Communicating the Right Messages During Difficult Times
The phrase “crisis communications” can send a management team’s collective-blood pressure skyrocketing. But the way such challenging situations are handled—both internally and externally—can define the mood, morale-and public image of an organization for years to come.
Typically when bad stuff happens,-attention is quickly focused on the-organization’s professional communicator for answers and guidance. It is-imperative that the person or team assigned to communications be ready to take-a leadership role.-There is no time for panic, indecision or mistakes. Instead, there must be a foundation in place and a plan of action to follow.
Ideally, an organization has a public relations manager (PRM) or public information officer (PIO) on staff to help build proactive media relations, and define and guide internal and external communications strategies throughout the year. If not, it’s essential that the person or team that would assume those responsibilities, particularly in a crisis, be identified and trained in advance. Once in crisis, there’s no time to learn the ropes; any organization operating without qualified communicators and a plan of action will likely suffer greatly with the public, the media and their employees.
Mecklenburg EMS Agency (better known as Medic) is the paramedic-level ambulance provider for Charlotte, NC, and the surrounding communities. Medic found itself caught in a whirlwind of crisis communications when three major incidents occurred back-to-back. in the winter of 2002–2003 Each situation would tax virtually every aspect of the organization and each would require different communications strategies, but all were effectively handled using the same set of basic principles.
It all started when a December ice storm plunged more than two million people into darkness and cold, as the mercury dropped to dangerously low levels. The storm prompted a public health crisis.
Just a few weeks later, in January 2003, U.S. Airways Express flight 5481 crashed-at Charlotte-Douglas Airport, killing all 21 people on board. Medic could do little to help the victims, but had to act quickly to care for rescuers and to assist other agencies in a difficult recovery operation.
Later that same month, one of the biggest fears in EMS was realized when paramedic Tim Hayes was on duty helping people at a minor accident alongside an icy highway. A tractor-trailer slammed into the Medic ambulance and triggered a chain reaction crash that pinned Hayes against a guardrail and severed both his legs. Now it was time for Medic to take care of its own, and for the community to care for Medic.
Although each of the crises was unique, I had developed a communications strategy for Medic that the communications team then used to effectively respond to each situation. This crisis communications algorithm can be applied to virtually any scenario, with more or less focus given to certain areas, depending on the specifics of the event.
Do Your Research and Get the Facts
Less than 24 hours into the December ice storm, the Medic communications team, led by the PRM, learned that the EMS system had transported more than two dozen people complaining of symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning to local hospitals. All of the patients spoke Spanish with limited English language skills. In each situation, the patients had no electricity and tried to heat their homes using outdoor appliances.
Define/Understand Your Role
It is essential to define and understand your role as a PR professional as early as possible in a crisis. When flight 5481 crashed at Charlotte-Douglass Airport, January 8, 2003, the large group of emergency responders included PIOs from fire, police and Medic. We quickly determined that the airport staff would appropriately take the lead, with all others functioning in a supportive role. The Medic PR team reported to a makeshift media village and served as a liaison between local, regional and national press.
When dealing with major disasters there are often several agencies involved at the local, state and federal levels. A joint information center (JIC) is often established to coordinate all of the emergency efforts, including communications. It is imperative that the communicator for the EMS service work in conjunction—and often under the direction of—the JIC.
Draft Help/Delegate
In the wake of the plane crash, the Medic PR team was drafted for help and given an assignment. In other cases, we directed the action. For example, the life-threatening injuries to our paramedic Hayes required fast, effective and ongoing communication to several audiences for several weeks. A number of staff members were drafted to assist with myriad responsibilities, including media interviews, writing press materials, providing staff updates, returning phone calls to the public, creating a special Web page, managing the flood of electronic and paper mail, establishing a special bank account for community donations, and more. The head of the communications team must take part in delegating and guiding these efforts while keeping an eye on the bigger picture.
Define Target Audiences
Two of the most important steps in developing a crisis communications plan are to identify the audience and define the messages. Remember, there may be several pieces of information directed at a variety of people or groups. Clarity, honesty and direction in these areas are key to successful communications.
During the ice storm, Medic and local hospitals quickly realized that the English-speaking community heard and understood warnings about carbon monoxide poisoning; but based on the number of Spanish-speaking patients, it was apparent the message had not gotten to the Spanish-speaking community—so it became a specially targeted audience.
When Hayes was injured, his personal crisis became very public. Audiences in that situation were his colleagues at Medic, the larger EMS community and the general public, which included individuals, businesses and civic groups.
