A Guide to Crisis (Prevention) Communications

You can minimize the impact of even a self-inflicted wound

Today I am publishing not just one post but two - this one and a post about Stony Creek Strategy and our offerings. You can find Stony Creek Strategy info under the header menu pictured below:

This is a Mission Critical Communications post but I’m solo this week because Lauren is up to her eyeballs in UNH board meeting and commencement activities.

How is everyone doing out there?

Me? I’m worried. Not only for the people I care about who work in schools, but for the entire sector and the kids it serves. It seems as if there’s a lot of stress out there. It makes me glad I am not a head of school, but not in a satisfying “I contributed and did my bit” way - more in a “how is anyone doing that job and keeping their sanity” way. Honestly, it feels a little like survivor’s guilt.

I am quite sure not everyone is feeling this way so I hope you’re not as you’re reading this - and more than likely, it is the context in which I am speaking to people that amplifies what I hear. People aren’t generally reaching out to me to talk about how great everything is going.

But the level of stress out there seems real and worth noting. Not only do people seem to be exhausted by stretching themselves to meet the needs of struggling kids, it seems that decision making has devolved so that in many cases it feels random and chaotic and totally and somewhat mysteriously top down. Although I think the word “transparent” can occlude a true need for discretion and privacy in some instances, it feels to me that stress and panic are fueling this swing away from clear process.

I get it. Sometimes it just does not seem possible that you can find the energy to plan carefully how to execute on a decision that needs to get made. Who needs to get told when. What email has to get sent. And you’re the boss, right? You’re the one having to make the goddamn hard decision because the wellbeing of the school rests with you. You know what you need to do and it’s too bad if anyone has a problem with it.

I totally get it because I’ve done it. And sometimes it is the best you can do.

However, I also suspect that part of this pattern out there of less process is an avoidance of difficult conversations and conflict, of not having the energy for that nasty piece of the business. But in the end, you still end up having difficult conversations and conflict exacerbated by the “black box” nature of the decision making. And you often drive these conversations underground, and then they pop back up again in ugly and far more distracting and potent ways.

A serious and respectful approach to communications strategy provides all of the following:

• Crisis prevention

• A conflict management tool

• Removes some of the angst about figuring out a process because you already have robust avenues for communication you use regularly

• Supports effective leadership rather than threatens it

I think that last piece feels counterintuitive to some leaders, but it is absolutely the case. Maybe it feels like “I just need to get it done” or “I don’t owe anyone an explanation” or “People need to trust me.” But it actually demonstrates huge confidence when you frame, explain, think about timing, and indicate avenues for dialogue. It allows you to shape and control the message rather than dumping the message by the side of the road to die, become a zombie and then bite you in the butt when you don’t expect it..

Let’s look at this a little more closely.

There’s the crisis that a) fits a typical definition of a crisis, something tragic or urgent or Act of God-like that happens and the world shifts on an axis - either your world or the world at large. That’s the call the attorney - connect with the Jane Group kind of crisis. It’s nothing we can control for, other than to do the tabletop exercises, pray if you’re inclined, and call on that perhaps dusty crisis management and comms plan in the binder.

Then there is the “self-inflicted wound” potential crisis. 

That’s the bombshell decision that is communicated with only the haziest of unsatisfactory details, maybe has leaked, and has no follow-up avenues for community members to process. This could be because a leader didn’t anticipate the decision would hit like a bombshell or it could be the “I’m the boss and what I say, goes” approach. 

By proceeding like this, marching forward with a show of force and a “cross me if you dare” attitude, you are basically ensuring the ripple effects will be intense and long lasting. You give up control of the message because you haven’t communicated a message - you’ve laid down an ultimatum.

Then there is the “it’s coming down the pike” potential crisis. 

There’s studying the financials and knowing you will need to implement a hiring freeze or offer a buyout or do layoffs.

There’s the dawning realization you need to eliminate or substantially change a beloved program because no one enrolls in it anymore.

There’s the plan to put up that new building - right where the Class of 1968 planted those memorial trees.

Then there is the persistent problem situation that just won’t go away.

It could be with a family. The less involved divorced parent who suddenly becomes involved and isn’t crazy about that discipline decision or the way a health situation was handled six months ago. The person who doesn’t get an answer she wants, so she keeps looking for another answer. 

Then there is the icky HR situation.

It has to be kept confidential but you know is already fueling gossip and mild shock waves out into the community or soon will be - and you’re absolutely bound by confidentiality. And you’re worried about triggering potential lawsuits.

And now we need to worry about virtual places and incidents - social media is often a gathering place for people looking for like-minds and an outlet and something really simple - an alum who is upset about those trees, for example - can slowly build into something more. It can be really difficult in that context to differentiate who has a serious issue that needs attention and who is jumping on the bandwagon. 

