A crisis can come in many forms, and it can happen to anyone—from a derecho devastating homes and businesses in Iowa to something that causes questions from customers that the head of your company is not prepared to answer.
No matter what kind of crisis you might experience, there are formulas for how to respond well—and, when followed, they can help protect your company’s operations and reputation, said Molly McPherson, public relations advisor, on a recent episode of Critical Connections, NTCA’s members-only webinar series.
A crisis can happen to anyone. It’s not just big brands. It can happen to a local business. It can happen even at a school board level.
– Molly McPherson, Public Relations Advisor
The prospect of sending children back to schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the safety protocols that are required is one example of a potential crisis for schools and parents, but, “a crisis can start in the board room, at a decision, a policy, or behavior,” said McPherson.
To help her clients overcome crises, McPherson offers two formulas for successful communication: ABCs and 123s. With the ABC formula, she encourages companies to think about the Aim of the response (what you want to achieve) and the Body of evidence (the background information available) before finally Communicating an effective response. With the 123s formula, McPherson touts, 1) Owning the issue by admitting any wrongdoing and providing accountability; 2) Clarifying the crisis by explaining what happened; and 3) Promising to address it.
“You can get through any issue as long as you apply all those things,” she said.
Looking for crisis communications tips? Listen to McPherson’s Confident Communications podcast.
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CRITICAL CONNECTIONS WEBINAR SERIES
The Critical Connections Webinar Series is a live, weekly update on the most pressing issues for rural broadband providers, plus a deeper dive on essential information to help you stay prepared for whatever the future may bring. View more webinars like this one.
