Crisis communication: #2

This is part two in an ongoing series on "crisis communications."

To read part one: Crisis Communications #1

As I explained in part #1, "crisis communications" is a term of art in the media and PR business. It refers to handling the media and public opinion in an emergency. Sort of like those in-case-of-fire escape plans we are all supposed to create for home and office, but usually don't.

You need such a plan. Our first step to creating your crisis communications plan was to designate both a spokesperson and a backup spokesperson who will be your only conduit to the media and public during the crisis. This minimizes the change for contradiction and other problems. [See "Crisis Communication #1]

Step 1: Designate a spokesperson, and a backup.

If you are a solo practitioner this is not a problem, right? Wrong. Even if you are a solo, you need to go through these steps. There are still people in your life and your practice who have to be part of your plan.

When bad news hits the spinning blades journalists and others [police? worried clients? insurance adjusters? ] will frantically start trying to make contact. They might call you. Or they might call your receptionist, your landlord, your family, or your part time law school intern.

Do you want your part time law school intern struggling to answer delicate questions about your practice on your behalf out of a misplaced sense of loyalty?

Designate one person who is the ONLY person who can speak on behalf of the firm in a crisis. Make this clear to all. One person talks. No one else. Make sure everyone knows this and has the contact information for that person. Make sure everyone knows to not be rude to the media. Just tell them you can't speak for the firm and pass the contact along.

Now your intern, your legal secretary, your kids, your spouse, your law partners and your landlord all have clear instructions not to talk on your behalf about the crisis. Right?

Next, designate a backup person. Why? In case your spokesperson can't be reached. Let's say your spokesperson is the nexus of the emergency. Lost in a plane crash, washed off the deck of a cruise boat, kidnapped by terrorists, incarcerated out of state, on vacation or just stranded with a dead cell phone battery. Whatever the case may be.

Make sure your back-up person is someone you'd want speaking on behalf of the firm. Think of this as the equivalent of naming a PR or granting POA. This person could save you or kill you. Make sure it is someone you can trust.

And make darn sure your spokesperson speaks. It does no good to designate a spokesperson who does nothing.

Now you have a spokesperson. What should that person do?


Next: Crisis Communication #3

Crisis communications: #1 in a series

"Crisis communications" is a term of art in the media and PR business.

It refers to handling the media and public opinion in an emergency. Sort of like those in-case-of-fire escape plans we are all supposed to create for home and office, but usually don't.

Unlike the case of the rare but catastrophic fire, however, I can assure you that you will experience the much more frequent and just as catastrophic media or public relations emergency. It will happen.

"But I don't handle those high profile cases," many attorneys tell me. "So why would I ever need to worry about that?"

Why? As I explained in a previous post, as an attorney you wear many hats. You are an educated expert on legal matters, an officer of the court, representative and spokesperson for hundreds of clients, a small business person, an employer and a community leader.

The media and the public might become interested in you and your firm in the context of any of these roles, or all of them. Or for some not-so-obvious and less pleasant reasons.

Like these. Your contentious divorce that includes [certainly unfounded] allegations of sordid behavior. A law partner arrested after killing a child while drunk driving. A receptionist caught embezzling client funds after being suckered by a Nigerian email scam. A fire that burns down your office including all your client files and the backup tapes an employee forget to move to an off-site location. Your local bar association exploding amidst allegations of criminal wrongdoing among leadership. An associate accused of selling drugs out of your law office. The suicide of a law partner who had been struggling with addiction issues.

Each of those things actually happened to unfortunate attorneys I know who never thought they might need to worry about things like media relations or a crisis communication plan.

At some point you will have a need for crisis communications.

What to do? Take a few simple steps and be ready.

[And get to work on that fire escape plan, too!]

[See Crisis Communications #2]