Crisis Communications Management: Introduction to 5 Key Principles to Consider When Planning

Crisis communications management should be at the core of any organisation's communications strategy. Foundations, much like any other company or organisation in the public eye, cannot escape scrutiny by the media, and they must be prepared for a full range of potentially negative news stories.

Today's news cycle now moves at warp speed with the proliferation of blogs and social networks, mobile communications, and the rise of 24 hour cable news channels. Now, it is more crucial than ever before to plan for crises in advance and be ready to respond swiftly and forcefully to contain potentially negative stories.

This document introduces topline issues to consider when planning for a crisis. Each crisis presents its own set of unique challenges, and any plan should be individually tailored for each foundation after a thorough review of the organisation's media strategy.

Overall: Advance Planning Is Key

Organisations that don't plan for crises in advance are often caught unprepared. In a rush to react or respond to probing media inquiries, they risk making mistakes that can damage the organisation's reputation in the long term.

Advance planning, regardless of the size of the foundation, can help to save a foundation's reputation during its most strained and difficult times. In some cases, if handled in the right manner, a serious crisis can become an opportunity to showcase a foundation's core beliefs and strengths - sometimes resulting in a more positive reputation.

For example, in planning for a crisis, organisations that focus on grant-making should plan for situations where controversial issues might arise with grantees. Most news stories involving controversy follow the money trail, and that often leads to grantmaking organisations -- even if the funder has no relation to the issues in question. Lawsuits are also ripe for negative media coverage, and organisations must be prepared to deal with a variety of legal scenarios.

1. Prepare in advance: Develop a Crisis Communications Plan

In preparation for any crisis, a foundation must explore a range of scenarios that could happen - from the best case to the worst case. In a critical situation, the choice is usually between being on the defensive, and taking the offensive. It's always best to be on the offense. However, this must be clarified among stakeholders early, to avoid confusion both inside and outside a foundation, and to avoid sending mixed messages to the media and other interested parties.

Some foundations use the advice of outside consultants and firms to assist in crisis communications planning, providing a more objective vision of how to handle a range of crises. Others develop the plans in-house. Regardless of who develops the plan, a foundation must be able to objectively view how their actions or responses might be viewed from members of the media or the public at large.

2. Determine key decision-makers and media-train spokespersons in advance

Every foundation has a command structure, but how this structure functions during a crisis must be clarified with all the stakeholders in a foundation, particularly the communications department. A crisis can hit at any time, and a foundation needs to determine secondary command structures in case key decision-makers are unavailable at the time a crisis occurs. Foundations need to decide which situations warrant which spokespersons, and plan accordingly.

Media-train in advance your spokesperson Effective spokespersons should receive professional media training and should be wellversed on how to deal with the press. An organisation's spokespersons need not necessarily be the most senior staffers. For example, in some cases, field officers are able to present a case more compellingly than staffers working from HQ.

3. Prepare and drill key messages and talking points

Regardless of a crisis communications situation, foundations should strive to communicate consistent and clear messages throughout all of their communications - ranging from printed materials such as annual reports and websites to speeches, presentations and press releases. In most scenarios, an organisation can (and should) continue to communicate their key messages through a crisis. Underscoring an organisation's key messages, particularly under the potential glare of the media spotlight, can help minimise damage by maintaining a consistent message across all communications.

4. Prepare to use technological capacity and tools

Websites, email and other digital media tools can be employed to help contain a crisis, or work to minimise it. In planning for a crisis, a foundation should consider what scenarios would prompt an update on its website, or which scenarios might prompt an official "statement" to be released to media via email, or if social networking sites and other new media vehicles can be employed.

5. Remember your staff

One of the most overlooked, yet important, crisis communications audiences is a foundation's own staff. A thorough crisis communications plan must always include informing a foundation's employees of any developments, and to keep them abreast of the foundation's point of view. Staff morale is always a crucial issue during a crisis, as well as how they communicate to friends and family about any issues facing a foundation. To keep staff morale from declining during a crisis, it is crucial to keep staff informed as much as possible.