Crisis Communication Plan

Corporate Communications Reality Check. Despite the hours (and hours!) that go into writing and refining company statements, a recent Axios newsletter by Eleanor Hawkins tells us that nine in 10 Americans question the sincerity of corporate messages. A study by SmartNews highlights that overly scripted, jargon-heavy statements feel inauthentic and erode credibility. To build trust, we need to communicate differently: ✅ Ditch the clichés – Respondents pointed to empty phrases like "This is a game-changer." and "We're the leading provider in [industry]." ✅ Prioritize action – Statements that show acknowledgment and action were viewed as the most impactful. ✅ Put leadership front and center – Respondents said they are most interested in hearing from the CEO on tough issues or crises. For communication professionals, this is a reminder to be bold in doing what we do best: advocating for our audience and championing clear, direct communication. What would you add to the best practices above?

3 things your team needs to hear in a crisis: When uncertainty hits, don’t wait until you have all the facts to speak up. Instead, communicate early and hit these 3 points: 1. "Here’s what’s happening." Be honest. Even if the message is “we’re still figuring it out,” it builds trust. 2. "Here’s what we’re doing about it." Share the actions being taken, the principles guiding decisions, and what comes next. 3. "Here’s what we need from you." Give people purpose. Invite them into the process. Show them their role in the path forward. This simple framework provides what your team needs most: Clarity. Consistency. Connection. Don’t overthink it. Say what you know. Say what you’re doing. Say what you need. That’s great leadership in uncertain times. For more, check out my latest YouTube video (link in the comments)

How do you prevent mayhem when crises occur that affect you and your team? Bridges collapse. Criminals mow down innocent victims. CEOs have heart attacks. Contagious diseases spread. Layoffs happen. Such crises create havoc as misinformation and fear run rampant through an organization or team. So what’s your part in calming the hysteria among your team? Communication. Communication that’s current, consistent, and complete. When I’ve consulted on handling crisis communication previously, I often get this question from bosses: “But how can I tell people what’s going on when we haven’t yet investigated and don’t have the facts?” That’s never an excuse for delayed communication. Be mindful that when people don’t have the facts, they tend to make them up. In a communication void, people pass on what they think, fear, or imagine. Noise. Keep these communication tips in mind to be part of the solution, not the noise: ▶ Tell what you know as soon as you know it. ▶ State what information you don’t have and tell people what you’re investigating. ▶ Stifle the urge to comment on/add to rumors, fears, guesses. ▶ Communicate concern specifically to those directly affected. ▶ Offer tangible support when you can (time, money, acts of kindness). ▶ Communicate kudos to those working behind the scenes. Accurate, speedy communication creates relationships and cultures that build trust and encourage loyalty. Have you been affected by a crisis? Was it handled well or poorly? Outlandish rumors that circulated? #CrisisCommunication #LeadershipCommunication #BusinessCommunication #ProfessionalCommunication #DiannaBooher #BooherResearch

Chaos or strategy? The White House has dominated headlines this week with a flood of executive orders and a sweeping federal spending freeze (which a DC Federal Judge just blocked). While some moves went viral, others flew under the radar—seemingly by design. In my view, this deluge of news isn’t accidental; it’s a calculated effort to overwhelm and sow doubt among detractors. But, amidst the noise, we can find critical “what not to do” communication lessons for business leaders. When making announcements that impact stakeholders in meaningful ways, clarity and strategy are non-negotiable. Here’s what we can learn from the White House’s approach: 1️⃣ Start with the solution: Don’t lead with disruption. Trump’s spending freeze announcement lacked actionable next steps, leaving stakeholders confused and concerned. Instead, identify the problem, present a solution, explain the “why,” and conclude with the “how.” 2️⃣ Be transparent: Honesty builds trust. Explain why tough decisions are necessary, why they’re happening now, and how you’ll avoid similar situations in the future. Transparency reduces panic and speculation. 3️⃣ Prepare for questions: A robust FAQ tailored to every stakeholder group is essential. Take time to anticipate concerns and ensure all messaging—whether internal or external—is aligned and consistent across channels. 4️⃣ Plan ahead: The best time to create a crisis communication plan is before you need one. Establish timelines for updates, assign roles, and ensure every action is communicated clearly to reduce uncertainty. Leadership isn’t just about making decisions; it’s about communicating them effectively. Executives should always aim for clarity over chaos—because stakeholder trust is built one message at a time. 

