5 Strategies for Successful Crisis Leadership
by Rob Weinhold, Chief Executive of Fallston Group When it comes to crisis, it isn’t a matter of if but of when. Having an effective crisis management strategy in place is critical not only for weathering the storm but for rebuilding as quickly as possible afterward. These five strategies will help you minimize damage and maximize recovery. Embrace and seize the moment. Short-term adversity can be a long-term advantage if you are able to meet the moment with impact. Look for ways to make your company bigger, faster and stronger than before. As a leader, you have the ability to make an immediate and valuable difference. While everyone does make mistakes, people trust those who handle crisis with the honesty, decisiveness and optimism it deserves. Yes, optimism! Follow the Resilient Moment Communications model. The underpinning of success is the ability to communicate effectively, especially in dire, unexpected circumstances. The Resilient Moment Communications model, developed by Dr. George Everly, Jr., Ph.D., one of the founding fathers of the modern era of stress management, provides an excellent communications blueprint: What happened? What caused it? What are the effects—realized and anticipated? What is being done about it? What needs to be done in the future? If you can fully answer the above questions during times of crisis or adversity, you will have answered the key questions the overwhelming majority of people have during life’s most critical times – you will provide effective leadership. Stay present. Incredible leaders emerge when the chips are down and there is seemingly no way out. The lesson that has always remained with me is the power of presence. The ability to look someone in the eye with empathy and compassion during adversity is critical. You must ensure you and your company are ready to meet the moment, no matter how uncomfortable or unpleasant. Certain life occurrences will yield themselves whether you are there or not. Be ready to meet the moment with vigor, transparency and, again, decisiveness. Be predictive with the press. When it’s time to address the media, be certain to plan for every question and eventuality. There is a tendency for CEOs to want to go on camera without fully preparing because they are used to speaking publicly and know the organization very well. Avoid this temptation and list all possible questions, answers, follow-ups and counters. Train on camera, relentlessly. An eight to fifteen-second sound bite can ruin your reputation, and career. Don’t wing it. Prepare for every interview and press conference no matter how mundane or harmless it may seem. Again, train relentlessly as in this digital age there is no such thing as a local news story any longer. Plan your work, work your plan, stay the course. Once a plan to deal with a crisis situation is put in place, remain true to your vision, conviction and the plan’s ability to perform. This is key. Staying the course is essential in any crisis, once an effective plan is defined. Mid-course correction is sometimes necessary but always have a plan that’s straightforward, easy to understand, easy to execute and scalable at a moment’s notice. During times of sensitivity, adversity or crisis, the most important thing you can do is step up, be present, and answer the tough, yet important, questions. Even better, be prepared before a crisis so you and your company will know what to do during and after – you must create organizational muscle memory – many people are depending on you to lead them through the storm. Always remember Fallston Group’s mantra, “If you don’t tell your story, someone else will. And, when someone else tells your story, it certainly won’t be the story you want told.” Be first. Be fast. Be accurate! Crisis isn’t a matter of if but of when, and when crisis strikes your company or organization, being a competent ambassador and leader during a crisis are critical components to you and your organization’s longevity.
Crisis Chat: A Renewed Focus on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
Why Do You Need a Crisis Communications Plan?
