Tips To Help You Prevent An Avoidable Workplace Crisis

Crisis management experts share media training tips

Let’s face it – most people are uncomfortable giving public statements about good news, much less speaking for an entire organization in the middle of a crisis management situation. While refusing to answer questions might seem like a solution, the reality is that not responding to asks or delivering the oh-so-passé “no comment” reads as “we’re guilty” in the minds of the public. The number one way to reduce the natural fear many have on this topic is to be prepared, and on that note we’d like to share 4 Quick Tips For Responding to Reporters from the Bernstein Crisis Management media training experts:

1. If you really are severely pressed for time, put on your “calm and confident” face and try telling the reporter that you’d absolutely love to grant an interview but there just isn’t enough time right now, and would they like to get their story via phone or email in the near future?

2. If a certain subject needs to stay under wraps, pull that “calm and confident” face out again and tell them you can’t talk about that just yet, but as soon as you’re able they’ll be the first to know.

3. If they’re pressing for an in-person interview and you’d rather be in control or you don’t feel 100% prepared to deal with tough questions on the spot, all you need to do is tell them you would love to do an email interview instead.

4. If legal issues really do prevent you from discussing a specific topic, let the reporter know you wish you could, but that your attorney has advised against discussing anything related to litigation, but perhaps some statement would be released at a later point..

There are many cases where you can, and should, deny a request for further explanation (especially when sharing more might negatively impact legal strategy), but always do your very best to offer an alternative message and make sure you remember to come across as compassionate, confident, and competent while doing it!

[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is vice president for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

We love to connect with readers on LinkedIn! Connect with Jonathan | Connect with Erik

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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Crises don’t wait for your organization to be established for 20 years. All young companies experience growing pains, and sometimes they face a potentially game-changing moment early on, one that could stall or stop the trajectory towards success. In this post, Jon Harmon – Bernstein Crisis Management team member, and founder of Jon F. Harmon Strategic Communications – looks at one such situation that impacted emerging pet provider Wag, and how they conquered a potential crisis management nightmare.

When a sudden event threatens your company, step up like Wag

What do you do if you’re a five-year-old company suddenly faced with an existential crisis—that is, an unexpected event that threatens the very future of your business?

If you are dog-walking service provider Wag and one of your independent contractor dog walkers has kidnapped the dog he was supposed to be protecting, and the Internet is beginning to light up, you pull all the stops to make things right. And then emerge with an even stronger brand.

Two days ago, a New York couple contracted Wag to walk their dog, Benny, as they had done many times before with good results. But this time the dog walker from Wag abruptly had to cancel, so the company sent a second walker. When he arrived at the Troper’s apartment, he discovered that Benny was missing. Wag called the couple who frantically contacted the police. Surveillance video showed an intruder keying in the code to the apartment and then stealing their dog.

“Someone walked into our apartment with the intent to take him, just him, no other valuables,” Max Troper said. No one beside the Tropers and Wag had the code to the apartment, so suspicion quickly centered on the dog walker who had cancelled.

At this point, things looked bleak for Wag, a fast-growing app-based company that unofficially aspires to be “the Uber for dogs.” Oh, and I should mention that the Tropers are pretty obsessive about their dog; in fact, Bennie has his own Instagram page. So this insider dog-napping case was quickly going viral.

Facing a tsunami of public anger if the situation was allowed to fester, what did Wag do?

• Assure the Tropers that they would do everything possible to find Benny.
• Immediately hire a private investigator to work with the NYPD to track down the rogue contractor and rescue Benny.
• Have actress Olivia Munn, a prominent investor in Wag, message the couple expressing her support.

And say all the right things to the media every step of the way:

• Asked to explain their hiring process for their dog-walkers: Wag told the CBS New York affiliate that all their applicants are screened through a background check and also have to complete an online test covering dog safety.
• But the company’s main message was its desire to help bring home Benny safely, confirming to media it had hired a private investigator to assist police and was fully cooperating with the NYPD.
• When Benny was back home safe, Wag dog-walked the fine line of taking responsibility while pointing out its existing safety measures, thanking police for their swift action, and then stepping back to let the story with the happy ending center on Benny and the Tropers. On Good Morning America this morning, Wag provided this statement:
  

  “Every walk on the Wag! platform is insured and backed by the full support of our Trust and Safety team, which means in the extremely rare case of an incident, we are committed to working directly with the pet parent and the appropriate law enforcement agency.”

This post was originally published on the Jon F. Harmon Strategic Comms Blog. Click here to read more from Jon!

More and more often while working with clients we see examples of how extremely polarized audiences have become today. While gauging public reaction to your crisis communications is a recommendation any expert will give you, fewer mention the fact that you may see completely different responses to the same messaging depending on which public is viewing that message. Let me give you an example…

An organization runs into trouble which results in national news coverage and has to publish a corporate apology. When they go to listen, they are met with a flurry of mixed reactions. On Twitter their response is being eaten alive, with a heavy dose of trolling added in for good measure. But, over in the comments on CBS and NBC coverage of the issue the public seems cautiously receptive and prepared to move on. Meanwhile, a post mentioning the situation pops up on the local Nextdoor forum and, while there are some vocal doubters, the discussion has quickly moved on to the positive experiences former employees who live in the area had there. To round things out, the direct email campaign to customers and business partners is being met with responses sharing understanding and minor concerns which customer service staff is actively addressing.

