How to Communicate During the Six Stages of a Crisis

3/10/2009 - notes taken from a course

  1. Warning / Watch Phase
  2. Risk Assessment
  3. Response
  4. Management
  5. Resolution - All Clear Signals / Deactivate
  6. 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.