Crisis Communications Plans are designed to provide guidance and easy-to-follow steps to support clients in preparation for, management of and after-effects of proper crisis communications. Reputation leads to trust, trust leads to valuation. Effective crisis prevention, identification and communication rely heavily on education, training, professional judgment and experience of an internally formed Crisis Management Team (CMT), which clients learn how to create by following instructions within the plans Fallston Group creates. The CMT’s ability to manage smoldering issues and understand ways in which issues can escalate is essential to effective crisis response and recovery. Crisis communication is integral in the protection of people, assets and brands. Organizations that wait to respond, hesitate or lack visibility of action create uncertainty and anger – it diminishes marketplace trust. Client CMT’s must efficiently and effectively communicate so others do not fill the informational gap created by silence or misinformation. Any employee who is not authorized as a spokesperson should not make statements, comments or declarations internally, externally, to vendors, media, on social media, etc. All employees should direct inquiries to the designated (and trained) primary and secondary spokespeople. When an emergency occurs, the need to factually communicate is immediate. If client operations are disrupted, all stakeholders will want to know how they will be impacted. Regulators may need to be notified, and local government officials will want to know what is going on in their community. Employees and their families will be concerned and want information. Neighbors living near the impacted area may need information—especially if they are threatened by the incident. All of these “audiences” will want information before the organization has a chance to begin communicating. Velocity and accuracy is key – the crisis communications plan facilitates speed and process – organizational muscle memory is created. A vital component of handling an incident is the crisis communications strategy. Clients must be able to respond promptly, accurately and confidently during emergent circumstances in the seconds, hours, days and weeks that follow. A diverse audience pool must be reached with information specific to their unique interests and needs. Client image will be positively or negatively impacted by public perceptions and the handling of the incident from a leadership, strategy and communications standpoint. Planning is power. With new technology, it can be the anonymous public who often “break” a crisis. Therefore, unlike earlier eras, the crisis management team cannot afford to simply “manage the media.” Remember, anyone with an internet connection and a recording device can wreak havoc on your brand. Fallston Group’s mantra is alive and well, “If you don’t tell your story, someone else will. And, when someone else tells your story, it certainly won’t be the story you want told.” From a leadership standpoint, you must be ready to meet the moment, the 60 MINUTES moment, if need be. Your legacy depends on it. To learn more about Fallston Group’s crisis management work, click here, or contact us to discuss a Crisis Communications Plan for your team.
Distance Makes the Leader Grow Stronger
By Stephen Amos, Fallston Group Performance & Executive Coach The most successful and impactful leaders are those who strike a solid, healthy balance between productivity and relationship-building. These are the leaders who encourage their teams to arrive 20 minutes early for strategically-important meetings, to allow time for bagels, coffee, and catch-up. They are the leaders who add “how do you feel about our action plan” to the bottom of the agenda for those same strategically-important meetings. They genuinely want to know and are willing to adjust based on the voices of their teammates. They are honest and transparent; the kind of people workforces gravitate toward because they are trusted. They are “my door (or Zoom line!) is always open” kind of leaders. They care about things like health and wellness, work-life balance, how Rachel’s son did in his tennis tournament, and if Jacob’s mother’s surgery went as planned. They are real people, with big hearts, and they aren’t afraid to let it show. In fact, to them, vulnerability is a strength. This past March, COVID-19 ramped up and businesses of all sizes and verticals quickly adopted new telework protocols. Leaders faced a whole new set of challenges. Scratching tasks off to-do lists in virtual work settings is one thing. Connecting with people on a personal level, using a phone or web-based platform, is another. Leaders have had to figure out how to set or sustain positive, encouraging, nurturing cultures, with groups of people they no longer see physically each day. They have had to think about and practice resilient leadership from a very different perspective – from a distance. As I’ve interacted with leaders and teams from various businesses over the past several months, it’s clear that some are knocking the ball out of the park in making these necessary adaptions. Others are still struggling to manage business “as usual” with so many new workforce dynamics. I believe there are five tactics every leader who leads from a distance must embrace, in order to keep their team engaged and connected: 1. Make time on every conference call or web-based meeting for personal connection. Don’t assume you’ll have a few extra minutes at the end, after you get through the agenda, to catch up. Make this a prioritized agenda item. 2. Ask a lot of questions and make sure your people know you want their open, honest answers, even if they are hard to hear. Good leaders, and their teams, are transparent and elicit feedback from each other. 3. Make sure your people have the right tools, supplies, and resources to work remotely, for the long-haul. Don’t assume they have what they need or expect them to make out-of-pocket investments. Ask, and then put processes in place to resource them correctly, on the company’s dollar. 4. Encourage your people to create and commit to a work schedule with daily start and stop times. Without them, the line between work time and personal time gets a bit blurred and stressful. As leaders, while we appreciate that staff is willing to go the extra mile and put extra time in to get the job done, we also need to encourage balance – now more than ever. We need the best version of each person to present, daily. 5. Set a good example. Your people are watching you. They are listening to you. They may replicate your approaches. They may adopt your attitude. Approach each day, each meeting, or each priority the way you’d like to see your team approach it. Remember, the ‘shadow of a leader’ is alive and well. Some say distance makes the heart grow founder. I believe distance makes a leader grow stronger.
