Fundamentals of Crisis Communication · Empathy! Other Factors ... Message Map Stakeholder Question or Concern Key Message/Fact 1 Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.1 Key Message/Fact

Fundamentals of Crisis CommunicationFocusing on Effective Techniques & Building Trust

Presented by

Kelly HustonAnd a special guest appearance by Joe Wood

1. Who you are2. What do you hope to learn today3. The thing you’re most passionate about

(personal or professional)

Keeping Perspective

What Really Matters?

Case study

Crash: September 12, 2008 at 4:22 pmConsequences: 25 deaths, 135 injuredThis press conference was around 10am the morning after

Team Exercise

‣ What did she do right?

‣ What, if anything, did she do wrong?

‣ How would you have done it?

You are here.

Art

Skills arising from the exercise of intuitive faculties

(and common sense)

Science

Expertness or exactness regarded as the result of knowledge of

laws and principles

There’s noone-way manual

Today

‣ Risk & Crisis Communication

‣ Case Studies & Team Exercises

‣ How to Craft Effective Messages

‣ The “Communication Flow”

‣ 10 Commandments for Successful Interviewing

‣ Easy to Use, Free Tools

What Happened Here?

Anatomy of a Crisis

‣ Complexity of the situation

‣ High stress on all involved

‣ Need for preparation & practice

‣ Need for focus

Impact on the Public

‣ “Normal” life interrupted

‣ Concern for safety of loved ones, themselves

‣ Confusion and fear

‣ Looking for leadership and support

Leadership

Public’s Expectations

20 years ago 24 hours10 years ago 4 hoursToday 4 minutes

Speed of Info Flow Through the Media

Risk & Crisis Communication

Risk Communication: Key Concepts

‣ Over 8000 articles in peer reviewed journals, over 2,000 books and major survey reviews of the field

‣ Dr. Vincent CovelloCenter for Change/Risk Communication


‣ Risk communication is a science-based discipline

‣ High concern situations change the rules of communication

‣ The key to success is Anticipation, Preparation and Practice (APP)


‣ People focus much more on negative information

‣ Process information well below their grade level (AGL-4)

‣ Actively seek out additional sources to reduce risk

‣ “Four Hit Theory” of belief formation

Four Hit Theory of Belief Formation

‣ Once formed, a belief is difficult or impossible to change

‣ Four (on average) unanswered credible hits makes a belief

‣ Less than four hits is still opinion

‣ A hit from one side can be negated by a hit from the other side

3 Goals of Risk Communication

‣ Inform people to be able to make knowledgeable decisions

‣ Build trust and credibility

‣ Persuade & convince, appropriate to what we know

When people arestressed or concerned

‣ Want to know that you care before they care what you know

‣ Have difficulty hearing, understanding, and remembering information

‣ Focus most on what they hear "rst and last

What are the key messages?

What are the key messages?

Considerations

‣ What were her messages?

‣ What were the mayor’s messages?

‣ What does the public want to hear?

‣ What did you see?

Mental Noise

Your brain’s ability on a good day

During high stress or concern

80%20%

Mental noise can reduce the ability to process information by up to 80%

What factors build trust during a crisis?

Trust Determination Model

‣ Competence & Expertise

‣ Honesty & Openness

‣ Listening, Caring, Compassion, Empathy

‣ Other Factors

The Determinants of Trust and Credibility in Environmental Risk Communication: An Empirical StudyRichard G. Peters, Vincent T. Covello, David B. McCallum - Risk Analysis, 1997

Trust Determination Model

What factors build trust during a crisis? 17%

17%

50%17%

Competence & ExpertiseHonesty / OpennessListening / Caring / Empathy / CompassionAll Other Factors

Determination in !rst 9-30

seconds

Communication Tools

‣ 95% Rule‣ Rule of 3

‣ CCO‣ 27/9/3

‣ IDK

‣ 1N=3P‣ AGL-4

‣ Primacy/Recency‣ Message Mapping

95% Rule

95% of all questions and concernsthat will be raised by any stakeholder (the press)

in any controversy (crisis)can be predicted in advance.

Implications?

3

Rule of 3

Low StressBrain can hold on average 7

High StressBrain can hold on average

Messages

Messages

George A. Miller (Department of Psychology, Princeton University)The Psychological Review, 1956, vol. 63, pp. 81-97

27/9/3

27/9/3

‣ 27 Words‣ 9 Seconds

‣ 3 Messages‣ This is what your audience can

successfully process

Simple Declarative Statements

Message MapStakeholder

Question or Concern

Key Message/Fact

1Keywords or

Supporting Fact 1.1

Key Message/Fact

2Key Message/Fact

3

Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.2








27/9/3

Message MapStakeholder Question or Concern

Key Message/Fact #1


Key Message/Fact #2 Key Message/Fact #3









9/11/01 I’m scared. What is happening now?

Highest Levels

President

Military

Safe as possible

Doing Everything We Can

NYPD

Other Agencies

Safe as possible

You’re not alone

People suffering with you

Help

Support

Listen Again: 27/9/3

Message Map ExerciseStakeholder Question or Concern

Key Message/Fact #1


Key Message/Fact #2 Key Message/Fact #3









C C O

C C O

‣Compassion and show empathy

‣Conviction that you and your team can do the job

‣Optimism tempered by reality

C C O

IDK: I don’t know

IDK

IDK: I Don’t Know

‣ It is okay not to have the answer

‣ Do not risk your credibility by creating an answer

‣ Avoid speculating (why?)

Guiliani Using IDK

IDK Template‣ Say you don’t know (or can’t answer)

‣ Give the reason why you don’t know

‣ Indicate follow-up with a deadline

‣ Bridge to what you can say, such as your core messages

Case Study

Team Exercise

‣ You’re the spokesperson for this company

‣ What will be the public’s reaction?

‣ How will you respond?

‣ Develop key messages on #ip chart

The Communication Flow

Hurricane Rita & General Honore

Considerations?

‣ Who was the General talking to?

‣ What were his key messages?

‣ Was he effective?

‣ What does the affected public need?


Public, families, critics, supporters, colleagues,

naïve folks, etc.

Remember who you’re really

talking to when you do an

interview or go on camera.


Public Official(that’s you!)

news media

Techniques“Bridging”

‣ Using a bridge or transition to get to your key message(s).

‣ Question g Answer g Bridge to g Key Message

‣ Refer to your handout examples

Techniques“Flagging”

‣ Notifying the interviewer (or viewer) that you’re about to say something important.

‣ Question g Flag g Key Message

Techniques“Flagging”

Examples:

‣ “What is important to remember is...”

‣ “Let me take a step back and repeat that...”

‣ “Most people are concerned about...”

‣ “Here’s the main thing that the Mayor did..”

‣ “Although it can be confusing, here’s the bottom line...”

Do You Prepare?

10 CommandmentsFor Successful Interviewing


1. Ask yourself “Why am I doing this interview?”

2. Research the reporter & the topic

3. Prepare, prepare, prepare

4. Develop key messages & practice

5. Adopt a cooperative, positive attitude


6. Be aware of your non-verbal communication (Metrolink & General)

7. Don’t repeat the negative

8. Never lie, guess or bluff

9. Avoid “no comment” and “off-the-record” statements

10. Review & verify with the reporter

Recommended Reading

Kelly Huston

(916) [email protected]

www.ProCommunicator.com/hah

Documents

Fundamentals of Crisis Communication · Empathy! Other Factors ... Message Map Stakeholder Question or Concern Key Message/Fact 1 Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.1 Key Message/Fact