This is a quote from a session at the PRSSA National Conference called From the Crisis Trenches: Blazing a New Trail in Communications. Speakers from the Mach 1 Group discussed the crisis the Livestrong Foundation was faced with when the Lance Armstrong scandal broke.
No matter how prepared we try to be, crisis will always knock us off balance. Only so much can be learned about crisis communications in a classroom but it is something that will most likely face all of us one day. Here are some key takeaways that I learned in this PRSSANC session that made me feel more comfortable in my ability to handle a crisis situation.
- Work your company's mission statement into any answer you're giving the press
- Think "how can we turn this around?"
- Remember: we are more than the sum of the actions we take
- Be sure to show the big picture, not just focus on the problem at hand
- You always want to be the one to break the news so you can shape it
- Ethical and transparent communication is essential
Keeping these things in mind when handling a crisis situation will help ensure that it goes as well as possible.
What tips do you have for dealing with crisis communications?
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