When something has gone seriously wrong.
WHAT TO DO FIRST
Establish the facts.
WHAT TO DO SECOND
Communicate, before you have all of them.
WHY BEFORE
Silence is filled with speculation.
WHAT AN EARLY MESSAGE SHOULD SAY
That you are aware What is affected What you are doing When you will update
WHAT NOT TO SAY
Speculation about causes Assurances you cannot support Blame
WHY BLAME SPECIFICALLY
It reads as deflection, even when accurate.
WHAT CADENCE TO MAINTAIN
The interval you promised, even with no news.
WHY EVEN WITH NO NEWS
Silence is read as nothing being done.
WHAT TO DO WHEN FACTS CHANGE
Correct the record explicitly.
WHY EXPLICITLY
Quietly amending is discovered and damages more.
WHO SHOULD COMMUNICATE
One identified person or channel.
WHY ONE
Several voices produce contradiction.
WHAT TO PREPARE IN ADVANCE
Contacts Channels independent of your systems Draft structures
WHY INDEPENDENT CHANNELS
Your own systems may be what failed.
WHAT TO DO AFTERWARDS
Publish an account: what happened, what you did, what prevents recurrence.
WHY
Handled openly, a crisis increases trust.
WHAT TO AVOID AFTERWARDS
Minimising Quiet removal of the record
