Questions That Drive CEOs Crazy

When a crisis erupts, the questions start flying. Here’s what to expect and how to respond.

When you’re in the middle of a crisis, what you want most is time to plan and execute a strategy that will get you and your company through to the other side. Unfortunately, few get that luxury.

What you get is a barrage of questions from every direction—media, employees, board members, etc.

The Chinese word for crisis is a combination of danger and opportunity. So while these little needles can drive any CEO crazy, your answers are an opportunity to help reassure your key constituents and reinforce your company’s values.

Here are some of the questions you can expect during a crisis:

Media

• What are you going to do? Once you have an action plan, let reporters know what the next steps are. Until a plan is in place, don’t pretend like you know all the answers. But don’t wait too long to take action.
• What has been the impact so far? You probably won’t realize the full impact until after the crisis is done. You goal is to strike the right balance for the situation. Hiding the problems won’t make them go away, and reporters will dig for the information in other places. Provide an honest assessment of what you know and how it could impact the company.

Employees

• What’s going to happen to me? Employees crave stability during times of crisis. If their jobs will not be affected, relay that information as quickly as possible. If layoffs or other changes are imminent, let them know as soon as the decision is final. People have an infinite capacity to adjust to bad news they know is coming. They rarely if ever forgive an organization that surprises them with bad news or acts duplicitly.  
• Why didn’t you tell us sooner? Be upfront if legal or other reasons kept you from informing your employees as soon as you knew of a problem. Generally, try to tell your employees before you tell anyone else. You don’t want them to read about it in the paper or see it on the news before they hear it from you.

Board

• How did you not see this coming? In your initial communications, stick to the facts about the crisis and the factors that caused it to happen. As you learn more about the situation, begin to analyze your organization’s response to the crisis, lessons learned, and changes made to prevent it from happening in the future.

Clients

• How soon will this be fixed? You should let your clients know that you are working on solving the problem as quickly as and as often as possible. Keep them constantly updated about the timeframe and milestones in the recovery. Remind them that you’re working to make sure it never happens again. And, after the crisis is complete, don’t forget to thank them for their loyalty.
• Why should I keep working with you? Know your key clients and communicate with them right away. Once a crisis strikes, you have less than 12 hours to communicate directly with your key clients. Anything longer exponentially increases the chances they will hear from someone outside the company. You have lost a strategic advantage if that happens. Proactive communications reinforces your continued commitment to them. Be available to speak with your top clients if they need personal attention.

When a crisis hits, it’s crucial to be present and willing to communicate with your key audiences, even if you’re not personally answering each question. Your constituents need to know that you recognize the severity of the situation and are doing everything in your power to get back on track.

Another important point to remember is to be honest. If you don’t have all the answers when you’re asked a question, say so. Tell the person you are finding the facts and will let them know as soon as it’s feasible. Follow through.