Striking Balance as the Storm Rolls Through
Last week, I was speaking with a prospective client about the value and importance of crisis leadership and the need to make decisions with accuracy and velocity. The conversation went well and toward the end I asked the executive if there were any additional questions I could answer. She wanted to know what we might be able to do to generate quick positive stories about her business to offset and avoid any negative press coverage that may be on the horizon. I believe my response may have caught her by surprise. “You don’t spin your way through crisis, you lead your way through. New stories can certainly be shared and in the mix, but timing is key. And, it’s not exclusively about offsetting the negative news you want to keep under wraps. Instead, you approach crisis with honesty, transparency, and with a vision for what life will look like when your worst moment is in the rear-view mirror. It’s not about avoidance; instead, it’s about leading while striking a balance as the storm rolls through. It truly is about operating at the intersection of leadership, strategy and communications.” Anyone who has worked with Fallston Group knows that we almost always choose to face the storm head-on, and play the long game. Effective crisis management is not a 36 or 48-hour process or engagement that tackles an isolated incident. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It’s about understanding clients’ personal and professional goals – short, mid, and long-term. It’s about identifying risks, threats, and liabilities that may occur and how to heal the bumps and bruises that may go along with them. It’s about merging leadership, strategy, and communications in a way that positions the client to be bigger, faster, and stronger after that defining moment than they were before. It’s about giving the client every reason under the sun to understand the importance of long-term marketplace trust. That prospect I spoke with last week became a Fallston Group client yesterday. The decision to contract with us was an easy one, she explained. She acknowledged that her company has in fact been spinning through crisis, and that the time to change their approach, and lead through crisis is now. In fact, this particular crisis was now viewed as a platform for positive real reform, versus a hard chore to get through. Every day, Fallston Group is engaged with unique human beings, all looking at life through different lenses based on their own experiences and lessons learned. We are here to listen, analyze, and act, with precision, as we commit to fighting a daily battle on their behalf. It’s what we know. It’s what we do. It’s what our own reputation is built upon. Today is the day to halt the spin cycle. Choose to lead through crisis Instead. Your future depends on it.
School Year Decisions Offer Perspectives We Can All Learn From
The start of the new school year … it’s here, and it sure is showing us how important it is to remain flexible and open-minded as we continue to manage the impact of COVID-19 on our world. Many school systems – from K-12 through colleges and universities – announced a few weeks back that they would be opening for in-person learning in some capacity this fall. A short while later, many came forward with announcements to change those plans, shifting to fully virtual models. Then, last Thursday, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and the State Superintendent of Schools, Karen Salmon, called a press conference, encouraging county leaders to rethink their plans and strive to open sooner rather than later. Opinions are all over the board. Some are happy to be erring on the side of caution and safety at all costs. Others are irate, rallying for schools to open now and pushing for kids to have the opportunity to interact face-to-face with their teachers, substitute teachers, and peers as the top priority. Many are simply confused; a result of too many mixed messages coming from too many different people, all at one time. I believe the processes schools are going through and the reactions people are having to them warrant some pause and reflection – whether you are a parent with a school-aged child or not. Why? In some cases, the magnitude of logistical challenges the school system is navigating mirrors what many of us are facing in both our personal and professional lives, in today’s COVID-19-centric world. As we tackle challenges that must be overcome, what we think will happen, what we want to see happen, and what will actually happen, are three very different things. In the end, opinions will vary greatly. Not everyone will be happy. Most decisions will come with pros and cons. And, even once a decision is made, the potential for change will continue and be constant, for the foreseeable future. As leaders, just like parents whose kids are about to embark on a different kind of school year with many unknowns still in the mix, our job right now is to calm the storm the best we can. We must remain flexible, open-minded, and adaptable. Today’s plan of action, whether we like it or not, may change by tomorrow. Most importantly, we must be transparent. We must communicate often and clearly. We must lay out Plan A, as well as Plan B and perhaps even Plan C. We must consider the best timing for delivery of any and all messages. And, we must account for how our people (just like the kids) will respond to them. What will resonate positively? What may be upsetting or concerning? What questions will rise to the surface, and how can we be proactive in answering them? We’ve all heard the phrase “the only constant is change.” Bottom line – now is the time to accept it and embrace it, in a way like never before. The decision-making processes we are seeing play out in our school system offer perspectives we can all learn from.
