to effectively manage a sensitive and
potentially controversial issue. When a key member of staff leaves or a breach of conduct leaks to the press, one of the first calls should be made to a
communications advisor to ensure they are fully briefed and
can begin working on a strategy.
Hopefully the business will already have at least
a skeleton disaster communications plan in place so that a first response can
be formulated and released almost immediately.
Sticking your head in the sand is never a good idea. It won’t be
long before customers, suppliers and even employees begin to speculate, and with such activity now happening on
Twitter or a Facebook group the situation can be exacerbated.
When a crisis does happen, businesses that have invested in
media training for their key spokespeople will be one step ahead. That is why RTS Media provides tailored training sessions for a range of businesses and professionals.
Crisis management - the basics
- Journalists should have a single port of call to
ensure all messages are communicated consistently.
- All members of staff, from
reception and switchboard through to the CEO, should be briefed on where to
direct press calls and to not answer ad hoc questions.
By preparing for a variety of scenarios,
implementing and rehearsing the basic processes and procedures, organisations
can to some extent ensure that when difficult situations arise, they are one step
ahead. The word ‘spin’ is the darling of corporates when things go wrong but
being honest and as far as possible being open about what has happened is by far the best option.
Our senior media team is experienced in managing a range of sensitive issues. Of course we can't showcase them here but if you give us a call we will be happy to provide you with examples.
