Why is communication important in crisis management?

Communication helps maintain trust with stakeholders and prevents misinterpretation and misinformation. Effective communication can turn crises into opportunities for growth by demonstrating accountability.

What are the consequences of silence during crises?

Silence can lead to distrust, damage relationships, and result in a loss of credibility. It may also prolong recovery efforts and damage an organization's reputation permanently.

How can organizations improve communication during emergencies?

Organizations should adopt a transparent approach, proactively sharing information, acknowledging mistakes, and outlining improvement strategies. Engaging with stakeholders through sincere dialogue can help restore and maintain trust.

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Education Technology

The Lifeline of Crisis Management: Effective Communication

The article explores the critical importance of communication during crisis management, particularly in security incidents. Mike Matranga and Anastasiya Bolton discuss how a lack of effective communication can lead to distrust and highlight the need for accountability and transparency to rebuild trust. The discussion also includes insights into legal complexities and the necessity of sincere, meaningful communication.

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By Mike Matranga · November 22, 2023, 5:03 AM UTCAccountabilityCommunicationCrisis ManagementEcurity

Key takeaways

Effective communication is crucial in crisis management.

Silence in crises can lead to lasting distrust.

Transparency and accountability help rebuild trust.

In an age where communication should be seamless, why is it that institutions, particularly in the realm of security, often choose silence as their response to crises? Join host Mike Matranga and special guest Anastasiya Bolton as they dissect the crucial importance of communication in security incidents, debunking the notion that less is more.

The Cost of Silence:

Matranga and Bolton explore the common thread running through security mistakes and failures: a lack of understanding or a refusal to acknowledge the paramount importance of effective communication. Drawing from real-life examples, including a school shooting incident in 2013, they shed light on how silence can have lasting consequences. In this particular case, the school district's refusal to communicate left a community in distrust, a sentiment that still lingers years later.

Silence can have lasting consequences.

Facing the Uncomfortable:

Matranga and Bolton make a compelling case for accountability through communication. They emphasize the need for individuals in positions of power to step up, even when it's uncomfortable or painful. Transparency, they argue, is the key to rebuilding trust and ensuring that victims and their families have the information they deserve.

Breaking Down the Barriers:

Bolton shares insights into the legal complexities surrounding communication during crises. While liability is a concern, the hosts stress that owning up to mistakes is a far better strategy than silence. They advocate for a proactive approach: acknowledging errors, expressing regret, and outlining concrete steps for improvement.

The Power of Words:

Both Matranga and Bolton concur that words matter, and platitudes won't suffice. Whether it's corporate spokespeople, school districts, or elected officials, meaningful communication is the path forward. A sincere apology, combined with a commitment to change, can turn a crisis into an opportunity for growth.

A sincere apology, combined with a commitment to change, can turn a crisis into an opportunity for growth.

Conclusion:

Tune in to "The Lifeline of Crisis Management: Effective Communication" on SecurED for a thought-provoking discussion on the pivotal role of communication in security incidents. The hosts leave us with a clear message: silence may seem like the easy way out, but owning up to mistakes and engaging in meaningful dialogue is the true path to resolution and rebuilding trust.

