As I write this month's column, the tragic misunderstanding in West Virginia is still unfolding. Initial joyous reports of 12 surviving miners quickly were replaced by the sad news that only one had actually survived. At the moment, information is indicating that the erroneous information reached the families when individuals, overwhelmed by what they thought was the best possible news, used personal cell phones to communicate prematurely with family members. This picture may change as more information becomes available. Nonetheless, it illustrates the complexity of communications during a crisis situation.
One component of our extensive public health preparation for the possibility of a manmade or natural disaster is training and planning for crisis communication. One of the things we have learned during training is that "unofficial" communications can cause great confusion and damage and that the first message received by the public usually carries more weight. Therefore, it is important to get the correct message out as soon as possible, even if the message includes an admission that much is still unknown. This is not intended to second-guess those officials in West Virginia who worked so hard to oversee a rescue while providing information to families and the public. But it does serve to illustrate how important timely communication is in an age of 24/7 news, and a population of citizens armed with "advanced" communications capabilities in the form of cell phones and email.
Below I want to share the five steps that are considered crucial for communication success as they have been taught to public health departments across the country:
- Execute a Solid Communication Plan - The plan must be prepared ahead of time and periodically updated and exercised. Only with a good plan will there be a high likelihood of fast and consistent communication to the media and the public.
- Be the First Source of Information - As mentioned above, being first is important. For one thing, the public rightfully judges preparedness by the speed with which information flows. Equally important, psychologists tell us that when a person is seeking information about something unknown, the first message they receive almost always carries more weight. The message doesn't have to have all the "answers" but it needs to come early and then be followed by additional frequent messages.
- Express Empathy Early - It is important for those communicating with the public during a disaster to let the public know that they understand the concern, anxiety, anger and fear and all the other feelings that a person may feel during the stress of a disaster. This should be a sincere message that they understand the concerns and fears and not a token statement just to be saying something sympathetic. In fact many, maybe most, of us in public positions of responsibility will be feeling some of the same emotions and will have concerns for our own families and friends as well as concern for the citizens we serve. We need to let the public know that "we get it" each and every time we communicate. Think about spokespeople that you have seen during times of crisis. Didn't the good ones always show empathy? Think of Mayor Giuliani after the 9/11 attack. He is widely regarded as an example of how to be an effective crisis communicator and everything he said was sincere and from the heart.
- Show Competence and Expertise - This may be the easiest of the five steps because the public will usually assume that a person with an official title who is responding to the crisis is competent; unless that person proves otherwise. Therefore, performing in a professional and competent manner will communicate competence without a long listing of degrees and experience. Effective actions speak louder than words!
- Remain Honest and Open - It is important to not only communicate quickly but to do so honestly. Part of this is to strive to openly share all information that is confirmed and relevant and that can be shared. Human nature and a desire to avoid panic sometimes lead officials to not want to share frightening information. However, it has been repeatedly shown that uncertainty is more difficult to deal with than knowing something bad. If the information is frightening, acknowledge that first as you provide the best information possible. There are some circumstances that require that information be withheld, for example, if it would compromise an investigation. In such a case it is important to tell the public that you cannot provide the information because of the ongoing investigation. Finally, it is important to always be truthful. Honesty is always the best policy.
I hope that sharing what we have been taught about the importance of communication in a crisis and how to be a good communicator will give you some insight into what to watch for the next time there is a crisis somewhere in the world. I have found myself doing that on a regular basis ever since I received the training. One thing I'm certain of; it is no doubt easier to say what should be done than to actually do it in practice. I hope that I'm never called upon to take this role, but if I ever find myself in that position I believe that the training we have been provided will help a lot.