Ousting Leadership, A Good Start…
Reports this week of three top producers being ousted from The Ellen DeGeneres Show is a good start. It seems the allegations of sexual misconduct, racial insensitivity and other issues that may, in some minds, create a hostile work environment is being taken seriously by Warner Bros. As with any investigation, once an accurate command of the facts is known, sanction must swiftly follow. And the north star of the company should not be show ratings or money, but what’s right. The terminations, however, should not be the finish line of this probe. Perhaps there is more personnel fallout – if not terminations, certainly some form of progressive discipline as knowing about issues but failing to do something about those very issues is tantamount to being complicit. Playing “go along, get along” should be a thing of the past and certainly not rewarded. All of this makes one wonder why it took so long for Warner Bros. to trigger an investigation. Perhaps the long-term rumors had not gained enough momentum and those in positions of power were not in enough pain. That said, once the story broke in mainstream media, plenty of people, both internally and externally, seemed to have known about the negative smoldering culture. Clearly, what had been happening behind closed doors was the not the “Be Kind to One Another” public persona many know and love about Ellen. This is a leadership moment. Crisis costs time, money, stakeholder confidence and careers…this crisis is no different as Ellen’s organizational crisis trajectory is the same. Now that several executives have parted ways and Zoom apologies delivered by Ellen to approximately 200 staff members, it will be interesting to see what the road to recovery looks like. What do future hiring, retention, training, discipline, supervision, reporting and leadership practices look like? How will they be communicated, embraced, put into practice and monitored? The goal must be to create long-term sustainable change, from the bottom up and top down – Ellen’s legacy is in the balance.
Be Kind to One Another: Did Ellen Practice What She Preached?
A year ago, if you asked me to name a celebrity who has been successful in building a strong and positive reputation, Ellen DeGeneres would have come to mind fairly quickly. In her rise to fame, she has sung, she has danced, and she has made many people belly laugh with her quick-punch jokes and witty humor. She has told inspirational stories, given to the needy and worthwhile causes, treated unsung heroes like superstars, and has become best of friends with more Hollywood A-listers than can be counted. Bottom line – people generally like Ellen. She has been on top of the world for quite some time. And for that reason, it’s possible that she and her producers never worried too much about reputational risk. After all, she’s ELLEN. Talk about a big assumption, a significant oversight, and gigantic lesson learned. What actually happened in Ellen’s production studio? How aware or involved was Ellen? Good questions, but at this juncture, likely also moot points. The damage is done. Think about how many people out there are feeling different about Ellen, the celebrity they respected and idolized today? The headlines are no longer about the check she presented to a school, an amazing guest who wowed Ellen enthusiasts on her afternoon show with some kind of jaw-dropping talent, of the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways. Today the headlines are about a toxic and abusive work culture that was created, with Ellen at the helm. In turn, Ellen DeGeneres is very clearly in crisis, with a future that is incredibly unstable. In fact, her reputational piggy bank is realizing daily withdrawals like never before. I always stress that you don’t spin your way through crisis, you lead your way through. The decisive moves Ellen (and those with a controlling interest in her entertainment property) makes and the messages she delivers in the coming weeks, as a leader, are absolutely critical. They will factor in heavily as she continues to be judged in the court of public opinion, and her potential for recovery becomes defined, in tandem. Whoever is guiding her from a crisis and issue leadership standpoint has a gigantic responsibility, and a million and one challenges to tackle … not the least of which is marketplace trust in alignment with Ellen’s motto: Be kind to one another. Ellen’s story reminds us all that no one’s reputation is so solid and strong that it should be considered invincible. This story reminds us of Warren Buffett’s famous quotation: “It takes twenty years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” It is the precise reason why Fallston Group exists, and serves as the trusted resource and partner for so many who need to be prepared for crisis, who need guidance and support during times of crisis, or who need direction and solutions to recover and move on from crisis. Management of your reputation during times of adversity is one of the wisest investments you can make. Just look at Ellen. And if handled properly, Ellen can be bigger, faster and stronger after this defining moment than she was before.