Markets were in chaos. Jamie Dimon sent a memo that calmed everyone. Here’s why great leaders overcommunicate in uncertainty: 👇 September 15, 2008. Lehman Brothers collapsed. The Dow dropped 500 points. Clients pulled billions from JPMorgan in panic. Inside the bank, fear spread. That’s when Jamie Dimon did something rare. He admitted what he didn’t know. His memo listed 3 unknowns and 3 certainties - no corporate spin. “We don’t yet know the full extent of counterparty exposure. But we do know our capital ratios remain strong at 8.9%.” Most CEOs wait for perfect clarity. Dimon understood the truth: people fear silence more than bad news. So he built a rhythm. The 3-3-1 Model: Every 72 hours, staff received an update with: • 3 things leadership knew • 3 things they were investigating • 1 concrete action being taken This gave people anchors in the storm. When asked about layoffs, Dimon said: “I can’t guarantee no changes. But I guarantee you’ll hear it from me first - not the Wall Street Journal.” He held daily 7am calls with division heads - not to micromanage, but to gather ground truth. He added a section called “What’s Still Working” to each update. To remind teams: the core still holds. And it worked. While rivals vanished, JPMorgan acquired Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual. Their stock rebounded faster than any peer. A senior risk manager later said: “Jamie’s updates weren’t always good news. But knowing someone was actively steering made all the difference.” This is the paradox of crisis leadership: When uncertainty rises, most leaders go quiet. But silence creates a vacuum, and fear rushes in. The best leaders do the opposite: • Communicate at 2x the normal frequency • Label incomplete info clearly • Focus on what you’re doing, not just what’s happening Because in chaos, your team doesn’t need certainty. They need to know you’re present, thinking, and leading. Want more research-backed insights on leadership? Join 11,000+ leaders who get our weekly newsletter: 👉 https://lnkd.in/en9vxeNk

📢 When chaos strikes, clear communication can make all the difference.📢 As Kuhr Group LLC | Crisis Management enters its third year of a Crisis Communications consulting engagement with a Fortune 100 global energy corporation, we thought we would share some best practices that apply to the public and private sector: 🔹 Timely Updates: Provide early, real-time information to keep the public, stakeholders, and media informed. This is critical in controlling misinformation and controlling panic. 🔹 Empathy: It is essential that leaders address the emotional aspect of a crisis and acknowledge the concerns of affected communities and individuals. This is critical in building trust. 🔹 Transparency: Sharing what is known, what is unknown, and what is being done about the situation fosters credibility and trust. 🔹Jargon: Use plain language, avoiding corporate jargon to ensure message comprehension. 🔹 Accurate and Consistent Messaging: Ensure that communications are credible and consistent across all media and social media channels and platforms to ensure that all messaging is uniform and seen as reliable. 🔹 Simple, Actionable Information: Breaking down complex information into an Easy-to-Understand Call to Acton helps people understand their role in the crisis and how to respond effectively. Effective crisis communication saves lives and supports an effective response and recovery. 💪 #CrisisCommunication #CrisisManagement #EmergencyManagement #Risk #Resilience

Today is the one year anniversary of the Crowdstrike outtage... why do I know that? Well, CrowdStrike reminded me. While most companies would quietly hope everyone forgets their worst day, CrowdStrike is doing something smart—they're deliberately bringing it back up. This is the OPPOSITE of what most brands do. The typical playbook? Crisis → Fix → (Try to) Never speak of it again. Hope it fades from memory. Pray customers or users forget. But CrowdStrike is proving there's a smarter way. This is a strategic communications master class. Most companies spend the anniversary of a crisis hoping no one remembers. CrowdStrike spent it demonstrating growth, accountability, and customer-first thinking. The message to customers is crystal clear: "We don't just solve problems—we use them to become better partners for you." CrowdStrike's customer retention and continued growth post-outage prove this approach works. Good communications isn't just about managing crises—it's about building the foundation of trust that makes your company resilient when crises inevitably come. The lesson for every enterprise leader: Your communications strategy IS your reputation strategy. It sets the tone for your culture, shapes how stakeholders perceive your values, and determines whether people believe in your mission when it matters most. Stop treating communications as a nice-to-have. Start treating it as the competitive advantage it is.

