Chief Crisis Officer by James F. Haggerty

Author:James F. Haggerty
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: American Bar Association
Published: 2017-04-05T04:00:00+00:00

The right message delivered once is always more effective than the wrong message delivered over and over again.

This is true regardless of your skills in “message discipline” and your ability to stay on message, and it in large part runs contra to much of the conventional thinking—particularly for those who come out of a political arena.

Indeed, the clichéd, conventional wisdom regarding staying “on message” can spell doom for almost anyone dealing with a crisis unless they have the right message behind them. More often than not, a communicator forcing “on message” responses with a bad message comes off as a blow-dried, robotic parrot rather than a compelling, caring individual with a story to tell.

In a way, politics has ruined this understanding—we are exposed to “staying on message” in its worst forms. Consider presidential debates (putting aside the most recent presidential debates in the 2016 election, which—with their vitriol and name-calling were—it is hoped—an anomaly): The moderator asks a question about healthcare, and they get an answer about education or national defense. The audience groans ever so perceptibly, and we all wonder why the moderator doesn’t hop in and say: “Well, wait a minute, I didn’t ask you about education, I asked you about healthcare!”

This is not what we’re talking about; for some reason, we accept this contrived silliness from our political candidates. Rest assured, if you try it this way in a “real life” crisis, you’ll fail.

Relentless adherence to the “on message” Kool-Aid is the best way to damage your credibility and the effectiveness of your communication. You come off as shallow, forced and rehearsed. In other words, the message is all style and no substance; all sizzle, no steak. This message will ultimately fail—and with it (usually, anyway) the leader trying to communicate the message.

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