Tag: crisis communications

Three Tips When Selecting a Crisis Spokesperson

Posted on by Taylor Kennedy

INTRODUCTION

media-spokespersonWhen a hospital has a crisis, it’s important to have the right spokesperson, as this person is the liaison between the hospital and the public (and media).

For example, the size and severity of the crisis plays a factor in determining who should serve as spokesperson (e.g. CEO, PR Director, department head, etc.). This person could be picked after the crisis breaks, but it’s better to have a pool of potential spokespeople identified in advance (as part of your crisis communications plan).

Here are three tips when selecting a spokesperson for your hospital crisis:

  1. Choose the correct seniority level. More often than not, having the PR director or a vice-president serve as the spokesperson is sufficient. Your hospital doesn’t want to make a “minor” crisis seem more important than it is (think how infrequently the President of the United States makes announcements). Plus, the CEO can override the PR director or VP if they misspeak. Only in times of a “major” crisis should the CEO be the spokesperson. Really, his/her time is best spent managing the crisis (and being seen doing so).
  2. The spokesperson needs to have the right personality. Your spokesperson needs to be able to demonstrate empathy and show the public that the hospital is taking all the necessary measures to make sure the crisis is handled correctly. This may seem obvious, but someone with an adversarial personality would not make a good spokesperson. All spokespeople should go through thorough media training.
  3. Having multiple spokespeople is acceptable.Certain circumstances may require having more than one spokesperson. For example, in the event of a cybersecurity breach, you may need to bring in your CIO to provide a technical explanation. Make sure the spokespeople are consistent in their messaging.

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Choosing the right spokesperson when crisis srikes

Posted on by Tom Gavin

SpokespersonSooner or later every organization is going to have to deal with a crisis. Choosing the right spokesperson and making sure they have the proper training will help your organization weather the situation. Here are three different types of spokespeople that could be used in crisis situations.

The first and most used option is having the CEO as the spokesperson. The CEO is often the face of the organization and can help to reassure that the company is taking the issue seriously. However, using the CEO can backfire, as it may make a small crisis seem more important than it is.  In that scenario, a VP is a suitable substitute.

The next option is using the organization’s PR person. They understand how to act in front of the press and are usually the ones who formulated the crisis plan. Typically though, organizations should only use them during the first hours of the crisis and replace them with a permanent spokesperson. At that point, the PR team can simply be responsible for providing facts to the media.

The third option is to use a variety of different people. Having several people trained to be a spokesperson is best because the organization can pick the right person for the crisis. In the first hour of the crisis you may have the PR person speaking, then during in the next hours have a subject matter expert step in and finally have the CEO or VP take over as permanent spokesperson for the crisis. Think of the process like a sports team. You have your star players and other strong players ready to back them up on the bench.

All of these are logical options to use during a crisis, but every crisis is different and may require something different. As mentioned, the severity of the crisis will help you determine who should be the spokesperson. Generally, the bigger the crisis, the higher up in the hierarchy the spokesperson should be.