In fact, so much has been learned through experience over the years that the rules are quite simple. And yet, it's amazing how frequently the rules are bent or simply not followed at all. It shouldn't surprise anyone that public officials are the major violators of the rules. That's because they're impatient, often insecure and frequently so obsessed with their own public image that they let their ego take the lead -- a sure way to fail at crisis communication.
Also, while many organizations, including the government, have detailed crisis communication plans, such plans often don't incorporate the most basic rules. Plus, bureaucrats have often been known to so stringently follow a pre-proscribed plan that they render their response to a crisis meaningless because they're simply unable to adapt.
The three most important rules are these: designate one single spokesperson, tell the truth and stay on message. And each of these three rules have been repeatedly violated by both presidential administrations since the Covid 19 pandemic began. Let's look at each rule and what went wrong:
1) One single spokesperson.
This is undoubtedly one of the hardest rules to follow, but it's essential. Right from the start of the crisis you've got to put forth a strong, credible, knowledgeable spokesperson -- someone who can build trust with the media and the broad audience you wish to reach.
What we've discovered during the Covid pandemic is that the spokesperson does not have to be the President of the United States. But it shouldn't necessarily be a technocrat either because technocrats can't always make themselves clear. They're bogged down with too much jargon. They don't speak in simple terms that people can understand.
We've also discovered that when you bring too many people forward they invariably begin to contradict one another. Such contradictions not only confuse people but they erode credibility. And there's this -- people (especially people who consider themselves experts) love the sound of their own voice. They love being in front of the microphone. They love the spotlight; the attention (think Fauci). So, they wind up talking too much. And that's where the trouble begins.
Remember, we've said the spokesperson doesn't have to be the President. But that doesn't mean that the President should never be addressing the crisis -- that he or she should delegate all the time. The President is always free to step forward and address the public. But he or she shouldn't be on the podium day after day, hour after hour. Even in moments of crisis, Ronald Reagan didn't have to be in front of us relentlessly for us to know he was in charge. In fact, staying out of the spotlight made his Big Moments in front of the camera all the more powerful.
2) Tell the truth.
Good rule, right? Because if you tell the truth you won't have to remember what you said so that you can cover for not telling the truth. And obviously, one lie needs to another. We're sure you're thinking "But during a crisis the truth may not be known or it may change from one moment to the next". Correct. Obviously, people are smart enough to understand this.
So, sometimes a truthful answer is: "we don't know" or "we're not sure" or "we're trying to find out". That's an OK answer as long as it doesn't become an all-the-time answer or the only answer. Also, if what you know or what you find out or what appears to be the case is difficult, then the best way to deliver such news is to just lay it out there. People can take it if you level with them. For example, "fifteen days to slow the spread" was less than candid and obviously simplistic. It would have been better to tell people the truth: "We've never encountered anything like this before. We're not sure how this is going to play out. We're bringing every arsenal forward to fight it. We're not sure yet how long we're going to be dealing with this but it very well may be protracted and we want to prepare you for that."
Thomas Sowell said it, and most people know it: "When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear."
3) Stay on message.
Both Trump and Biden have violated this rule repeatedly. Trump is accustomed to leading his own business empire where he is the voice and face and literally the brand that is being sold. Crisis or no crisis, the product he's pitching is Donald Trump. Accordingly, he is supremely confident in himself and instinctive by nature. So, prepared remarks or not, he's monitoring his audience all the time and making a pitch. He won't necessarily follow the script. He'll change his mannerisms, his voice inflections, his gestures, his facial expressions, whatever he feels needs to be done at the moment and in the moment. It's all very spontaneous and often very unpredictable -- such as seeming to endorse hydroxychloroquine or sounding like he's extolling the medicinal values of bleach. It's all too precarious -- and that's the last thing you need during a crisis when the appearance of a steady hand must be conveyed
As for Biden, do we have to say that he comes across as clueless and doddering? It was stupid and simplistic to say "I'm gonna shut down the virus". And we've received so many mixed messages from Biden & Co. (do wear a mask; don't wear a mask; wear two masks; get an n95 mask) that nobody's quite sure what to do. On top of all that, he told us that there was no federal solution to the pandemic after promising just such a solution.
Staying on message means delivering a clear, credible, daily (if necessary) message and not veering off track or being distracted. Such an approach builds trust and lends reassurance at a time when people need it most. Indeed, you can never make yourself too clear!
Because, if there's one thing we know about public relations it's that this final rule always holds true: Tell them that you're gonna to tell them. Then, tell them. Then, tell them that you told them.
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