Three Helpful Tips to Guide Your Organization through Uncharted Times
No one will argue when I say we’re living in strange, unprecedented times.
It’s an Election year. Political violence is at an all-time high, women’s reproductive rights remain under attack, and America could have our first Black and South Asian, female president. This all comes amidst the backdrop of wars raging on, COVID-19 summer cases surging, and the Olympics in full swing.
It’s dizzying because one moment you’re celebrating an athlete who just captured gold, and the next minute you’re asking yourself if the headline you just read is real.
Unfortunately, you can’t stick your head in the sand and ignore the madness. And, whether you’re a communications strategist or politico knee-deep in GOTV outreach, an organization undergoing change, or an individual working in DEI, the arts, healthcare or another industry – you ALL need a rapid response playbook to guide you and your team through any crisis, transition, or internal or external challenge that could strike at any moment.
And, when trouble arises – and it always does – or breaking news strikes that directly impacts your supporters and beneficiaries, you’ll probably be mid-chew during a celebratory meal with friends, leisurely walking your dog, or gently yet securely swaddling your baby to sleep. If this wasn’t jarring enough, you’re now charged with notifying internal stakeholders and issuing a rapid response statement on behalf of your organization to the media.
This is a critical point and in many ways, it can be a make or break moment for you or your organization.
I’ve witnessed firsthand the best case and worst case outcomes.
Below are three tips to help you or your organization stay on message and thrive during chaotic times.
Create a ‘Rapid Response’ Playbook - These are written processes and protocols your organization will follow during a crisis or breaking news moment that warrants action or a statement from your principal or spokesperson. Ideally, these processes are devised, documented and agreed on during a planned strategy session with key members of your team. It can detail everything from who drafts the statement, the sequence of reviewers, who’s the final approver, and who will distribute the statement to defining a specific rule like, “Our organization only responds to Election-cycle news or breaking news if issue A, issue B, or X legislation is mentioned.” Additionally, a protocol could be that key team members utilize a group text thread during the duration of the crisis.
Bottom line, this playbook will be tailored to your organization and will serve as a de facto, clear-headed colleague who can steer everyone through the storm no one expected this soon. You won’t have to even think of what to do next because the protocols and processes are laid out for you. And thank goodness for that because the situation is already crazy enough.
Photo caption: At She the People’s first-ever Congressional Town Hall for women of color in 2020.
Conduct Scenario Planning - Within your playbook, now is the time to think through every possible scenario that could happen. Challenge your team members to really think big and workshop and document what you all would do and say if each scenario happened. (Over the years, I’ve learned that life is stranger than fiction, so be ambitious and throw in a scenario that seems unimaginable at first glance.)
A memorable scenario planning experience for me occurred when I was working at a startup representing Aimee Allison, founder and president of She the People, which advocates for women of color in politics. It was the lead up to the 2020 Election and it became clear that if Joe Biden won, he might tap a woman of color to be Vice President.
Our team went to the drawing board and also conferred with Allison who was in close contact with key Democratic campaign and party sources to think through all possible VP picks. Well before Kamala Harris was announced as our history-making Vice President, our team had drafted “win” statements of ALL potential woman of color VP picks that She the People could distribute applauding President Biden for his choice and what it means for America.
These statements were approved in advance, so the only thing we had to do when the news broke was update the date and hit, ‘send.’ (It’s important to note that America was in the midst of a racial reckoning, global pandemic with social distancing requirements changing by the day, workplaces, schools and the world were pivoting to virtual-everything, and everyone was trying to stay alive yet still had to work. Strange times indeed.)
In the end, She the People’s statement celebrating Kamala Harris as our first Black and South Asian female Vice President was one of the first to hit producers’ and bookers’ inboxes, which resulted in Allison conducting 30+ interviews in the immediate 48 hours following the announcement. And, Allison had laid the groundwork since 2018 building a reputation as a principal who is eager and easy to book for interview opportunities.
For example, if our team stated that we’d received interview requests from multiple cable TV networks, Allison’s response was, “Sure, what time is the segment?” and if we followed up saying, “We know you’re on the West Coast and this hit will require you to wake up at 4am your time,” Allison’s response was, “I’ll be ready.”
The key takeaway here is: Scenario planning in advance combined with a spokesperson who seizes relevant breaking news interview opportunities has the best chance of amplifying their organization’s mission, efforts and stance while becoming a go-to-expert for journalists.
(I’m sending prayers to all communications strategists working this Election cycle.)
Take an Extra Beat: In chaotic or high-stress situations, it’s natural to want to move as quickly as the unexpected storm that blew through, but that will only add fuel to the fire. Remember, your goal is to extinguish the fire!
In fact, you’re more likely to make unfixable mistakes, embarrassing typos, and misspeak when moving fast under pressure. Instead, take an extra beat, a deep breath, and move slower. This can look like spending twice as much time to draft an important email, having two people proofread your document instead of one, adding an end-of-day debrief for key team members, or waiting to respond to an email in the morning with fresh eyes and a clear mind even though you saw it come through last night.
Remember, your rapid response playbook will also help guide your steps and give you space and grace to compose yourself.
Which tip resonates with you the most?
Before I go, here’s what I’m thinking about:
Ethan Hawke’s TedTalk, “Give yourself permission to be creative”
Podcast I’m listening to: “ReThinking with Adam Grant - Mellody Hobson on Taking Tough Feedback.”
August is Black Business Month and here are 4 ways to support them this month and year-round:
1) Shop at Black-owned businesses: Patronize Black-owned stores, restaurants, and service providers.
2) Invest in Black entrepreneurs: Support through investment, crowdfunding, or purchasing shares.
3) Advocate for policy changes: Support policies that address systemic barriers, such as improved access to capital.
4) Raise awareness: Use your platform to highlight Black-owned businesses and their contributions.
Quote I’m pondering: “I always rise to the occasion; even after all the trauma and downfalls, I’ve always risen.” ~ Simone Biles
Photo credit: Simone Biles’ IG