A leader’s instinct is often regarded by the senior team of a beleaguered organisation as the single most important factor to the successful resolution of a looming crisis.
It’s an observation arising from my 25-year career in journalism and strategic communications, specialising in issues and crises, and reflecting upon last month’s blogpost by my Crisis Communications Network committee colleague Rod Cartwright, the Network’s Special Advisor.
Rod, a seasoned crisis communications professional, was commenting on PR Week’s most recent Communications Bellwether research in partnership with Boston University [read Rod’s article]. Its key finding that communications professionals now rate crisis communications as the most important PR skillset is very good news.
Even in organisations where the Board understands the value of strategic communications counsel, in my experience they often initially default to trusting the leader’s instinct to navigate the organisation’s way out of trouble.
Sara Naylor
What is not clear, however, is whether Boards intuitively take the same view when under pressure.
Leaders undoubtedly have excellent radar and instinctively know when an issue is fast turning into a crisis. This instinct is invaluable. It’s what happens next that can conversely increase risk.
Even in organisations where the Board understands the value of strategic communications counsel, in my experience they often initially default to trusting the leader’s instinct to navigate the organisation’s way out of trouble.
The instinct is often then to circle the wagons in the belief that the crisis can be contained and mitigated with the right functional leads in the room. The fewer that know, the better.
I advise boards that the right response to challenging circumstances is to question instinct and purposely do the opposite: look up and out.
Sara Naylor
The risk is that the room becomes an echo chamber where leaders become increasingly remote from the drivers of crisis, their stakeholders, the wider context they operate in and a clear understanding of how to mitigate by communicating effectively.
I advise boards that the right response to challenging circumstances is to question instinct and purposely do the opposite: look up and out.
I counsel clients that there’s rarely an issue that can be managed better without looking up and out. This requires communications expertise as an equal partner at the table.
Prior planning and preparation for crises means the team is free to focus on the cause of the crisis and consider how the organisation’s position refracts through identified macro factors.
Crises that appear to be rooted firmly in the organisation often take on a different perspective when correctly reframed as a symptom of a wider problem that is located outside of the business.
Good preparation will mean organisations should already have a good understanding of their stakeholders, key influencers and the external factors which affect the success of their activities.
Good preparation will mean organisations should already have a good understanding of their stakeholders, key influencers and the external factors which affect the success of their activities.
Sara Naylor
For example, the supply of goods or services might be critically interrupted. If only looked at from an organisational viewpoint then it would appear to be an organisational failure.
However, if there are known wider issues such as components or staffing shortages affecting provision of goods or services then customers or clients are much more likely to understand why the supply has been interrupted and maintain faith in the organisation.
An example would be the effect of a global shortage of microchips for electrical goods manufacturers.
Another is the health and social care sector which is badly affected by an ongoing national shortage of care staff who can often earn more money in other sectors with less stress and better hours.
In the latter example, nothing is likely to improve the situation without Government intervention. The supply of care staff needs to increase either through national initiatives or permitting greater immigration to fill vacancies with specific visa programmes.
A fully integrated approach to crisis communications is crucial. Organisations that adopt this model can expect to weather storms best of all.
Sara Naylor
Organisations that weather these storms best will be those that appraise the macro factors alongside the meso factors, societal, through the lens of their organisation’s unique position and challenges. This allows for effective scenario planning and nuanced message development.
For those with an academic interest in the topic, you may want to read Thiessen, A. and Ingenhoff, D. (Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol 16, No1, 2011). It brings together these three factors in an integrated model.
A fully integrated approach to crisis communications is crucial. Organisations that adopt this model can expect to weather storms best of all.
Share your integrated communications successes with the Network through our regular Open House sessions.
Author: Sara Naylor
Image by David Mark from Pixabay