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As the year draws to a close, we cannot help feeling a sense of uncertainty about what lies ahead. Turbulent times, uncertain times, crisis, whatever we choose to name it, the current economic situation is here to stay for a while and calls for focus and steadiness.
It is time to articulate a vision for the aftermath of the storm, no matter how long or how damaging it might be. Crisis leadership, engaging stakeholders and scenario-planning will do much to instill confidence and motivation that is sorely needed. Holding your position and prioritizing critical functions, such as crisis communication and management, will help your organization remain resilient and reveal new opportunities.
Let’s begin with a look at the current situation:
The financial and economic turmoil is having a clear impact in a number of areas: jobs, consumer spending, credit, etc., and is leading to downsizing, restructuring and even bankruptcy.
The perception that the situation is worsening is causing a shift from overspending to under-spending. This generates two types of behaviors:
- “Pro-activity” by companies that are not yet affected, as in making budget-cut decisions that would have/should have been made anyway, using the economic downturn as the reason. This reinforces the overall perception that things are bad, and that measures are needed to remedy the situation.
- Knee-jerk reactions by companies that are already affected, such as cutting budgets for marketing, travel expenditures and so on, forgetting that focusing and holding a steady position is often the most sensible course.
Both types of reactions have the effect of compounding the negative effects of the situation.
Is this new? Not really. We’ve all witnessed and/or been part of crises before. But is anything different this time?
What’s typical?
- The uncertainty—not knowing how bad the crisis will be and how long it will last.
- The situation will get worse before it gets better.
- There will be highs and lows of information, rumors and speculation.
- As usual, the news media feeds on bad news, eclipsing good news in the process.
- The economy will force change, which is already highlighting opportunities that can be taken advantage of if one is willing to be bold and innovative.
What’s different?
- Everyone will be more or less affected; the crisis is systemic, and not all victims will deserve blame for the tide of failures.
- The relatively new consumer-generated media phenomenon is accelerating and aggravating the spread of information and rumors, causing organizations to feel they have even less control than in previous crises.
So what does all this mean for the business communicator? In a nutshell: We must do more with less.
Staying focused and prioritizing are essential to holding the course and weathering the storm. Here are a few critical steps:
1. Demonstrate crisis leadership. Whether you are the CEO, a department head or team leader, showing people the light at the end of the tunnel will help rally the troops and prevent widespread infection by the negative spin “bug.” Articulate the direction you chose and communicate about that direction; stand up and be seen, emphasize values, tell it like it is and be assertive. Remember: Confidence inspires confidence.
2. Map and engage stakeholders selectively. Who are your stakeholders, and what are their positions (positive, negative, neutral) toward the current economic situation? Spend your efforts/resources effectively: Focus on the individuals who you know will listen. Articulate a vision of the way you would like to be perceived by key stakeholders in the aftermath of the crisis. Craft messages carefully and stay consistent—even when facing conflicting agendas among stakeholders.
3. Plan for various scenarios. Assess the impact of potential next steps proactively: Develop simple “what if” scenarios, build strategies, and prioritize actions based on the importance of each stakeholder group and the yield you can generate from each group.
4. Communicate proactively. “Tell it all and tell it fast” has always been the best crisis communication advice. This can never be truer than in the context of blogging and consumer-generated media. Today, whatever is said inside an organization is likely to end up on a blog. Don’t just ignore this trend; grab the new medium and use it to channel your organization’s messages. This requires resources, active monitoring and the ability to respond quickly.
5. Regroup and redeploy resources. Budget cuts don’t have to mean a cessation of all activities. Quite the opposite, since stopping all activities often contributes to the downward spiral. Instead, using the following common risk analysis criteria, determine which programs are:
- Critical
- Must-have
- Nice-to-have
Certain tasks will be more demanding now than in “normal” times—for instance, blogging, media communication, fending off rumors and speculation. So be creative, and rework, reschedule and re-deploy your team. For instance, assign tasks to junior employees who crave greater responsibility and want an opportunity to show they can do it. Remain open to opportunities: Some members of your team may welcome more time off or flex time.
Every period of turmoil is frightening; it challenges the status quo and threatens our comfort zones. However, with their understanding and experience of stakeholders and grasp of complex issues, communicators are well placed to face the challenges and opportunities of change and to help management lead the way.
In the words of Whitney Small, director of communications for Asia-Pacific Africa at Ford Motor Company: “When turbulence hits, the best response is being calm and straightforward about the situation. Rumors are more easily put to rest when an organization is trusted, but credibility can also be won through transparency and truthfulness. Communication teams do great work when they pause and ask themselves, ’Is that the right thing to do?’”
Caroline Sapriel is managing director of CS&A International Risk, Crisis and Business Continuity Management, a consulting firm specializing in crisis anticipation, prevention, mitigation and recovery with offices in Europe, North America and Asia. She can be reached at
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