Sunny days, everybody loves them.
Tell me, baby, can you stand the rain?
Storms will come.
This we know for sure (This we know for sure).
Can you stand the rain?
Maneuvering a Crisis and Protecting Trust
Author: Nate DuBois, The CEO of Legend Initiative
See that quote above? It’s a snippet from one of the most popular R&B songs in history and brings up a good point for not only our personal lives but also the lives of our businesses. See, any company can do well and thrive in the perfect situation but, as we all know, perfect is never sustainable. In this ever-evolving landscape, crises and controversies can arise unexpectedly, testing the mettle of even the most established organizations. I mean, just take a look at what happened to United Airlines 6 years ago.
United We Fall
In 2017, United Airlines made social media headlines for all the wrong reasons. Social media exploded with the news that United stopped two teenage passengers from boarding a flight because of the leggings they wore.
Future events would later reveal that the leggings problem was just their first step down the road to PR Hell when a video surfaced showing a United Airlines customer being brutally dragged and bloodied from a flight a few weeks later. It got worse when the public later found out it was to accommodate United Airlines employees.
The CEO, Oscar Munoz, then released a statement in which he defended the actions taken by the flight crew and conveyed regret for having had to “re-accommodate these passengers.” Of course, the public didn’t want to hear that during a situation like this nor did they want to see them release a series of tweets defending their actions and claiming that this is standard procedure for passengers flying as “pass holders.”
Overall, this response was one of the worst responses to a crisis in the last decade and the crisis would ultimately cost United Airlines a $800 million loss in company value.
How to Navigate the Storm
1. Stay Ahead and Be Transparent:
If you read our last blog you know how important transparency is when controlling the narrative. In a crisis, everything spirals out of control and the only solution is to get ahead and acknowledge any mistakes. United Airlines failed at this. They let outside sources and social media dictate the conversation. They were constantly playing defense when they could’ve taken control of the situation by being the first to acknowledge it and provide context as well as links to articles supporting their actions.
Legend’s Notes: The best defense is a strong offense. If you think there’s a problem, get ahead of it. Be the first to act and take control of the situation. Press releases and social media are great channels for staying proactive with your communication.
2. Empathy and Understanding:
Empathy is one of the most essential elements in business and leadership. In an article posted by CFM Associates, they mention how crisis leaders tend to focus on the cause of a crisis instead of the pain of those injured by the crisis. This was the problem with United Airlines’ communications. There was no empathy in their responses. They only focused on showing the audience that they were in the right and not how their actions affected the people in the video.
Legend’s Notes: It’s not always about who’s right or wrong. Empathy and understanding go a long way in preserving relationships and public perception so always show genuine concern for those affected, listen to their concerns, and respond with compassion.
3. Learn and Adapt:
In this situation, United Airlines took an L. It happens and I’m sure that they most likely looked at “film” and understood where they went wrong and found ways to improve in future responses.
Legend’s Notes: After the storm has passed, take time to reflect on the crisis and analyze its underlying causes. Learn from the experience and implement changes to prevent similar issues in the future. By embracing a culture of continuous learning and adaptability, you can strengthen your organization’s crisis management capabilities and enhance its overall resilience.
Tame the Tempest
No matter the size of your company or the industries you serve, the ability to navigate the storms that come and execute effective crisis management strategies is critical. If you’re skilled enough, prepared enough, and lucky enough you can not only mitigate the damage but you can also display your integrity and show your ability to bounce back.
