the formal press statement was delivered by Ms. Anthony’s lawyers, her defense team departed to a bar down the street and partied their hearts out. In one exceptionally fascinating moment, a key attorney literally jumped up and down five times while watching the playback of the sweet, sweet victory on an overhead monitor. There were hugs, kisses and champagne all around. You’d think they won the lottery…and I guess in some way, they had.
After training more than 1,000 people in what to say and do when communicating with the media, this image stopped me cold. If they truly believed her to be innocent, the defense team was relieved their client was found not guilty. This alone might warrant celebration, BUT at that time? That place? On the first floor near the windows, right where any reporter could record their jubilation?
One would think that nearly 30 years after the disastrous interview of Exxon’s Lawrence Raul by Kathleen Sullivan regarding the Valdez, savvy business people would know how to behave during unique and possibly damaging situations. Crisis situations. Media opportunities. Any time or place where you may be asked to defend your position or promote your company. Apparently, Casey Anthony’s lawyers were so lost in their unadulterated joy they did not stop to consider their client is one foot away from being pitchforked the minute she leaves the courthouse.
Their disregard for good taste may not hurt them personally now that their careers are skyrocketing to the top (must make a note of this in case I ever need a really good defense attorney) but the rest of us must play by the rules. If we don’t? Reputations are ruined. Customers don’t buy our products. License to operate is foiled. And if you’re an attorney, you hurt your client. Period.
Let’s brush up, then, on these media basics:
- The camera is always on. Don’t let your guard down when you believe an interview is over. You can be videotaped walking to your car, in and out of the restroom…just about anywhere, any time.
- The microphone is always on. Many people remember Ronald Reagan’s “nuke” joke in the early 80s, but he was just the first in a line celebrities, politicians and business people who failed to remember the microphone was on. Unless you are alone in a padded room, assume there are ears everywhere, let alone microphones.
- The media have a job to do. Be professional but not too comfortable. Nothing is ever off the record.
- Don’t be a Twitter twit. I made that up, but the point is clear. Anything you write via any type of digital media–e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, etc.–will stay with you for the rest of your life.
- Do the right thing. If you don’t want your actions or words taken out of context, then watch your actions and your words. Be a person of integrity.
Filed under: Crisis Communications
Say what you will about Tiger Woods. In fact, don’t. We’ve said it all over the past three months, and it’s not my desire to condone or condemn the man. I’d rather assess something closer to my heart: communication. More specifically, how he has chosen to communicate with the public (or not) since the now infamous moment in which he fled his home in his SUV.
I was prepared to be annoyed or dismayed by this morning’s press conference, in which Woods addressed the public for the first time since the November 2009 incident. I didn’t even watch his press conference this morning, but I’ve seen the clips and I read the transcript word for word. Go figure, but I find myself amazed. In awe. Fascinated. By his behavior? No. By his control. And when I speak of control, I’m talking about every aspect of his personal crisis management. Let’s assess his media relations actions and apply them to situations closer to home:
- Control of timing: Woods chose to avoid public communication for three entire months. In crisis management, each scenario must be considered individually. In the case of Toyota, media interviews and press conferences had to occur much sooner, and in most corporate crisis situations should occur as quickly as possible. With a celebrity, perhaps not so much. I felt he should have spoken immediately, but now I think he was right to wait; to let things calm down a bit, to allow the initial shock of his fans to settle, and so on. The message here is not about waiting a long time before communicating, but about determining when is the right time for yourself, or your company, to address the public.
- Control of environment. Although reporters and golf fans alike sniffed at Woods’ very selective group of onlookers for this morning’s media address, he clearly made his choice based on who he trusted. Corporations do not have the luxury of picking and choosing media during an incident like a pipeline eruption or workplace violence, but they do have the right to determine when and where they will speak. By selecting a location away from dramatic backdrops like fires or angry crowds, a spokesperson can focus on the message and avoid unnecessarily negative footage on the 6 p.m. news.
- Control of message. Tiger Woods knows, and pretty much stated, that there are many questions people have about more personal aspects of his situation, such as when he cheated, and with whom. He declared that this information belongs between him, and his wife, and that is where it will stay. He instead focused on his humiliation at having let down family, friends, business partners, and children who have benefitted from his foundation. Similarly, when an organization comes before the media to describe an incident or a developing situation, not all information must be shared. You can select the content you will communicate; it doesn’t need to be based only on what the media is asking. On the other hand, keep in mind that if your goal is to build community trust where you have a facility, you may not get there by being tight-lipped about a fire at your plant site.
Mr. Woods, despite his human weaknesses, may be much more in control than I’d ever have imagined. At least when it comes to communication and media relations! What are your thoughts? Weigh in by leaving a comment below.
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