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Crisis Management | Competitive & Industry Analysis
Crisis Management
In the movie City Slickers, Jack Palance (Curly) asked Billy Crystal (Mitch) if he knew the
secret of life, then raised his index finger and said, “One thing. Just one thing. You
stick to that and everything else don't mean @#*$!”
Crisis communication involves some subtle complexities, but the premise is simple. Stick to the
one thing that matters most and never waiver from it – no matter the distraction or impediment.
As communication professionals, we often refer to this concept as one’s SOCO – Single
Overriding Communication Objective. From a message standpoint, your SOCO is your home.
You always return to it.
All too often, in the heat of a crisis, companies and individuals try desperately to respond to
every imaginable issue that may affect the crisis at hand. And inevitably, haste turns to
recklessness. In most cases, you don’t have all the information at your disposal, and speculation
often leads to further disaster.
Bottom line, only so many leaks can be plugged at once. And in most cases, the smaller leaks are
less consequential to the time factor.
In the wake of a crisis, stakeholders (customers, employees, shareholders, voters, patients,
citizens) are simply looking to you to calm the storm, not eradicate it. Never underestimate the
strength and resolve of those most affected by the crisis. At the same time, always remember
the most basic human needs under such circumstances. People want to know that you’re
concerned for them, that you’re on top of the situation, and that their well being matters most.
Yes, it’s true that members of the media will complicate the crisis with tangent inquiries – some
disingenuous and some well founded. But you must always return to your SOCO – the message
that reminds you and every victim of the crisis at hand of what matters above all else.
Crises escalate and subside in varying degrees, based on how a company or individual responds
to the most basic issues (usually the safety and well being of others). You cannot control where
others (i.e. the media) want you to deviate, but you can control how you frame your own
messages. And those are the ones people want to hear most.
Understanding how to frame the crisis – in a way that shows both compassion for the past and
your vision moving forward – can make the difference in surviving the crisis.
And that’s what makes SymAction Communications such a steady partner in this process.
We understand how to manage the right messages in order to steer you through a crisis. We help
you respond to media pressure, public reactions, and internal unrest.
But above all, SymAction Communications helps you transcend the short-term perils of a
crisis in order to build long-term credibility, respect and appreciation among all those involved.
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| Example of bridging back to your SOCO ... TV Reporter: Is it true that the black box has not been recovered after your (airline company’s) commercial jet crashed earlier today? Airline Executive: We’re still searching, but our main concern right now is the welfare of the victims’ families by helping them in any way possible. TV Reporter: Do you have any information as to what caused the crash? Airline Executive: Not at this time. Our main concern right now is the welfare of the victims’ families by helping them in any way possible. TV Reporter: Do you know when this information will be made available? Airline Executive: I do not know. However, I do know that our main concern right now is the welfare of the victims’ families by helping them in any way possible. |