What do you do when a crisis calls?

What do you dowhen a crisis calls?

BRAD DOMITROVICH

Georgetown Independent School DistrictDirector for School and Community Relations

Texas School Public Relations AssociationPast President 2008-2009

CANDACE AHLFINGER, APR

Pasadena Independent School DistrictAssociate Superintendent for Communications/Community Relations

Texas School Public Relations AssociationPast President 2005-2006

Objectives:★ Explore the tips and techniques that every

administrator needs to know in order to manage their communication strategies in a crisis situation.

★ An overview of procedures that can make anybody look like a PR pro.

★ Become versed in way to handle the media when there is a whirlwind of attention at your doorstep.

What is a crisis?(courtesy of the American Heritage Dictionary)

★ A crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point.

★ An unstable condition, as in political, social, or economic affairs, involving an impending abrupt or decisive change.

★ An emotionally stressful event or traumatic change in a person's life.

What is a crisis?(courtesy of those of us in school PR)

• Any event that causes you to stop what you're doing and react.

• Any situation that requires you to reach in your drawer and pull out your emergency operations plan.

• Any situation that involves reaching for aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen.

Examples of school PR crises?• Pandemic threat.• Presidential speech.• Emergency shelter in place.• Transportation emergencies.• Lock downs and intruders.• Employee brainlessness.• and more ...

Be prepared.

Be prepared.★ Preparation is paramount.

★ Update your crisis plan regularly.

★ Review your crisis communications with key individuals/departments in your district.

★ Make sure everyone knows what to do before, during, and after.

★ Evaluate your plan after a crisis to better prepare you for upcoming situations.

Be prepared.★ Know all your contact numbers, cell phones, e-

mails, etc.★ Have call systems and e-mail distribution lists

set up for staff, parents, community, and media.★ Always have two positives you want to share

about your district in a crisis situation.★ Have your spokesperson trained. ★ Know the representatives from local fire,

police, and emergency ops departments.

Be mobile.

Be mobile.★ Things to be ready to go with:

✴ bottled water, wet wipes, mouth wash, hand sanitizer, “face in a bag”, comfortable shoes, change of shirt or jacket, etc.

★ Always keep in your car:✴ district map, emergency phone numbers,

media contact numbers, handbooks, etc.★ Technology on the go:

✴ extra chargers, laptop, wireless internet access, portable printer.

Have one spokesperson.

Have one spokesperson★ One individual should be designated as the

primary spokesperson to make official

statements and represent “the company”.★ A back-up individual should also be

identified in the event the primary person

is unavailable.★ Designate technical experts and advisors to

feed the spokesperson.

Characteristicsof a spokesperson

★Comfortable in front of reporters, media.

★Capable to work well with other entities.

★Able to establish credibility and project a

sense of confidence and believability.

★Ability to redirect responses, identify key

points, and speak without using jargon.

Be honest.

Be honest.★Don’t be afraid to accept blame – but

always have a solution ready.★Respond promptly.★Correct problems so they do not

happen again.★Maintain a calm and helpful presence.★Never appear overwhelmed or

flustered.

Apologize if appropriate.

Apologize if appropriate.

★Act quickly.★State what you’re apologizing for.★Accept the blame, don’t pass it.★Ask for forgiveness.★Communicate your corrective

action immediately.

Never say “no comment”.

Never say “no comment”.★Try to view the crisis from the eye of

the public, do they want to hear you say “no comment”?

★ Ignoring a crisis situation will only make things worse.

★By providing no comment, you lose your greatest opportunity to control the crisis.

Keep some quotes on file.

Keep some quotes on file.★“The safety of our students and staff is

always our top priority.”★“Because the safety of our students and

staff is our top priority, the building was

evacuated immediately”.★“We chose to err on the side of caution

for the safety of our students and staff ”.

★“It is times like this that we are reminded just how precious life can be, and how fragile each of us truly are.”

★“We are fortunate to have a team of experienced counselors that can provide the much needed comfort to our students and staff.”

Keep some quotes on file.

★ “Once the incident was reported, the District immediately began an investigation”.

★ “Since this is a matter involving personnel, the District is unable to comment at this time”.

★ “Just like any situation that may occur, the District is following the policy established by the Board of Trustees”.

Keep some quotes on file.

It’s OK to stall the media.

It’s OK to stall the media.★But always remember to work with

their deadlines.★Take time to gather your thoughts.★Know your facts and anticipate their

questions.★Rehearse your message.★Create your sound bite.

Interviewing Guidelines★Set the ground rules.★Communicate with your heart.★Your first words create an image.★Listen with your face.★Keep your message simple.★There is no “off the record”.

Bleed for a day, not a week.

Bleed for a day, not a week.★Running away only makes the situation

worse.★Never have a press conference

addressing the problem only. ★Confront the problem and provide a

solution at the same time.★Don’t lie low hoping that the radar

doesn’t see you.

Questions? Comments!

If you would like a copyof the presentation slides from today:

www.SlideShare.net/BradDomitrovich

What do you dowhen a crisis calls?