I decided to help Astronomer out. If I were advising this company, we would issue a statement that follows the framework built from nearly two decades in news. I saw first hand how silence speaks louder than anything in crisis. When you stay silent you allow the public and media to control the narrative. Instead, issuing a statement similar to this allows you to acknowledge the crisis, communicate what is being done, take responsibility and explain now what will change. The ACT Now Framework, I created, works. Here’s one option: “Like so many who’ve seen the video, we are appalled by the behavior of our CEO and Chief People Officer. Their actions violated our values and code of conduct. Both have been placed on unpaid leave, and a third-party investigation is underway. We are also reviewing our leadership accountability policies to ensure this never happens again. We owe our employees, partners, and community better and we are committed to earning that trust back.” Why does this work?  It acknowledges the crisis, communicates what’s being done (this is assuming they have policies and if they don’t there’s bigger issues here), takes responsibility as a company and says what they are doing moving forward.  Interestingly, a fake statement from CEO Andy Byron was floating around the internet last night and the company reportedly confirmed to TMZ that the statement was a fake but STILL didn’t give a statement. This tells me there is a pulse in the comms department but the handling of this crisis, in my opinion, is making things worse for the company and shareholders.  Clock is ticking, time is of the essence in crisis. #CrisisCommunications #LeadershipAccountability #ReputationManagement #CorporateResponsibility #PRStrategy #BrandTrust #CommsStrategy #ExecutiveLeadership #CrisisResponse #LeadershipMatters #OwnTheNarrative #CommunicateWithClarity #CrisisLeadership #ACTNowFramework #PublicRelations #CrisisManagement

When (not if) chaos hits, great leaders step up. Master these 7 tactics to keep your team strong and united. In times of crisis, your team looks to you for guidance and stability. Your response can either unite your organization or fragment it. Clear, consistent communication is your most powerful tool. 7 essential tactics for communicating with your people:   1. Act Swiftly, But Thoughtfully ↳ Gather facts before addressing your team ↳ Aim to communicate within the first 2 hours   2. Radical Transparency ↳ Share known facts with staff, even if unfavorable ↳ Admit knowledge gaps to your team openly   3. Lead with Empathy ↳ Address team emotions before diving into facts ↳ Use phrases like "I know this is challenging for us all..."   4. Create an Internal Information Hub ↳ Launch a dedicated crisis page on your intranet ↳ Update it at consistent, pre-communicated times   5. Tailor Messages to Different Teams ↳ Craft distinct messages for various departments ↳ Adjust detail level based on team needs   6. Provide Clear, Role-Specific Guidance ↳ Give team-specific instructions on crisis response ↳ Break complex actions into simple, assignable tasks   7. Follow the 3-3-3 Rule ↳ Convey 3 key points, 3 times, in 3 different ways ↳ Repeat these core messages in all team communications   Your team's trust is your crisis lifeline. Nurture it through transparent, consistent communication.   If you found this valuable: • Repost for your network ♻️ • Follow me for more deep dives • Join 25,500+ subscribers for more actionable tips to build your brand and protect your reputation: https://lnkd.in/edPWpFRR

Organizational Trauma: The Recovery Killer Your Change Plan Ignores After Capital One's 2019 data breach exposing 100 million customers' information, leadership rushed to transform: new security platforms, restructured teams, revised processes. Despite urgent implementation, adoption lagged, talent departed, and security improved more slowly than expected. What they discovered—and what I've observed repeatedly in financial services—is that organizations can experience collective trauma that fundamentally alters how they respond to change. 🪤 The Post-Crisis Change Trap When institutions experience significant disruption, standard change management often fails. McKinsey's research shows companies applying standard OCM to traumatized workforces see only 23% transformation success, compared to 64% for those using trauma-informed approaches. ❌ Why Traditional OCM Fails After Crisis Hypervigilance: Organizations that have experienced crisis develop heightened threat sensitivity. Capital One employees reported spending time scanning for threats rather than innovating. Trust Erosion: After their breach, Capital One faced profound trust challenges—not just with customers, but internally as well. Employees questioned decisions they previously took for granted. Identity Disruption: The crisis challenged Capital One's self-perception as a technology leader with superior security. 💡 The Trauma-Informed Change Approach Capital One eventually reset their approach, following a different sequence: 1. Safety First (Before planning transformation) - Created psychological safety through transparent communication - Established consistent leadership presence - Acknowledged failures without scapegoating 2. Process the Experience (Before driving adoption) - Facilitated emotional-processing forums - Documented lessons without blame - Rebuilt institutional trust through consistent follow-through 3. Rebuild Capacity (Before expecting performance) - Restored core capabilities focused on team recovery - Invested in resilience support resources - Developed narrative incorporating the crisis 4. Transform (After rebuilding capacity) - Created new organizational identity incorporating the crisis - Shifted from compliance to values-based approach - Developed narrative of strength through adversity 5. Post-Crisis Growth - Built resilience from the experience - Established deeper stakeholder relationships - Transformed crisis into competitive advantage Only after these steps did Capital One successfully implement their changes, achieving 78% adoption—significantly higher than similar post-breach transformations. 🔮 The fundamental insight: Crisis recovery isn't just about returning to normal—organizations that address trauma can transform crisis into opportunity. Have you experienced transformation after organizational crisis? What trauma-informed approaches have you found effective? #CrisisRecovery #ChangeManagement #OrganizationalResilience