Register by May 6, and save $100 on this PRSA certificate program.
In PRSA’s upcoming certificate program, “Crisis Communication Readiness: From Uncertainty to Action,” which begins on May 20, instructor Mike Gross, APR, Fellow PRSA, focuses on how communicators can show up as trusted advisers when it matters most.
Gross, president of AKCG — Public Relations Counselors, shared insights with PRsay on how communicators can better prepare for what’s next.
How should communicators rethink preparedness in this more ongoing, high-pressure environment?
Preparedness has to shift from just planning for a moment to planning for sustained uncertainty.
Most organizations still think in terms of scenarios alone — what might happen and how we’ll respond. The reality is that many situations don’t follow a clean script. They evolve. Information changes. Expectations shift, but the pressure is immediate.
So, we must start to focus less on simply having the right template and more on having the right foundation. Clear principles. Defined roles. Alignment on how decisions get made quickly, with as few barriers as possible.
If you have that in place, you’re better positioned to adapt as the situation unfolds. If you don’t, no plan will hold up for very long.
What are some of the most common missteps you observe when organizations depend too much on “playbooks”?
The biggest issue is false confidence. But let’s be clear that a scenario-based crisis response plan is still important. It just can’t be a communicator’s singular focus.
Playbooks create the impression that if you follow the steps, you’ll get the right outcome. But crisis situations don’t work that way. Context matters. Timing matters. Tone matters.
What we want to avoid is organizations relying on pre-written statements or rigid processes that don’t reflect the reality of what’s happening. The result often is communication that feels disconnected or overly cautious. There is little room for “corporate speak” anymore in these moments; we must be audience-focused.
Playbooks are key to getting you going, but if they replace judgment, they become a liability.
You emphasize trust and credibility as guiding principles. In a rapidly evolving crisis, what does that look like in practice — especially when information is incomplete?
More than ever, we live in a skeptical world. There’s recreational outrage. There are deepfakes. Trust in all types of leaders is eroding.
In practice, there’s often a tendency to wait to communicate during a moment of challenge until everything is confirmed. In most cases, that creates a gap that others will fill for you. Credible leaders start with being clear about what they know, what they don’t know and what they’re doing to get answers.
Credibility is built through consistency and tone. And effective leaders work hard to avoid speculation and acknowledge impact early, even when details are still emerging.
Many participants will advise senior leaders. What does it take to be seen as a trusted counselor in those high-stakes moments?
It comes down to how you show up before the crisis, not just during it.
If you want to be in the room where it happens – when decisions are being made – you have to establish that credibility over time. That means being willing to offer a clear point of view, even when it’s not the easiest answer. Effective PR practitioners aren’t just advising on what to say; they’re advising on what to do.
Smart leaders are looking for clarity and sound input, in good times and bad. The ability to simplify a situation, frame the reputational risk and recommend a path forward is what builds trust.
For communicators who may not be in a crisis right now, what’s one step they can take today to be better prepared when that moment arrives?
A good place to start is by getting alignment internally on how decisions will be made when something does happen.
Who is involved in decision-making? How quickly can you respond? When do you engage legal counsel? What principles will guide your response?
Most delays in a crisis aren’t about writing a statement. They’re about uncertainty inside the organization.
If you can reduce that now, you’ll be in a much better position when it matters.
John Elsasser is PRSA’s publications director and editor-in-chief of its award-winning publication, Strategies & Tactics.
Photo credit: ty
