How companies can successfully master crises

How can a company avoid getting caught in a shitstorm? Well-functioning crisis communication is the key.The outrage was great when the manipulation of emissions values at Volkswagen became known in September 2015. The company lost billions in stock market value and the trust of its customers. How must a company react in such a situation? The challenges have certainly not become smaller. In the course of digitalization, social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter offer everyone the opportunity to make their displeasure known publicly. Companies are then suddenly caught up in a so-called "shitstorm" that is difficult to control. That is why crisis communication is becoming increasingly important.Deficits in crisis management at companiesNevertheless, the importance of crisis management is underestimated by many companies, as Patrick Suppiger, President of the Swiss Crisis Communication Association, emphasizes. "Many companies are well positioned operationally. However, there is a lack of dedicated crisis management that is regularly practiced and trained." If a crisis occurs, communications departments struggle with the time factor and the lack of or untrained resources. "As a result, interaction with key stakeholders cannot be granted within the desired time, let alone provide the content to be conveyed," says Suppiger.He compares the situation to a top athlete: he, too, needs preparation and training in order to be able to call up his performance in competition. According to Suppiger, professional preparation consists of the following points:1. recognize and understand crisis potential early on.2. create structures and instruments.3. introduce crisis prevention and an early warning system.4. implement and train as well as sensitize processes.Early warning system, risk management and special task forceAccording to Jan Karbe, a certified PR consultant and head of the Risk and Crisis Communication course at the ZHAW, professional handling of crises should consist of an early warning system, functioning risk management and a practiced special task force. Risk awareness and systematic observation of the environment ("issue monitoring") must be switched in parallel. "This helps to have a well-functioning early warning system, and this alone gives you great chances of either averting a crisis or surviving it with minimal damage," says Karbe. "Those who do without it will regret it sooner or later. The effort involved is always less than the follow-up costs of a malfunctioning crisis communication. "The best way for companies to learn is from those who got into a crisis before them. But this happens far too rarely, according to Karbe. "One reason is overconfidence. People think they are infallible," Karbe said. "Often the undoing starts with a leadership culture that hinders rather than promotes the corporate culture."Social media monitoring compulsory instead of freeDigitalization and the boom in social media platforms have made it much easier to disseminate information today. Today, information can be sent worldwide with just one click. As a result, companies can participate directly in dialog via Facebook, Twitter, etc. and send messages to the relevant stakeholders without having to rely on traditional media. The downside, however, is the great transparency, speed and public component that have developed with the new media.According to Jan Karbe, additional issue monitoring geared to social media has therefore long since become mandatory rather than optional. "With participation in blogs, tweets and other platforms, important target groups can be included in the formation of opinion. Andreas Heizmann, Practice Leader Crisis & Issues Management at Farner Consulting AG, also notes that digitalization has exponentially increased reach and speed. "This brings risks as well as opportunities. Organizations that live digitization communicate more naturally and therefore better, even in a crisis."Lufthansa as a showcaseWhat does a good example of crisis communication look like? Both Patrick Suppiger of the Swiss Crisis Communication Association and Andreas Heizmann of Farner Consulting cite the Germanwings tragedy as a showcase case. On March 24, co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately caused a Germanwings plane to descend. All 150 occupants lost their lives. "The parent company Lufthansa immediately took over active crisis communications afterward and maintained a high presence on all available proprietary channels and in the media," says Suppiger. "Coordinated with the high information pressure from the media and the public, those responsible provided information in sync. "Suppiger was particularly struck by the authentic appearance, which was important and appeared credible. Here, the performance of Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spor stood out in particular. "Whether it was care for relatives, a minute's silence or logos colored in black and white: Germanwings and Lufthansa set visible signs that created a solidarity effect externally and especially internally." The fact that several public prosecutors' offices in different countries were investigating the case also placed high demands on communication. Three different governments got involved and also had a high presence. "After the tragic Germanwings accident, it was clear that the processes and structures at Lufthansa were working," emphasizes Andreas Heizmann of Farner Consulting.

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Ten deadly sins of crisis PR

1. save on the early warning systemCrisis prevention costs money without concrete added value. Not worth it!2. dive firstGo into hiding and be denied. The crisis is bound to die on its own.3. ignore the emotionsWe are not psychiatrists! We completely ignore people's worries, fears and needs.4. lie, scheme and manipulateTruth and clarity do not help in a crisis.5. think you are infallibleWe do not make mistakes, even if that is what is being claimed now. We don't need insight, and we certainly don't need the consequences of mistakes.6. tell the truth only when there is no other way... and if the truth does come to light, please only bit by bit.7. do everything aloneOnly wimps need help. Do without allies and external crisis consultants.8. neglect social mediaI'm not on social media, and neither is hardly anyone else in my circle of acquaintances. Where is the crisis supposed to come from?9. send the lawyer firstWith media, criminal and trademark law, the Kill Team from the legal department kills every crisis. Especially in social media.10. make sure that at least you surviveFollow the rules #1 to #9 carefully. If it still goes wrong, make sure that someone else gets the blame for it.Author: Simon Wolanin