The PRO Must Prep the CEO Ahead of a Crisis
WHO SHOULD be the main spokesperson for an organisation during a crisis? The CEO is the obvious choice of many business continuity or crisis management teams. But this decision has not always worked in the best interest of an organisation or company.
A case in point was the performance of British Petroleum CEO Tony Hayward during the aftermath of an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010. The oil rig explosion killed eleven workers, polluted marine life and disrupted hospitality and recreational businesses connected to the Gulf. Hayward drew fierce criticism by his remark to the media that “I want my life back,” and forced an apology from him. This and other missteps resulted in Hayward’s replacement as the spokesperson for the crisis.
However, because of the premier position of authority they hold in their organisations, pronouncements by CEOs during a crisis are more believable by their publics in comparison to messages from communication directors, according to a study cited by the Institute for Public Relations. The study also found that CEOs were more effective in deflecting the publics’ attribution of responsibility for a crisis when compared to the efforts of communication directors.
The debate is not so much about whether the CEO should be the chief spokesperson during a crisis; the real issue is the communications skills of the holder of the position. Of course, the task of preparing the CEO to be an effective spokesperson starts long before a crisis occurs. Furthermore, it starts with the CEO being an effective communicator to the internal public. He/she must learn to dance at home before doing so in public.
PROs Should Prepare CEOs
Rita Linjuan Men, research editor at the Institute for Public Relations, shares a checklist of the activities that PROs should do to develop the communication skills of CEOs, firstly, to relate to employees.
§ “Be an organizational strategist with business acumen, as well as a communication specialist and expert. Know the organization inside out so that you are in position to offer advice to your CEO on equal footing.
§ “Be your CEO’s think tank and offer communication insights and strategic views about what employees are thinking of and their expectations from their CEO.
§ “Educate your CEO about having a responsive, dialogical, transparent, authentic, and empowering communication mindset.
§ “Provide training to CEOs on what (i.e., the content), how (i.e., the channels), and when (i.e., the timing) to communicate with employees.
§ “Equip CEOs with a wide array of communication tools, both traditional and social. Help CEOs build a prominent and visible social media presence, and then encourage them to personally interact with and proactively listen to their employees.
§ “Never forget to measure the success of such endeavour.”
This process of preparing the CEO provides an opportunity for the communication team to assess the CEO’s strengths and weaknesses and to specifically address the latter as part of the organisation’s Business Continuity training and awareness programme.
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