A bit confusing, right?

Yes, you absolutely want to gauge the reaction of anyone who isn’t outright trolling you, and yes I will always advise taking measure of even known opponent’s reactions to crisis messaging. However, you need to understand that each platform or medium comes with its own audiences, that those audiences are often tremendously polarized in terms of their world view and beliefs, and that this polarization means the most extreme of reactions in either direction must be taken with a large grain of salt. In fact, I’m fully convinced that if Shakespeare himself came back with a Master’s in Public Relations and authored your messaging, some people would STILL tear it apart because that’s how the outrage machine works.

Understand the polarity of your publics, recognize which reactions are actually genuine or important, and avoid letting the “yes” crowd make you overconfident. That’s how you successfully listen to an audience today.

[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is vice president for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

We love to connect with readers on LinkedIn! Connect with Jonathan | Connect with Erik

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[The following is an excerpt from a guest contribution by Silicon Valley-based writer Leslie Kelsay, who explains why crisis communications pros need to take a stand in regards to attorneys over-lawyering messaging when a simple explanation is best.]

We get it: Corporate counsel’s job is to protect the organization from risk. But crisis communicators often must exert authority on clear messaging with attorneys who would sacrifice clarity hoping to minimize future legal or financial risk, even when they don’t have to.

Take Nabisco parent company Mondelez when limited batches of Chewy Chips Ahoy! were recalled in April 2019.

Mondelez’s press release said the recall was because of “an unexpected solidified ingredient.” They indicated “some reports of potential adverse health effects have been received.”

What was a cookie consumer to think? The worst, that’s what.

Rat droppings? Globs of grease from the machine that forms the dough? Blobs of curdled milk?

Somewhere in the communications approval chain was an attorney or two who wanted to tamp down the potential economic value of existing claims and limit the number of potentially false claims.

But the murky language raised more headlines and consumer concerns than the recall itself.

What was the “unexpected solidified ingredient”?

Cornstarch.

To continue with the rest of Leslie Kelsay’s article, click here.

[While this guest post from tech expert Josh Wardini isn’t exactly about crisis management, cyber security risks stopping you in your tracks will quickly lead to a crisis situation!]

Cyber security is a crucial practice in today’s top companies. It is essentially the practice of protecting a network, a single or a series of devices from attacks that come in various forms. For cyber security to exist, there has to be underlying threats that companies need to protect themselves from.

There are numerous threats companies are vulnerable of, and as hackers are becoming more advanced, more techniques are being implemented as well. While there is a library of potential dangers to be wary of, here are a few threats that are more dangerous and are more common than others.

Software Issues

Surprisingly, there are still many companies that run on outdated operating systems or software. There is a reason why the developers behind these software release updates and new versions, and that is to protect their clients from viruses and other dangers online. Many companies are hesitant to update their software as it takes time and money to do so. However, refusing to use the latest versions opens up their network for more attacks.

Unsecure Connections

Even Wi-Fi can be an entry point of attacks. Understandably, companies want to provide their customers with free Wi-Fi connection while they are within the vicinity, but there should at least be some restrictions. Making Wi-Fi connections publicly open will give attackers an entry point when making their attack.

Phishing Scams

Phishing scams are mostly spread through emails. Attackers will recreate a website or an email that looks like it truly came from the company being imitated. Using this email, the attackers are able to extract important credentials such as addresses, contact details, and the most worrying of all, bank account details.

While it may seem primitive, many still fall for phishing scams to this date. Perhaps its simplicity and effectiveness are two of the reasons why it remains popular among other hackers.

Ransomware

By the name itself, Ransomware is a form of extortion. Attackers will block a company’s servers or assets and prevent them from being accessed by anyone else. The block will only be lifted if the company chooses to pay a fee before a given set of time. If companies fail to pay within the allotted time, the hackers often destroy crucial data to further coerce the company into paying up.

Staff With Lack of Training

Threats to cyber security don’t always have to come from attackers from outside the companies. Even the employees themselves could make a company’s servers or systems vulnerable to attacks if they are not properly trained. They could be prone to falling for phishing scams while browsing under the company’s servers. Even minor issues such as weak passwords could become a hole in a company’s cyber security. Brands should invest in proper training for their employees as they are the key entry point of most attackers.

The threats to cyber security are real, and they are getting harder to deal with each year. Companies should adapt and fortify their cyber security as the attackers behind the threats are becoming smarter and more aggressive.

