How to Communicate During the Six Stages of a Crisis
3/10/2009 - notes taken from a course
- Warning / Watch Phase
- Risk Assessment
- Response
- Management
- Resolution - All Clear Signals / Deactivate
- Recovery - Getting back to normal operations
There are many models.
A crisis evolves and is not single-phase or one dimensional.
Comprehensive Crisis Communication Plan (3C Plan) adapts with the crisis cycle.
The stages of a crisis negatively affects cognitive processes.
- Be sure you are accurate, consistent and reinforce each other
- Balance ideas, information and words in the context of a crisis
- Avoid mixed or erroneous messages.
Stress negatively affects comphrension
- Simplify the message
- Reduce number of message points to three (3)
- Short sentences, check your numbers carefully, use pictures and graphics
3-3-30\ (* 3 points, 3 sentences, 30 words *)
Handling Rumors
- Actively manage them, aggressive plan for dealing with this.
- Think through what you are saying - see it through your audience's eyes.
- Be open and honest.
- THINK about what you know that everyone else should know.