The Power of Crisis Leadership (Part Three)
The following is the last of three excerpts from a feature article, written by Rob Weinhold, Fallston Group Chief Executive, and published by “Captive International” in July 2020. Read part one here and part two here. Looking for ways to ensure your reputational piggy bank continues to overflow? Fallston Group offers the following guidance, based on our most powerful lessons learned over the past decade of helping clients through events of adversity: Never erode your integrity: misinformation breeds distrust. There can be an immense pressure to “make your organization look good.” Many want you to press your nose up against the ethical window of truth and transparency. Do not cave in to others who would like you to lie, distort the truth or leave vital facts behind which alter messaging and perception—this is tantamount to a lie. Once it’s lost, you will never fully restore your integrity. Be relevant: as the art of traditional and digital press relations evolves within a changing worldwide media landscape, many leaders seem less inclined to return a reporter’s calls, or otherwise seek to delay the release of information. Some view this as refusing to feed the “media monster”. By sticking their heads in the sand and not responding, businesses make themselves irrelevant and ineffective. If you don’t tell your story, someone else will. When someone else tells your story, it certainly won’t be the story you want told. Know the facts: a common mistake of many who speak publicly revolves around not fully preparing and gaining a sound understanding of the facts before articulating their position. Too many professionals jump out on camera or in front of an audience with no substantive information or an unwillingness to engage with questions. Not knowing the facts or relying on the “no comment” phrase is unacceptable. Know your position, know your craft: it’s your legacy. Be predictive: when preparing to deliver a message, be certain to plan for every question and eventuality. There is often a tendency for people to want to go on camera without fully preparing because they are used to speaking publicly or know the organization very well—chief executives are good for this. Push back and demand ample preparation. Failing to plan is planning to fail. An eight to 15-second media soundbite can ruin your career—just ask BP’s former chief executive, Tony Hayward, who recklessly uttered “I want my life back” after one of the world’s most damaging oil spills that killed 11 people in 2010. Don’t wing it; prepare for every interview no matter how mundane or harmless it may seem. Build media relationships: know those who tell your story—media and your ambassadors—as well as your detractors. You want to get the benefit of the doubt when people tell your story. It’s not about an unfair advantage, but simply balance. When managing the media, gather intelligence from reporters and news organizations—ask them what angle they plan to cover, who they are speaking with and what their position is. They are under no obligation to share these details, but you’d be amazed at what they will tell you, particularly if there is an existing relationship or future mutual need. Video doesn’t tell the whole story: a video account of what happened does not factor many variables—what each party said, body language from all angles and what transpired before and after the footage. In today’s digital world, everyone is a citizen journalist with an opinion, and many want to be the next YouTube sensation. More is recorded and shared than at any other point in history. The emergence of video has changed all professions, but be careful when making a judgement or decision based solely on video evidence. Treat video for what it is: another tool in the search for the truth. Practice, practice, practice: it is essential to practice public speaking. Practice on camera in an authentic, safe environment. Reputations on camera can save your career. Seek advice from colleagues. take a look at how others have responded during times of crisis and leverage their lessons learned to your advantage. Your colleagues, peers and competitors are invaluable pools of knowledge and can serve as the single most important case study resource. Be a student of your peer experiences and learn from other’s successes and missteps. Of the many leaders I’ve worked with during crises, there are two benchmarks of success which allow leaders to quickly maintain control and weather the storm. First, they put their hand in the air and recognize they are in trouble—they don’t let their ego get in the way. Second, they ask for help from their trusted circle. Recognition of trouble and decisiveness in action will help you turn short-term adversity into long-term advantage.
