Don't Risk Your Reputation Capital: How MSP Leaders Can Communicate Effectively During A Crisis

By T.J. Winick, Issues Management Group

To be an effective communicator in responding to an urgent matter, it’s often necessary for MSP leaders to simultaneously strike several different tones. How much of one and how little of another is necessary depends on the nature of the crisis and what information constituents will require to feel confident in the response. For instance, if an email sent to customers about a data breach sounds genuine, but doesn’t include actions to solve the crisis, the brand won’t come across as proactive, and stakeholders won’t have much confidence that the issue is being addressed urgently.

Consider which of the following qualities your company should help clients project during a crisis.

1. Competency

Whether an individual sits atop a Fortune 100 or a small nonprofit, subject matter expertise and strong leadership skills, including communicating, are among the most crucial elements to their success. The last thing anyone wants is a CEO, president, or executive director who is viewed as merely a puppet of the board of directors. No one is immune from a crisis. What you say and how you say it in responding to the crisis is what sticks with people, and it can either bolster or bankrupt your reputation capital.

2. Authenticity

Arguably, this is the most critical tone a brand needs to reflect when its reputation is under attack. The public can forgive a leader who isn’t the most skilled communicator if they’re perceived as telling the truth. Although I rarely counsel clients to say absolutely nothing in response to a crisis, keeping silent would be a smarter move than issuing a statement that projects as hollow, insincere, and smarmy. Sounding self-congratulatory is a missed opportunity to build on the trust and respect your brand has presumably built up over the years. Even when mounting a robust defense against an allegation that has no merit, the tone of communications should remain confident but humble. Gloating is never a good look and can only have negative repercussions.

3. Empathy

It’s critical to try and understand and appreciate the situation from the other party’s perspective. This is especially the case when an event or issue is responsible for the suffering of an individual or group. When thinking through written statements or an interview with reporters, consider how to humanize your brand and avoid language that might portray the organization as an entity that cares more about profits than people.

4. Trustworthiness

Straightforwardly delivering difficult news conveys honesty and integrity. This also means ensuring consistent messaging across audiences. If you can’t establish yourself as the reliable go-to source of your own information, expect people to judge your brand harshly: at best, disorganized and incapable of managing your own problems and,

at worst, disingenuous and intentionally misleading. Remember: trust is earned over time and through hard work, not with a snap of your fingers.

5. Proactiveness

Be prepared and plan for threats before they happen. Once in crisis mode, get ahead of the questions you anticipate will be asked. Then, define the narrative and describe what you’re doing to address the situation to ensure it never happens again. Once your version of events has been wrestled away by the press, a competitor, or a disgruntled member of your own community, you’ll spend unnecessary hours cleaning up a mess that could easily have been prevented. In the chaotic moments following a crisis, rumors and misinformation can spread quickly. Ensure stakeholders have a clear and accurate picture of what occurred.

6. Protectiveness

Defend your hard-earned reputation. It’s OK to circle the wagons, but don’t adopt a bunker mentality in which vital information isn’t shared, the brand “lawyers up,” and communications include defensive and self-righteous language. Again, it’s how you respond that will define the episode and, potentially, your legacy.

7. Transparency

Heed the well-worn expression “Sunshine is the best disinfectant.” Don’t try to cover up certain details when they’re an integral piece of the issue at hand. This information always comes to light in the end. It’s better to rip the Band-Aid off and be forthcoming about what took place, even if some form of mismanagement or oversight was primarily responsible. The faster you come clean, the sooner you can make amends and move past it. I’ve warned against oversharing, but equally important is not sounding as if you’re holding back or cherry-picking facts to portray your brand in a more positive light.

Debrief

Even if you speak in a manner that demonstrates all of the traits described, there can always be critics who could call you out, criticize you, and portray your business as a bully picking on a much smaller adversary. Consumers are savvy and can discern when a brand is just paying them lip service. Remain vigilant.

About The Author

T.J. Winick is the author of Reputation Capital: How to Navigate Crises and Protect Your Greatest Asset. He heads the crisis communications practice at Issues Management Group and is a former journalist.