Video TranscriptExpand ↓

It is the common thread with all the we can call them mistakes or failures is not understanding or refusing to understand how important communications is. Right? Communication with your parents, with your media, really with your community at large, and that you're not gonna get away with saying nothing. So if a shooting happens at a school and I covered one in, in a little to public schools, the the school district shut down. They didn't talk at all. No accountability. Didn't comment on anything. Nothing. There is still a sentence in years. Right? It was, twenty thirteen. There is still, I think, a lack of trust in that community because they just they you you show up I I say to my clients, you show up, you show face, and you answer questions. Yeah. It's gonna be uncomfortable. It's gonna be painful. You may get emotional and that's okay. Yeah. You have to show up and answer for what happened because the we Now I'm a parent. Mhmm. I send my son to school, and I expect you to tell me what is happening with in the school during the day. God forbid what threat, what you stopped, and you did to tell me that. Right. I I think, you know, just from from my experience of being in the k twelve security space for so long. And and maybe agree with this, is that there seems and being a former, school board member. So I I kinda see both sides of it. Right? From my experience, I think that the problem is is that individuals that are in positions of power that should be speaking and communicating effectively to their community when something like this happens, they don't wanna do that. Because they feel that by speaking to the media and speaking to the parents, it's going to put them in a position a a vulnerability by being liable. And I, you know, liabilities always talked about, you know, within school boards is Do we address this? Do we not address this? How do we word it? How are we gonna be held liable? What I will tell you from My personal opinion, okay, this is just my personal opinion, is that the best approach forward is to be available. Mhmm. To communicate, clear what your intentions are, to admit your failures, to have a plan moving forward on how you're gonna correct those failures. Right. And to appear to be genuine Right. And open and honest because the more in those particular situations that we block these people off who've suffered Some the the most incredibly tragic day of their life of losing a child Yes. Or a spouse who may be you know, a staff member. Mhmm. The last thing that they want is to be silenced. Right. And that they they have no communication to them. And I think the problem is is that attorneys get involved and they tell people, hey, don't say a word. And I'm not saying that that's not good sound legal advice. Mhmm. But at the end of the day, we have to put ourself in the position to understand from these victim's perspectives, even though we we could never understand these things unless we suffered through that. And What what would you say to those districts? And we've seen a lot of them, schools in particular because they're listen, it could be, corporations, You know, we've seen many, workplace violence incidents happen where, you know, corporate spokespeople or whatever get out there and they either don't say anything at all or they say the absolute wrong things, even to include our elected officials. And I know we're not gonna get into politics, but What would you say to those individuals who have this idea that lets less is more? Right. How do you fix that? Well, first of all, the easy part is you're gonna get sued anyway. Yep. Right? It's gonna happen. Mhmm. And so the lawsuit, you're gonna have to settle, go to court, whatever it is that you're gonna have to do. That's gonna be part of a judicial process aside from that. What is happening when you're communicating, right, what relationships do you have? What relationships are you breaking? What trust is gonna be left for you to be able to even do your job. Right? Nobody expects you to show up and say, I know everything on the first day. This is preliminary information. This is what we believe happened. We are looking into it. And by the way, please don't read the statement than you're sorry. People people are sick of platitudes. I'm sick of watching platitudes. Yeah. They're meaningless. Mhmm. Talk to me. Right? And tell me how you feel about this. If I see another community after one of these events come up with a t shirt that says you know, hashtag city strong. I think I'm gonna vomit because that means absolutely nothing to me. Any more And it means absolutely nothing to the victims. No. You know? It means nothing. It makes us feel good to put a sticker on the back of our car and put on a shirt. You'll never see Mike Matrango wearing anything strong. It's not gonna happen. Right. It means nothing. People's words mean something. Yes. That is what, you know, our message at m six global to our clients, superintendents, in particular. Yes. Is, like you said, you're going to get sued regardless. Yes. You are going to get blamed regardless, whether you did everything right. You're going to get blamed. So why not get out ahead of that message, be accommodating, be understanding, you know, and try to communicate with these individuals and give them at least a little bit of peace. Right. You know? And so the agree that that's probably the best approach moving forward. One hundred percent. And the the the thing is the Let's set aside for a second, the fact that it's their responsibility, that there is let's set aside the trust that I talked about in community relationships. Let's just put that here for just a second. We can just focus on the fact that if you come out and you own your mistakes, you own your story. If you say I'm sorry and I know this is what we did wrong, it is a one day maximum two day news event. Mhmm. We're done. Right? You've owned it. We will come back and check with you after you say you've done your changes. But this is not gonna be a long drawn out beating on your district or your organization about your lying. Right? Just come out and own it. Well, the only thing We messed up. How much can you beat a dead horse? Right. He's already dead. You know? If you've got someone who's in a position of responsibility coming out and saying, hey, we made mistakes. Hins didn't go as planned. We're gonna do everything we can to rectify the situation to take responsibility to work with you day in and day out to make sure that this never happens again. Absolutely. Do you wanna continue to beat that person up? You don't. You're gonna come back to them. Like, you there's just ways to communicate, and I don't know why people think that that's difficult, but obviously, that's why you and I have a job. Right?