The Power of Crisis Leadership (Part Two)
The following is the second of three excerpts from a feature article, written by Rob Weinhold, Fallston Group Chief Executive, and published by “Captive International” in July 2020. Read part one here and part three here. I’ve worked with partners in the healthcare space on a myriad of issues, including accusations of patient dumping, criminal activity, gross mismanagement, sexual harassment accusations and medical malpractice claims, to name a few. There is no shortage of issues to contend with in this industry. In many cases, those filing claims will lay their case out, complete with disparaging facts with only a loose connection to the perceived truth, and with an aggressive demand for settlement. Layered into the claim is often the subtly veiled or overt threat of “going public” if the settlement demands are not met within very short periods of time. This leaves the healthcare client and its legal/risk teams with a decision to make: should they settle and avoid the court of public opinion or risk reputational damage for the sake of saving dollars and/or doing what the system believes is fair and just? This is a tricky balance, as the court of public opinion may initially weigh heavily in favor of the plaintiff. Its legal team is often first to market, putting the healthcare organization on the defensive. To complicate matters, the court of public opinion renders a verdict in hours and days, not months and years. Captives are seeing more instances of plaintiff attorneys using the media to attract more clients, as well as threats of class action suits if matters are not settled quickly. This can be especially challenging in cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct: how does one protect the reputation of the corporation or institution without completely submitting to the demands of the plaintiffs? There is no easy answer in such situations. It is important to remember how the corporation or institution handles itself in the media in response to a lawsuit, or threat of one. This will be a factor in determining how that corporation or institution can recover once the event/lawsuit is resolved. It’s imperative to think both short and long-term, understanding that you are setting precedent along the way. It is a time to strategize cognitively, not emotionally. To manage this dynamic, the forward-thinking legal teams I’ve worked with quickly analyze the treacherous traditional and digital landscape—the who, what, where, when, why and how of storytelling. It is about predicting how a story will land—and be reacted to—on varying media platforms, to the diverse micro-audiences who are influenced. Concurrently, there is a lot of due diligence under way to ensure all of the facts are known; spokespeople are identified and trained; ambassadors, detractors and influencers are accounted for; media market is sized up and executive alignment is in tow. It is a real-time chess game whereby court filings or press conferences can occur at any moment. Some healthcare boards put their CEO at the center of the management of their media response. This is best accomplished by having the chief executive on the captive/risk board, so all the facts, nuances and timelines are clearly understood. Generally, in order to respond nimbly to such legal events, having the right people on the board and the right people supporting the captive is central to a favorable outcome. If there is a desire to speak publicly about a lawsuit or pending matter before a case is resolved, it is important to make sure the right spokesperson is selected. Should it be a representative of the healthcare institution? If so, what level? Or should it be defense counsel? Should the spokesperson deal with the print media only, or also broadcast journalists? What about timing? How will the story evolve? What are the plaintiffs and their attorneys saying? Does it matter? The list of considerations goes on and on. An increasing number of organizations are propelled into crisis by video—generally a sudden, digital event. Several years ago, a US-based healthcare system was suddenly thrust on the international stage when its emergency department (ED) security team was recorded escorting a vulnerable patient from the ED to a nearby bus stop wearing only a hospital gown. To compound matters, the incident took place at night with the temperature close to freezing. Needless to say, within 24 hours the video elicited global outrage toward an institution that was “supposed to help people” as cries of “patient dumping” grew in the marketplace. There is no question the situation was mishandled from an operating standpoint—on many levels, and with severe legal implications. Many clients have an internal tug-of-war at this point—do we simply issue a statement and not say anything more in anticipation of the possibility of a trial? Or is it better to get out in front by being open with the media, apologizing and taking responsibility, and talking about the organizational steps forward? It is often the executive leadership who will make that call, at times against the advice of counsel or insurance providers. In this particular case, the chief executive of the hospital stepped-up, apologized and humanized the institution and its response. The hospital’s response was handled brilliantly, in crisis terms, and on television for the world to see. Leadership owned the issue—there was no deflection. Much like a sprinter’s start, effective crisis leadership is about getting out of the starting block strongly and saying the right things for the right reasons. That said, winning the race comes down to sustaining the intense messaging tempo and making the proper leadership, strategy and operating decisions that drive long-term sustainable change. The hospital accused of patient dumping, over time, made timely policy and operating adjustments which serve their community well. This is an example of turning short-term adversity into long-term advantage—a patient advantage.
