It is not uncommon for leaders to make communication errors, and they usually have skilled people on staff to “fix” their blunders. Joe Biden, our Vice President, has a tendency to say too much or most recently to forget to turn off the microphone. BP CEO, Tony Hayward, can’t seem to stop sticking his foot in his mouth about the current Gulf of Mexico oil disaster. We certainly won’t forget when Al Gore took credit for creating the internet. And unfortunately, we have now received news that Helen Thomas of Hearst Corporation has been forced to resign after her verbal misstep regarding Israel. There are business leaders that sometimes try to cover up verbal mishaps or deny them altogether. But for those of us that aren’t fortunate enough to have someone to fix our stupid blunders, what do we do when we have said something that never should have been said? Do you have a business strategy?
It has become commonplace to run emergency management drills or disaster response exercises, but does your company have a procedure in place to handle public relation nightmares? It’s always easier to write a procedure proactively than to write one at the moment it’s desperately needed–nothing could be worse than handling something in a crisis manner that brings unnecessary attention. Several months ago, a businessman responded out of anger to a rumor that was being circulated concerning his company. He immediately wrote a response to quash the rumor and to set the record straight about his company. The problem was that he sent the explanation to his entire database of past, present, and potential future clients. The rumor wasn’t as widespread as he had imagined, and with his panic email he notified hundreds of people who had had no previous knowledge of what was being said. As a result, the owner himself caused a public relations nightmare that required lots of rumor control. People still talk about his email months later.
Below are some things to consider in your verbal disaster management protocol. Begin with an objective assessment of the situation.
1) Identify what was said and to whom.
2) Conduct a risk assessment.
- Who was impacted?
- What was the cost?
- Who knows?
- What are the short term risks?
- What are the long term risks?
3) What is the cost if nothing is done in response?
4) Would holding a press conference be appropriate?
5) Should I contact my attorney?
6) Should I employ a company spokesman or handle things myself?
7) How can I fix the situation?
8) Do I contact my clients/customers?
9) Do I provide a written statement to my staff?
10) Do I owe anyone an apology?
Sometimes it is more strategic to say nothing in response to a faux pas. Sometimes it is appropriate to apologize. The most important thing is to objectively decide if you will do more or less damage by saying anything more about the matter. Weighing the risks before a situation occurs will ensure a responsible decision by the leadership. It is never wise to respond to a crisis situation without forethought. We can’t imagine every detail of what could occur, but we can be strategic by working proactively to always show our organizations in the best possible light, regardless of how serious a situation may be.
