I was honored to provide the opening keynote presentation for the Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) in Galveston, Texas on February 21st. It was a great audience of 600 dedicated PR officials from all over Texas. The presentation focused on crisis communication, but included lessons on nonverbal communication, leadership and ethics. Here are a few of the key learning points regarding communicating during a crisis situation:
- Listen
- Increase senior management visibility.
- Listen to stakeholder’s concerns.
- Give attention to those affected.
- Don’t let a state of denial get in the way of hearing what people are saying.
- Use active listening and nonverbal skills such as tilting your head slightly, nodding and leaning into the speaker
- Be the First and Most Credible Source of Information
- Provide factual information to your stakeholders before it reaches them through other less reliable sources.
- Be honest and transparent.
- By the way, provide the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Half-truths don’t count, different versions of the truth don’t count, alternative facts don’t count.
- Avoid speculation, impromptu and off-the-cuff comments.
- Reinforce the message through personal communication, blogs and social media.
- Be Empathetic
- Show empathy in your communications and include it as part of your primary message.
- Talk from the heart – people will remember how you made them feel more than your exact words.
- Keep this in mind: “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” – Teddy Roosevelt
- Use Nonverbal Communication to Reinforce the Message
- Engage with eye contact.
- Open your body and uncross your arms.
- Use palms up to show openness, receptiveness and honesty.
- Your body language should be consistent with your message.
- For a more detailed handout on the topic of nonverbal communication, visit www.thelanzagroup.com/handouts
- Provide a Path to the Future
- See opportunity in every difficulty.
- Be committed to a plan for recovery.
- Challenge people to succeed together.
- Show confidence and optimism.
- Most importantly – be passionate about your devotion to the future.
Thanks to TSPRA. See you down the road!