Today, February 19, 2010, Tiger Woods - one of the most recognized sports celebrities of the times broke the silence about his affairs with many women and the impact it has had on his personal and professional life.
In his 13 minute Media conference today Tiger appeared composed while reading from his prepared statement. Following his comments he did not take questions from the Media.
As a Media Coach and Consultant that offers training in Crisis Management, Tiger's appearance today was text book. However, about 3 months too late.
In the days that followed the November 27, 2009 incident outside his Florida home; the crashing of his SUV into a fire hydrant around 2:30am and his rush to hospital, Tiger remained silent only releasing short statements through his web site but never talking to the Media who were starved for answers. In the days that followed, the Media were quick to unveil some of the facts surrounding the story. Did the Media have a field day with this? You bet they did! Did Tiger lose credibility in his fans, sponsors and the Golf world? You bet.
The key to understanding how to deal with Crisis is knowing HOW to react and WHEN to react. The more proactive you are the more likely you and your staff will be able to handle the Crisis. It is your opportunity to turn a potential damaging situation into an ability to demonstrate leadership and strength within your organization.
Take care of the victims. No matter the incident, there are victims. Be sure you put their safety, security, well-being ahead of your own.
Admit to the mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. While they might not like what you have to say, the public wants to know that you are human.
Fix the problem. Now that you have admitted there is a problem, what are you doing or what have you done to fix the problem.
Inform stakeholders, employees or key public features. Depending on the magnitude of the crisis, you will want to inform key people within your company before calling the Media and releasing the information.
Respond to Media calls. To ensure you are in control of the story, it is important to return all calls to the Media as quickly as possible. The longer you stall, the longer the Media will continue to 'spin' the story based on the limited information provided and write the story based on their preconceived views.
Ease public fears. People watching or reading information from your Media conference are asking the question "Am I safe?". Be sure to address that and ease the fears.
Do you need to review your Crisis Management Plan for your Company? Contact me at Speak Media Consulting for a free consultation.
-Darren.
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