Infographic URL: https://techjury.net/stats-about/cyber-security/

This guest post from leadership coach, facilitator, trainer, and author Mike McKenna takes a look at a strategy that will help you save projects before they ever encounter their first hurdle out there in the real world. Mike and his company, TEAM Solutions, are innovators in teaching leaders how to improve their response, especially in crisis situations, and we’re proud to call him a part of the Bernstein Crisis Management team.

Avoiding Project Failure…

Nothing says success like killing your project before even starting it, right?

Let me explain.

Picture this:

You assemble your brain trust around the table to launch your next, big initiative. Saving the rain forest, responding to a disaster, overhauling the tax code, whatever.

You – as the mindful leader – offer your high-level view of the HOW, the WHY, the WHEN, etc. And then you ask for and receive thunderous support.

Sometime later everyone is seated around the same table, head in hands, trying to figure out why the initiative failed so spectacularly.

Then “Jason” pipes up from the back of the room: “well, I coulda told you THAT was gonna happen!”

Grrr.

Here’s a simple way to avoid having to thump “Jason” in the head:

The Project Premortem.

Unlike the postmortem exam we perform on dead people and things to figure out how they died, a premortem is, you guessed it, just the opposite.

Now picture this:

Same meeting, same project, same people (including “Jason”).

You – the mindful leader – after delivering the project overview ask:

“If this project fails, what will be the reason?”

“Now pair up, take 5 minutes and report your findings.”

This provides “Jason’s” moment to shine: “It will fail because nobody is using a VHS player anymore, duh!” (or similar insight, of course)

Voilà.

Now you have more insight and forecasting from a collective brain trust by which you can make a more informed decision and reduce the chance of project failure.

So when you can ask “Can everyone support this plan?” You’ll get informed nods in return.

One piece of interesting backstory is how some of the Stoic philosophers (Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus) also practiced pre-mortems. Except they called them premeditatio malorum, which translates to a “premeditation of evils.”

Similarly, a strategy of inversion or starting at the opposite end was embraced by the German mathematician Carl Jacobi. He used the mindset of man muss immer umkehren or, “invert, always invert” to solve vexing problems.

Aside from the history lesson, how does this help us today?

To read the rest of Mike McKenna’s article, including the answer to that question and examples of how this project-saving method works in real-life scenarios, click here.

Building a solid base for communication in crisis

Crisis communications plans can’t be the same regardless of situation, but there are some common principles that are involved in just about every situation. Make sure you build a solid foundation on top of these proven principles and you’ll find your communications are much more on-target and effective leave yourself significantly more room to think about incident-specific actions or outside-the-box solutions to the issue at hand.

In a reassuringly simple yet educational infographic, India-based reputation firm Astrum did a great job of presenting Crisis Communications 101 in visual form:

[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is vice president for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

We love to connect with readers on LinkedIn! Connect with Jonathan | Connect with Erik

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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What do you think? Is this strategy smart, or overly risky?

Whether you want them to or not, someone who has been a public representative of your company for many years carries that association with them even after they retire. That means whatever they decide to do with their personal life…well, it’s going to impact your organization. Now often folks simply head off to play a bit of golf, but if they decide to jump into the political arena that’s a whole ‘nother story. Cue the story of Starbucks and former CEO and chairman Howard Schultz, who announced that he was considering a 2020 presidential run.

Anticipating questions from customers – both legitimate and staged for social media I’d assume – Starbucks circulated some talking points for baristas to use when pinned down on the topic.

As reported by HuffPo:

The coffee chain’s “Barista Need-To-Know” update for the week of Jan. 21-27 included instructions on how to “diffuse [sic] the situation” should anyone “share aggressive political opinions,” as well as what to do if someone asks about Schultz’s “political intentions.”

From the weekly update (emphasis not ours):

“… partners [i.e., employees] may be asked questions by customers or hear media speculation about Howard’s potential political intentions. We encourage you all to take a moment to review the talking points below with your partners.

If a customer asks if we are selling Howard’s book at Starbucks:

No, the books are available at bookstores and online.

If a customer attempts to investigate, or share aggressive political opinions, attempt to diffuse the situation by sharing:

We respect everyone’s opinion. Our goal is simply to create a warm and welcoming space where we can all gather, as a community, over great coffee.

If asked about Howard’s political intentions:

Howard’s future plans are up to him.

So, is this plan smart, or is it overly risky? You can catch Erik Bernstein’s take on it over at the Bernstein Crisis Management blog, but we want to hear from you! Share thoughts in the comments or hit that contact button to let us know directly and you could be featured in a future post!

[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is vice president for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

We love to connect with readers on LinkedIn! Connect with Jonathan | Connect with Erik

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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Create a rock-solid foundation for crisis communications

Crisis communications plans cannot be cookie-cutter, but there are certain principles that apply to just about every situation. Get the core bits down pat, and you’ll leave yourself significantly more room to think about incident-specific actions or outside-the-box solutions to the issue at hand.

In a simple yet highly informative infographic, India-based reputation firm Astrum did a great job of presenting Crisis Communications 101 in visual form:

[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is vice president for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

We love to connect with readers on LinkedIn! Connect with Jonathan | Connect with Erik

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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