Not all crises are the same
When is a crisis a crisis? Not every misfortune or negative headline automatically leads to a reputational crisis—and only such a crisis is truly dangerous for companies and individuals in positions of responsibility: People can be forced to resign, and in extreme cases, companies can even be destroyed. It is therefore worth analyzing an event carefully before taking the appropriate communication measures. Patrick Rohr on crisis communication.
An event can actually lead to a crisis for the company. Let's take the example of a fire in a joinery and imagine that the entire stock and practically all production equipment and the production hall are destroyed.
This event meant a major crisis for the company: it could no longer supply the products it had already manufactured, production at its own site was out of the question for the time being, customers had to be put off and major losses had to be accepted.
The event does not necessarily lead to a reputational crisis, which would have a lasting negative impact on the company. In an initial phase, the media report on this type of event neutrally and stick to the facts. If, at a later stage, no self-inflicted fault or negligence is established as the cause of the accident, the public reacts to the event with lasting concern and regret, which can even be beneficial to the company's reputation.
The opposite is true for the following (real-life) example: A patient died during a routine operation at Langenthal Hospital. The reason: an operating nurse had mixed up two blood reserves. Blick reported on the incident on its front page.
Such an event does not represent a crisis for the company. As tragic as it is, deaths are part of everyday life in a hospital and do not disrupt operations. And even if there is an investigation after such a case: Hospital operations are not affected.
However, such a headline can be very damaging to the hospital's reputation. If a company fails to communicate quickly and correctly in such a situation, it suffers a serious reputational crisis which, in the worst case, can even destroy its existence.
Communicating correctly means that the hospital management, which must take the lead in communication in such a situation, must take the lead,
- discloses all known facts
- shows a willingness to take responsibility ("We are doing everything we can to find out how this could have happened, we must prevent it from happening again").
- Demonstrated leadership ("We immediately ordered an investigation and tightened the safety regulations.")
- expresses regret and sympathy ("We are very saddened by this incident, our thoughts are with the relatives of the deceased patient").
It is fatal if the hospital management
- shows no willingness to communicate
- shows no concern
- assumes no responsibility
- does not strike the right note ("Something like this can always happen.")
- claims ("Our quality management has not failed").
- Salami tactics (only just admitting what the media can prove anyway).
So when a company cries out "Crisis!", it is our job as communication experts to help it analyze the event and choose the right communication measures. Not all crises are the same, and not all crisis communication is the same.
Patrick Rohr (43) is a communications consultant and author. The company of the former TV presenter ("Arena", "Quer") offers media and crisis training and makes video and TV productions ("Basler Zeitung Standpunkte"). His guidebooks "Reden wie ein Profi" and "So meistern Sie jedes Gespräch" (published by Beobachter Buchverlag) have become bestsellers. www.patrickrohr.ch.
Concise statements in interviews, media releases that get published, crisis communication that convinces: Patrick Rohr reveals the secret of successfully dealing with the press, TV, radio and the new media. His guide is aimed at entrepreneurs, politicians, representatives of associations and authorities. 224 pages, Fr. 45.- 1st edition, 2011 ISBN 978 3 85569 464 8
