Crises are like the buses: I haven’t handled one for months – then two came along at once. On the surface, they could not have been more different: one a large, bureaucratic organisation and the other a high-profile individual.
But what they had in common was that in both cases the biggest challenge was not so much managing the crisis itself; rather it was about calming the horses and helping to keep a sense of perspective for the people at the centre of the crisis.
When you have a large number of protesters turning violent and hurling abuse and threats, or when you’re all over the media being painted as a villain that you are not, the famous FFF (Fight, Flight or Freeze) survival mechanism kicks in and your instinct is either to want to “get the bastards” or go into hiding and/or denial and hope it goes away.
Whichever, our job as communication professionals is not only to make a strategic assessment of who are the audiences that actually matter and what damage is really being done, but also to act as sounding boards, mentors, psychotherapists, sympathetic shoulders, fight coaches and occasional firm parents to clients who are popping their corks under the strain.
Try finding that skill in a crisis manual. It really is worth giving some time and thought in advance to how you and/or your colleagues are best equipped to handle this vitally important aspect of managing a crisis.
Have a happy and crisis-free Christmas!
