Managing Through Tough Times
JT CEO and Managing Partner Mary Patrick shares a few tips and considerations if your organization finds itself facing internal or external scrutiny.
Crisis communications has long been a core practice area at JT, and our team of senior strategists have been busy recently working on a wide range of issues including pay equity, transgender access, armed robbery, sexual harassment, labor relations, reporting errors, staff shortages and much more.
While we won't name names, our team recently came together to share best practices and lessons learned (and maybe to commiserate a little too!) as we've helped our clients navigate some really challenging situations.
Here are a few tips and considerations if your organization finds itself facing internal or external scrutiny:
Gather your team, gather the facts to determine whether you should go public. Play offense with your narrative — or implement "strategic silence."
People want to know what happened. You want them to know what you're doing about it. Own it right away, apologize if you should or challenge with compelling facts; tell your story on your terms and through your channels.
Remember the six C's when managing a crisis: Compassion, Correct info, Confidence, Consistency, Calm = Credibility
The media is not an audience — it's an intermediary to reach key audiences. Remember all your stakeholders may need to hear something from you, including clients, customers, vendors, partners, donors, elected leaders, etc. Don't forget your internal audiences — staff, Board members, others who are likely to get asked and can be good ambassadors for your message.
Tomorrow will come. Whether you're preparing for an issue to break publicly or you're in the thick of a crisis, always remember what you say and do today will impact your credibility and reputation tomorrow. Be smart, strategic, and ask for help - outside counsel provides objective analysis, experience and bandwidth that is critical when emotions can run high for organizational leaders.
Crises don't occur between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. In fact, in our experience, 6 p.m. on a Friday before a three-day holiday weekend or Sunday at 10 a.m. is when we often get called. JT's senior crisis communications strategists are available 24/7 to jump right in. We also offer a 60-minute crisis communications presentation to senior organizational leaders and Boards to help them understand how best to prepare for and handle a crisis.
If you're interested in learning more, contact JT CEO and Managing Partner Mary Patrick at (312) 573-5470 or mkp@jtpr.com
Look for Mary quoted in Marijuana Business Magazine and Healthcare Risk Management for additional tips.
CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
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