Making the worst of a bad situation

We all saw it. Bottles of beer -- some full -- raining down on players, coaches, officials and other fans in Cleveland after the officials seemed to stray from the league guidelines in overturning a call against the home team. Those on the field had to run for cover.

That’s bad enough. But then Browns President Carmen Policy, still seething from the officials’ decision, tried to reposition the incident after the game. Instead of expressing concern about what happened (or worse, what might have happened) he said, “I don’t think Cleveland will take a black eye from this. I like the fact that our fans care.”

Though he’s since retracted those statements, his decision to speak in the heat of anger gave Policy and his team a black eye and caused a situation to go on far longer than it might have.

Think that “speak first, think second” behavior is limited to the football field (or, in this case, the front office)? Think again.

In the heat of a difficult situation, spokespeople for any organization can let frustration, exhaustion, incomplete information or some combination of these factors get the better of them. When that happens, the fallout can carry on long after the crisis has passed.

How can you avoid making a bad situation worse the next time your organization is facing a crisis?

• Start by having a crisis communications plan -- You probably have plans in place to address the crises your organization might face, but do you have a crisis communications plan? It is critical to create a plan that establishes communications procedures to be followed during a crisis. Making decisions in the midst of a crisis -- without a “playbook” -- increases the likelihood of saying the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time.
• Gather all the facts -- Crisis situations consist of three kinds of facts: what we know, what we don’t know, and what we’re working to find out. It’s a good idea to keep a running log of updates in each of these categories so that the most current information is always available to the spokesperson.
• Consider all constituencies -- Crisis situations often have tentacles that reach beyond those directly involved. Think about what you might need to say about the crisis -- either now or after it has been resolved -- to other constituencies whose support is important to your business. Better for you to tell them about it than for them to find out from someone else.
• Prepare statements, talking points and Q and A documents -- Whether your spokesperson does a better job reading from prepared material or working in more of a free-form style, writing down what you want to say and how you want to answer the questions you expect to receive will improve your performance when the cameras go on.
• Rehearse -- Nothing is more important than your spokesperson rehearsing in front of a critical audience (even if it is just one or two co-workers).
• Be reserved, sincere and honest -- In times of crisis, people want to see leaders leading. And, when they are in front of the camera or the reporter’s pen, spokespeople are company leaders. Measured, honest responses that are carefully thought-out (it’s OK to take a breath and think before answering), and that demonstrate the organization’s concern, resolve and focus are critical.
• Never get mad. Never say, “No comment.” -- A spokesperson losing his or her cool can dismantle all the goodwill built up during a crisis. And never, ever, ever, ever, say “No comment.” Plan ahead of time how you will address matters that are confidential or difficult.

Following these guidelines will help you avoid having to appear the next day on the news to say, “What I meant to say was...”