Fundamentals of Crisis Communication Focusing on E ff ective - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Fundamentals of Crisis Communication

Focusing on Effective Techniques & Building Trust Presented by

Kelly Huston

And a special guest appearance by Joe Wood

• 1. Who you are
• 2. What do you hope to learn today
• 3. The thing you’re most passionate about

(personal or professional)

Keeping Perspective

What Really Matters?

Case study

Crash: September 12, 2008 at 4:22 pm Consequences: 25 deaths, 135 injured This 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 no

• ne-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 hours 10 years ago 4 hours Today 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 Covello

Center for Change/Risk Communication

Risk Communication: Key Concepts

• 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)

Risk Communication: Key Concepts

• 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 are stressed 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

first 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 Study Richard 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 & Expertise Honesty / Openness Listening / Caring / Empathy / Compassion All Other Factors

Determination in first 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 concerns that will be raised by any stakeholder (the press) in any controversy (crisis) can be predicted in advance. Implications?

3

Rule of 3

Low Stress

Brain can hold on average

7

High Stress

Brain 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 Map

Stakeholder Question or Concern

Key Message/Fact

1

Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.1 Key Message/Fact

2

Key Message/Fact

3

Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.2 Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.3 Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.1 Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.2 Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.3 Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.1 Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.2 Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.3

27/9/3

Message Map

Stakeholder Question or Concern

Key Message/Fact #1

Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.1

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

Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.2 Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.2 Keywords or Supporting Fact 2.1 Keywords or Supporting Fact 2.2 Keywords or Supporting Fact 2.2 Keywords or Supporting Fact 3.1 Keywords or Supporting Fact 3.2 Keywords or Supporting Fact 3.3

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 Exercise

Stakeholder Question or Concern

Key Message/Fact #1

Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.1

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

Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.2 Keywords or Supporting Fact 1.2 Keywords or Supporting Fact 2.1 Keywords or Supporting Fact 2.2 Keywords or Supporting Fact 2.2 Keywords or Supporting Fact 3.1 Keywords or Supporting Fact 3.2 Keywords or Supporting Fact 3.3

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 flip 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?

The Communication Flow

Public, families, critics, supporters, colleagues, naïve folks, etc.

Remember who you’re really talking to when you do an interview or go

• n camera.

The Communication Flow

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 Commandments For Successful Interviewing

10 Commandments For 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

10 Commandments For Successful Interviewing

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) 436-1711 kbhuston@gmail.com

www.ProCommunicator.com/hah