Spills, leaks, process disruptions, and extreme weather events represent just a fraction of crises that can involve the LNG sector. Whether a crisis strikes suddenly or grows stealthily into a full-blown crisis, a business must be prepared to respond when a crisis occurs. Communicating with internal and external audiences is an integral part of a business’s crisis response and can help build trust while mitigating risks associated with an incident.
Developing and periodically reviewing a crisis communication plan prior to an incident can help companies exercise some control in an inherently stressful situation. A crisis communication plan can help project a responsible and organised response and convey a sense of control at a time when many factors are unclear. This article looks at components of a crisis communication plan, reviews steps to take in the first 24 hours following a crisis, and considers strategies for com-municating responsibly with internal and external audiences.
Core components of crisis planning
Core components of a crisis communication response include a designated spokesperson(s), a holding statement, talking points for internal and external stakeholders, and monitoring social and traditional media channels.
Crisis Spokesperson(s)
Communicating through designated contacts helps support consistent messages. Some organisations elect to funnel internal messages through the human resources department and direct external communications through a designated media relations/corporate communications contact. The spokesperson should work closely with leadership as a situation emerges. It is important that all employees are aware of designated spokespeople and know to direct inquiries to these team members.
Holding statement
A holding statement conveys what content can be shared at a time when a situation may still be developing. Typically, a holding statement addresses three areas:
- Here is what we can confirm about the situation now.
- This is what we don’t know and are working to address.
- (Optional) Here’s what you can expect with regards to updates/additional in-formation.
As an example of a holding statement, consider a fire occurring at an industrial facility. “At 12:15 p.m. today, a fire occurred at the XYZ location. First responders are onsite, and all employees were able to evaluate the building. The cause of the fire is still under investigation and Co. is working with safety authorities to assess the situation.”
The crisis response team may elect to update the holding statement with addi-tional details, particularly if media questions continue.
Distributing updates
A company’s website and social channels offer a natural platform for sharing updates in the event of a crisis. Depending on the incident, a ‘newsroom’ or ‘community’ page may be the best platform to post updates. Severe or extreme incidents – such as a workplace violence incident or industrial accident– will likely generate requests for comment or on-site visits from media outlets. Such inquiries should be vetted through the company’s communication officer. A news van may appear at a guard station, or an interviewer may show up in a reception area and demand an interview at that moment, but all interviews should be vetted through the communication department. It is vital to appreciate that an interview is always at the choice of the interviewee, not a reporter, blogger, or broadcaster demanding an interview.
Monitoring the crisis conversation
When a crisis strikes, it is important to monitor the conversations taking place among customers, community and employees. Monitoring social media, following local news updates and closely evaluating comments on the company website and customer hotline should be heightened during a crisis. The tone of external conversations can serve as a useful gauge for evaluating stakeholders’ response to the incident and may suggest additional outreach is needed. For example, a neighbour’s social post about wastewater runoff at a facility might prompt an organisation to host an online or in-person ‘town hall meeting’ with neighbours. Third-party content monitoring services can provide clippings of print and broadcast coverage and help a company determine whether an incident is ebbing or gaining traction. AI engines are a free and useful tool for delivering insights into how an incident is being discussed outside the company.
In the hours following a crisis
Within an hour of the incident, a company should gather its designated crisis team to assess the situation and evaluate what is known, review mitigation actions underway and assess issues that may not be known but are likely to generate questions. Ensure that contact lists are pulled for key stakeholders including customers, relevant suppliers and media outlets. Inform leadership of the intended path forward and ensure team members are engaged to listen/track all media coverage. Within the first three hours, craft preliminary talking points for employees and customers. Develop a ‘holding statement’ for media. Continue to monitor social handles and website and place the approved holding statement on the website and/or social media handles.
Within the first 4 – 6 hours, distribute talking points to employees. Aim to provide employees with daily situation reports until the event is resolved. Similarly, monitor online and media coverage and evaluate wither additional outreach is needed. Once a crisis is resolved, a debrief with the team should be held to evaluate what worked well, any issues that arose, and how to mitigate any concerns. For example, after reviewing media coverage, a company may decide to conduct media training for key spokespersons. Many companies conduct annual media training session to help their spokespersons become comfortable in interview situations.
Staying out of harm’s way – why + what
The amount of information that is unknown can make crisis communications particularly challenging, but it is essential to stick to the facts. Never speculate. A helpful technique for staying on message is to use the ‘why + what’ formula. Explain ‘why’ you cannot provide more information. For example, “As first responders are still investigating the incident, we cannot speculate on the cause.” Next, share ‘what’ you can tell. “What we can tell you is that all of our employ-ees safely evacuated the facility, and we will continue to work with authorities to assure the safety of our team and facility.”
Silence can feel awkward, and as such it is a tactic that reporters sometimes use to elaborate on a response. But remember, the beauty of silence is that it can never be misquoted. Stick to approved messages and do not elaborate. It is not an interviewee’s job to educate a reporter.
Conduct a crisis drill
Many organisations’ safety teams conduct crisis drills to evaluate how they would respond to a particular situation. The crisis drill can also be a useful exercise to prepare those responsible for communicating during a crisis. Gathering the team and role playing a few hypothetical crisis situations can get people comfortable implementing the steps of a crisis plan.
While most organisations want to avoid a crisis situation, the Japanese language suggests that the danger inherent in a crisis may be associated with a silver lining . The Japanese word for crisis (?? – ‘kiki’) is made up of two characters, with one meaning ‘danger’ and the other meaning ‘opportunity’. Such linguistics suggest that with a proper response in place, the danger inherent in a crisis can also be an opportunity to build trust through responsible communications with internal and external audiences.