How to lead the room before the crisis hits

Understanding the best prep tactics.

Crises can strike at any moment and the pressure to respond quickly can feel overwhelming.

But there is a practical solution for communicators navigating high-stakes situations, Michelle Earhart, CMO and CCO at the University of Memphis and author of “Crisis Compass: How to Communicate When It Matters Most”, said during the Future of Communications Conference.

The following preparation tactics are imperative before a crisis response is necessary.

Know your organization inside and out: Understanding the business, its structure and potential vulnerabilities is crucial to every crisis response. “A crisis communicator needs to understand the business almost as good as anyone in the company,” Ehrhart said.  Knowing where risks may appear allows communicators to anticipate challenges and act decisively. Speak to employees at each level as often as you speak to leaders. Spend a day with frontline employees, collect their feedback on challenges, what’s working well and where gaps exists. Then repeat this with different departments. Don’t just focus on the executive office, she said. It’s important to understand how the company functions as a whole.

Crisis communications is not a solo effort. Developing connections across departments before a crisis ensures smoother collaboration when tensions are high. It also provides insight into current policies, leadership styles and peoples’ strengths and weaknesses. Identify key players and build a relationship with them. This will allow comms teams to have multiple contacts when something unexpected happens, she said.

Align your message: Clear, consistent messaging is essential. “The message brings people together,” Ehrhart said. Tailor communications to different audiences, whether that’s employees, investors or customers, but keep the core story unified and make sure it mirrors the company’s core values. “The day that you have a crisis is not the first day you should have thought about it,” Earhart said.

Make it accessible: Crisis readiness should be holistic, Ehrhart said. Employees should practice crisis protocol with regular tabletop exercises or simulations. Conduct these with real concerns via company town halls, online training tools or webinars. This provides a medium for employees to provide input and ask questions, she said. “Having a framework in place provides clarity and direction when it’s needed most,” Ehrhart said.

When change is constant and uncertainty is inevitable, these steps offer a course for organizations to act decisively, protect their reputation and emerge stronger on the other side, Ehrhart said.

“Crisis communications is a flashlight in the dark,” she said. “if you have it, you can find your way.”

To learn even more tips about crisis comms, head over to view this presentation and more at Ragan Training here.

Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at courtneyb@ragan.com.

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