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Handling Crisis with Integrity & Professionalism
Based on Kathleen Hessert's session at the 2000 American Football Coaches Association Convention
On the football field, everyone knows who to look to in a crisis. All eyes from the field, the stands and the press box are on the coach to make the call. That’s what coaches are there to do and presumably what they do best. Your performance is often reliant on your past experiences. Your best judgment is based on your knowledge of the game and the consequences of your decision. Worst case scenario…an "L" instead of a "W". Many of the same rules apply for off-field crises. The only difference is that the stakes are much higher, oh and, your crisis management experience is typically much less.
Without significant experience and knowledge of crisis management, coaches are often relegated to being the "public face" of the crisis. You’re the one who gets the flack, but with little leverage to influence strategy and control the tactics used to deal with the media, athletes, management and fans while under siege. While there’s no universal solution to crises, there are some key components to handling a situation successfully.
First and foremost, take control of your own future. Typically, coaches look toward Athletic Directors and SIDs to develop crisis management plans. Fine, you’re thinking. Let them do the work! But if you’re left out during the strategy phase of the plan, you may never control or even significantly influence the management of the crisis or messages communicated. Make yourself a part of the strategic planning. In doing so, you increase your control over what will likely have a significant and long term affect on you and your players. Every crisis goes away. It’s how you make it go away that creates the legacy you leave behind.
Two critical points for any coach in crisis:
- Give your athletes timely updates about what’s going on. They can be your best ambassadors of good will and frankly, they’re most accessible because they’re on the front line.
- Everybody has their own agenda with lots of people and organizations may vie to get close to you to leverage your crisis for their own good. Again keeping control over the situation is essential.
I’m not going to go into how to design an effective crisis plan here. It’s too involved. However, when you finally have a well-thought-out plan, be sure everybody understands and hopefully agrees upon the underlying philosophy. Educate your staff and players on what their role will be when the plan is activated. Also, update the plan often to reflect priority and personnel changes. This will ensure that the plan will be ready and accessible when needed.
While the plan is in development, explore potential crises that your organization has survived as well as other relevant crises that have affected your counterparts. Vigilantly identify current and potential problems that exist and decide how to react to them. Every coach keeps a pulse on the team’s attitude and conditioning. Stay tuned to chinks in the organization’s armor. We often blame the media for creating controversy. Sometimes they do but, for the most part, the media only magnifies a preexisting problem. Don’t get blindsided by the media.
On the field, the bright lights of the scoreboard serve as a constant reminder of your success or lack thereof. What are coaches judged on during crises? For one, the timeliness of your response. Go for the "quick bleed", not the "slow hemorrhage." That is, get the most strategic response out as quickly as possible, rather than letting it be dragged out for days, weeks or months. The "rule of thumb" in crisis is:
Fast action is better than slow action
Slow action is better than the wrong action and,
Proactive is better than reactive.
In developing a strategy for response, remember to use your IRA. This type of IRA may not guarantee financial success, but definitely will pay off in critical reputation management.
- Influence: Exert your influence over the situation. Your fate is in your hands and your hands are not supposed to shake. Don’t just be the key spokesperson, contribute to the strategy as well.
- Responsibility: Consider it your responsibility to proactively represent yourself, the people and organizations with which you are affiliated. It’s up to you to be certain you’re accurately portrayed.
- Accountability: Make yourself accountable for all you say and don’t say, do and don’t do. Be accountable for finding a solution and changing the game plan if necessary.
What should probably be the simplest part of dealing with crisis situations is portraying a high level of sincerity. This has proved to be a difficult thing to pull off with the public. Many public relations people have written warm and fuzzy apologies and statements for athletes and coaches to read. America can tell if a coach or player is genuine or not. It’s important to be sincere and have a human focus for the public to fix on. Sensitivity to those involved shows a commitment to resolving the issue and moving forward.
Obviously every situation is different. Even following these guidelines won’t guarantee a perfect outcome. They will help you take control of the unexpected and try to minimize your personal risk and the risk to your organization. Just as in football, you’re the one who is expected to make the call. Make sure you’ve got the right play.