Communicating in a Crisis

Don't shut down communication
When a crisis or some other adverse situation occurs, the natural instinct is to close ranks, work furiously to contain the damage, and set the situation back to normal. We go into protection mode – for both our organization and ourselves.

However this approach can badly wrong. We’ve all seen major companies terribly wounded when the press senses a “cover up.” And we may also have seen situations where gossip has spiraled out of control with damaging results.

When official communication channels are shut down, communication does not stop. In fact it can often increase.

The problem is that this communication can be full of rumor, innuendo, inconsistencies, half truths, and exaggerations. More than this, the trust and confidence of employees and clients can be undermined, with often-damaging long term consequences