Define Message in Threes
Once the audience is identified, the next critical task is to identify messages that are meaningful to them. The communications expert must facilitate this process. Often the best way to do this is to sample a few people or gather the most frequently asked questions. For example, Hayes’s colleagues wanted regular updates on his condition and to know how they could help his family. The general public wanted to know how they could donate money or show their support in other meaningful ways. The media requested interviews with everyone involved.
Following a fundamental principle of effective communications, we identified three main messages and stuck to them: We addressed the paramedic’s condition; how his family and colleagues were doing; and the need for safety around emergency vehicles.
His family allowed detailed information to be shared with his colleagues, but only wanted his basic condition released to the general public—a perfect example of differing messages based on the audience.
Special Considerations
No two situations are the same, and there are always special considerations and issues you don’t expect. It’s essential to take the time to ask yourself a number of questions before proceeding:
• Are there other factors that would influence your messages (e.g., laws, policies, active investigations, etc.)?
• What are the wishes of the patient and family?
• Does the organizational leadership approve of the chosen messages?
• What or whom have you forgotten?
• What could go wrong?
Revisit the issue of proper roles and ask yourself if you’re the best person or organization to talk about this. In the wake of the plane crash, airport staff and federal investigators needed to handle all media interviews and communications with families and others. It would have been inappropriate for Medic to assume that role. On the other hand, during the ice storm, who better than a paramedic or EMT to talk about signs and symptoms of CO poisoning?
The decision regarding who delivers the message is almost as important as the information being communicated. For example, when important organizational news is being shared with staff members, the executive director (rather than the PR person) is likely the best person to address employees. Regardless of the topic, he or she can demonstrate executive support and concern for employees and give staff a chance to ask questions or offer comments.
Practicing for interviews or employee presentations is critical. What are the toughest questions an interviewer could ask and how would you answer them? Does the communicator stick to the three basic messages? What rumors or misinformation are already circulating? The motto here is to plan for the worst and hope for the best. If this is done correctly, a reporter will never ask a question that you have not already considered.
Determine Communications Vehicles
Once the appropriate speaker, the target audience and the pertinent messages are identified, the communication vehicle—or way of communicating—varies accordingly. For communicating in-house, pagers, e-mail, memos and so on may be the most effective means of spreading important news.
When dealing with an external audience, the challenge is greater. For example, the target audience during the ice storm was the general public, with particular focus on the Spanish-speaking community. Because of the language barrier, widespread power outages and limited Spanish media, it was necessary to identify a new way to share information.
Medic rapidly translated health warnings about CO poisoning into Spanish and distributed them to the Spanish-speaking community through a number of creative grassroots efforts. Ambulance teams and police brought flyers to Latino neighborhoods. The information was faxed to the Spanish-language newspaper, which then sent it to all of its advertisers for posting in shop windows and at cash registers. The mainstream media ran TV, print and Web stories in both English and Spanish. The result was a significant drop in CO cases, even though difficult storm conditions continued for days.
Most other external communications can be handled through e-mail, news releases, press conferences, interviews and an organizational website.
Communicate
When it’s time to get the word out, try to share information with employees first. Your colleagues should never hear important news involving your organization from the media first. It’s also essential to plan and proceed with media deadlines and news cycles in mind. For instance, don’t schedule a press conference too early or too late in the day, because media outlets may not be able to staff it. Consider calling a media assignment editor to ask if they would be able to cover an event at a specified time. They’re often willing to share their schedule for the day if it helps them get a good story.
In a crisis, handling media interviews can easily become a full-time job. Scheduling press conferences or designating a specific time every day for media availability will be an effective time-management tool.
Evaluate/Monitor
When life is crazy, the last thing you have time to do is watch several newscasts or read every newspaper article, but it is imperative that someone is assigned to evaluate and monitor the coverage generated by your efforts. Delegate the task so that you know if your messages are getting out. Are the reports factual? Are there new opportunities as the story changes over time? Are there mistakes or inaccuracies that need to be corrected? Are your messages being ignored, and can that be addressed?
After the crisis, you’ll likely get plenty of feedback about what could be improved. Also allow yourself the opportunity to identify what worked well. Nothing breeds success better than success itself. Depending on the situation and how often it changes or evolves, it may be necessary to move through this algorithm once an hour, once a day or once a month. But if used effectively, it can take the word “crisis” out of communicating during difficult times.
