Part 2: Communicating Through Crisis- Using the UK GCS Crisis Communications Framework

In part one of this series, I reiterated the importance of communicating before a crisis hits. You can catch up here.

Right now, the Bahamian Government is working to standardize the way each agency communicates to the public. As part of this effort, government communications leaders hosted a symposium bringing together other government communications professionals to learn from each other and explore new methods and frameworks for improving government communications.

I had the opportunity to speak at this symposium, and if you haven’t figured this out by now, I really do enjoy talking and teaching about crisis communications.

For crisis communications, government communications leaders are using the UK Government Communication Service’s Emergency Planning Framework, which relies on the PRIMER model. PRIMER stands for Plan, Rehearse, Implement, Maintain, Evaluate, Recover.

I wanted to take a moment to summarize this framework for the readers because I think it’s useful, not just for the government but for any organization that may one day find itself facing a crisis.

Tips to Communicate Through a Crisis

To recap, a crisis is a universal constant, and being in government does not protect you from this reality. In fact, in government, crises might be more ever-present than anywhere else!

The GCS defined a “crisis” as an unexpected moment, event, or series of events that has three related threats:

1. public safety

2. financial loss, and

3. loss of reputation.

Though crises are unexpected, they are inevitable. They will come. And, as I have said before, you can either complain about it once it arrives or prepare for it.

A sure way to prepare for it is to change the way you view a crisis. Look at a crisis as something bound to happen. When it happens, you’re not surprised by it because you expected it.

Plan: I will never stop repeating this. When a crisis transpires, you should already have a clear and effective plan in place. This is why planning ahead is crucial. While you can never plan completely for a crisis, your plan should always have a few critical elements. You should know who the key people are, how you plan to verify facts from fiction, and when to bring in executives. Is there someone externally that can assist? Knowing this helps you cover your bases before the fire is at your front door.

Rehearse: Practice makes perfect. You may recall this from part one, but you can never emphasize rehearsing too much. When crises occur, people freeze and tend to forget their roles, making this step imperative. Also rehearsals can also be used as team-building exercises. The intention here is to get creative. There are many options for how your team can practice. Implement the one best suited for your organization.

Implement: When creating your crisis plan, decide on the timing of your response. The speed of your response can make or break your organization’s efforts. If you’re the comms person in charge, you need to brainstorm what tools you need to respond effectively. Will you need people on the team with a certain skill set? Will you need to have access to other members of your organization? Who will be your spokesperson? What message do you need to communicate immediately? Who will be involved in crafting the message? As much as these things seem frivolous when you’re in the middle of a crisis, it’s easier to have thought of everything than to forget fundamental pieces.

Maintain: Prepare for the long haul. Crises haven’t been solved just because you responded or released the first message. It can sometimes be a long and tedious road. Preparing your spokespeople every time they are asked to support your communications effort is vital. Tracking and managing your social media, where crises can proliferate, is also important. To give your team a rhythm, set up daily media briefings, and create a schedule of tasks so that everyone is marching in the same direction– establish your battle rhythm. Don’t forget, though, that this effort is being driven by people.

Taking care of your team– ensuring they have adequate rest, food, and transportation, especially if there are long hours, will make a world of difference for them.

Evaluate: What could you have done better? Evaluating your response to a crisis can better prepare you for other crises. An easy way of doing this is by setting your objectives, metrics, and methods of reporting before the crisis. When it’s done, you can easily analyze your efforts according to what you set. Be as detailed as possible, as this will help you refine your action plan moving forward.

Recover: I often see teams making the mistake of skipping out on this last step. Your organization took a blow, and while you did a great job recovering it, what’s the plan to amend the relationships that were damaged? Sit with top management and decide on a plan moving forward. Ensure that promises made are kept and focus on your progress.

Next Steps

By now, you should have some basic tools to prepare for a crisis and how to get your organization through one. The UK GCS Framework is another tool you can add to your toolbox as you prepare for the inevitable crisis. Of course, crisis communications are so complex there’s always so much to know and learn.

We’re three months into the new year. Have you started drafting your crisis communication strategies? It’s time to ensure your organization is ready for anything that comes its way.

If you want to book a call with me about creating a complete crisis strategy, book a call with me.

Joey Gaskins is a public affairs professional with a formidable record of designing and executing innovative strategies, campaigns, and tactics—turning around negative perceptions, reaffirming trust, amplifying and influencing policies, and achieving unprecedented results.

Connect with him on LinkedIn.