And what is perhaps the thing that makes these situations even harder to deconstruct and manage is that you have many different people giving you input as to what they think is developing into a crisis. 

So what’s a leader to do?

Understand your Leanings - and the Leanings of Those Around You

Do you tend to overreact or underestimate?

This is a tough one, especially because given past experiences, it can shift wildly. But neither one is 100% percent correct all the time. Often social media kerfuffles never go anywhere and a few empathetic DMs from the director of comms redirecting unhappy people in a more productive direction can work wonders. Other times, ignoring a rumor about a parent petition for all the reasons you think this might be overblown gossip makes sense until it shows up on Facebook one morning.  And then once this happens, it can be easy to see danger everywhere.

It also can be extremely difficult to keep your head when all those around you are losing it. Sometimes even though an incident is observably minor, the panic has spread so widely you can’t just tell people to get over it. And this is even more complicated if, as was the case with mid to late stage COVID management, your school or organizations exists within a context where other schools’ risk management strategy is either way more conservative or liberal than the culture at your school. 

Understand your director of communication’s leanings

Ideally, this is somewhat complementary and you have a sense once you’ve chewed things over, you land in a reasonable place.

One idea - have a very small “assessment team”

It is helpful to have a small group of trusted leaders who can act as your assessment team. This is not a full on crisis management team that you might break out to handle one major event and refer to your crisis plan. This is a small, consistent group that you bring these slow rolling but troubling situations to so you can help you see it clearly. But it can be invaluable if you listen to this team - they may have the pulse on a much different part of the community than you do and prevent you from walking into that pothole (or worse, that sinkhole).

Two Golden Rules That Work Together

Rule One:

Ensure a compassionate and empathetic tone with every single communication around the issue.

Often the discomfort we feel in dealing with a messy, conflictual situation is to retreat into our positions and put up what we think of as clear boundaries. 

That goes for everything from the announcement about layoffs or a program being phased out to the response to the unhappy parent.

Announcements

You are not fooling anyone if you announce something you know that will make people unhappy by not acknowledging that fact. You will piss them off.

So if you’re canceling the once popular astrology program, you can mention it was once very popular.

If you have to do a power point at a faculty meeting to explain a hiring freeze, acknowledge this stinks.

I would strongly advise against going on and on about how difficult it was to make this decision because frankly no one cares or will have sympathy for you and it will just be off-putting - but you can be a human!

After the announcement, see Golden Rule 2

Social Media Kerfuffles, HR, Parent Situations

You can express that you understand why they are frustrated.

You can have clear boundaries and express a genuine understanding that the person is going through a hard time and that must be difficult. You can repeat back what someone has told you so that they understand you heard them. 

With that in mind, keep any written communication brief and offer a call or meeting. And the call or meeting might be a long one. Be prepared to listen, although particularly in the social media kerfuffle category, they may not take you up on it. Check out this post for more insight as to the conversation itself.

Rule Two: Always try to get back in relationship with people rather than dealing with “a situation”

Try and engage with people as individuals whether it is an individual situation (HR, etc) or if a decision has created upset. The more it feels that it is “the institution” vs the person who is upset, the greater chance the situation will escalate as a person looks for allies, redress, etc. 

There is nothing worse than the person who is “trying to do you a favor” by telling you “everyone” is upset about X. It’s not helpful and it’s manipulative. In the end, if you can’t ID who the individuals behind “everyone” is - keep offering opportunities for 1-1 connections but if no one is taking you up on it, no one is taking you up on it. It’s worth thinking about why no one is taking you up on it, though. 

The goal is not to make a person “happy.” They may well go away still unhappy with the discipline decision or the position that is not being replaced or the program that is being cut. But remember the goal is to connect as humans, not to solve what the person sees as “the problem.”

From my perspective, the trickiest thing about these communications is sorting out the situation and how much attention to give it. It’s easy when you and your team are surrounded by it to misjudge and have something metastasize into a much bigger deal than it needed to be. And to sort it out effectively, you have to let at least a small number of trusted advisors in to look at all the angles. 

Of course, it’s lonely at the top and there are a few issues that absolutely must be the most confidential of confidential. But fewer than you think and often with a few good minds in the room you can find an alternative to what might be a self-inflicted wound. And as I said in my difficult conversations piece, I wish every leader the wisdom and collegiality I got from my relationship with my attorneys at Shipman and Goodwin. 

There is no leadership prize for always going it alone at the hardest moments. And if a crisis blossoms, as they inevitably do, it eats into your energy and morale, which helps no one. So why not try and keep them to a minimum?

And hey everyone, it’s May! Even though May in schools is bonkers, I always liked the bittersweet sense of the ending. The feeling that things are about the change, the celebrations, the taking of a breath, then the hope for new potential. It’s May. Try to enjoy.

Julie