10 crisis communication myths

The world feels in chaos and there is a lot that we are dealing with on a daily basis. We have all been through the Covid-19 pandemic and many organisations faced additional crises linked to the cost of living, extreme weather and reputational challenges. But do we really know what is required from crisis communication in 2023? And are we really as prepared as we think we are?

It is time to debunk some of the myths of crisis communication, some of the things that we tell ourselves and the things that we expect to happen. I have started with my top 10 but there are others. So here goes:

Myth 1: Everything will be fine we can just react when something happens.
Fact: Being in the middle of a crisis will put pressure on all the communication team. This can mean that things get missed and that you are running to catch up. There is a 20 minute window to say something and to be proactive in the response.

Myth 2: No-one uses a crisis communication plan when a crisis happens, so we don’t need one.
Fact: The point is not to have something that you slavishly follow but to have a structure and plan in place that people understand and that you can refer to when the issue occurs. Really effective plans have roles and checklists that are immediately beneficial when responding.

Myth 3: We all know what to do.
Fact: If we have worked in an organisation for some time we assume that everyone will know what happens and how to respond. There will be new members of the team, people who have not faced a crisis before, and some who will find crisis communication personally challenging. Never assume everyone will know. Do training frequently, share the crisis communication plan with new members of the team, and be confident that people are ready to respond.

Myth 4: I haven’t got time for crisis communication planning.
Fact: We can all make time to develop and check our crisis communication approach. Carving out time will be rewarded when a crisis occurs and you need to respond. It also will benefit the resilience of the team and reduce some of the pressures than can be negative for people. Prioritise and find that hour or two to review or develop a plan. 

Myth 5: Crisis response is for the emergency services it won’t affect us.
Fact: Any business and organisation can face its own crisis or be caught up in someone else’s. Don’t leave it to others to speak on your behalf. Working with others is important but your organisation will have to say something. 

Myth 6: There is nothing positive we can do with social media in a crisis.
Fact: Social media will be where rumour and speculation circulate, where videos and images emerge, and where the crisis may break. Developing a positive approach to how to respond on social media, where audiences are, what channels to use and how it will be monitored is critical. Every crisis communication plan should detail how social media will be used proactively. 

Myth 7: I can’t show any emotion when dealing with a crisis.
Fact: We are all human and will have a human response to what has happened. While it is important to be professional and to carry out the communication role, you can use your response to help frame the actions and the words that are used. Being human and showing empathy is important so should not be ignored. And ensure your crisis response plan has wellbeing and welfare support built in for the communication team. 

Myth 8: We need to have all the facts before we can say anything.
Fact: It is important to be accurate and to have the facts about the situation but if you wait until you know all the details you will have missed the opportunity to get ahead of the crisis. Work out what you do know and what you can say and then share it. This should be the start of a conversation about the situation and with regular updates the clarity will come. 

Myth 9: Communication is not involved in the crisis response it just works out what to say.
Fact: Communication is a strand of the operational response. The information that is gathered about what people think about the issue and the response can help in developing future approaches. And communication can help to minimise the impact of a crisis. Communicators should be a key advisor at the top table when the crisis response is being developed. 

Myth 10: Protecting the reputation of the organisation is the most important thing. 
Fact: Protecting the reputation should not be the sole focus of the response. If reputation drives the decision making it may miss vital elements of the impact, and in the worst case perverse decisions may be made. Instead focus on helping those affected and on minimising the impact on people and from this a positive reputation will grow. 

There are many more that I could have covered. But a starting point for everyone is to have a clear crisis communication plan in place that people understand and that can be used swiftly when a situation emerges. Investing some time now will help you to be ready. If you have other myths let me know.

Amanda Coleman is a crisis communication expert and consultant, Founder of Amanda Coleman Communication and the author of Crisis Communication Strategies.

This post was originally published on her Amandacomms blog. Read the original post.