A crisis could be a real or impending danger that has the potential to be life-threatening to human beings or an organisation. A crisis could range from adverse weather conditions to public disturbance, riots, disease outbreaks, hacking of critical data of an entity, or an event that has the potential to erode corporate brand identity.
Business Owner and Public Speaking Trainer
How to deliver a crisis talk
Your role is to address the crisis and the situation. Most likely the crisis is unfolding around you and events are changing as you speak. Your objective is to address the situation, if you are aware of it, at the time of your speech. The audience is already excitable and emotional. Your role is to have a calming effect on the people around you. The crisis might have just happened. State the facts that you know for certain and acknowledge what is still being investigated.
You could invite other specialists as part of your panel to subsequent crisis management briefings and updates to provide information from their specialist viewpoint. These specialists provide a strong force to reassure people that there is a united team of experts on hand, to deal with the crisis.
Before you deliver the speech, know what you can or what you cannot say. Some information at the time of the briefing could be confidential, sensitive, or still being investigated.
How to execute
Your choice of words is critical for this speech. Your role is to calm the situation and show strength in a situation that is emotionally distressing.
Provide relevant information on the crisis or on the situation as you know it at the time of your talk. Include details like context and background to the situation. What happened? Include a timeline. When and where the event took place? Who was involved in the event? What preventive measures could have been done to avoid the situation? What preventive measures are being taken to avoid further loss?
If there were any mistakes or misjudgements that caused the crisis, as a leader, admit to them. State the facts as you know them. Do not guess. Cite facts, figures, and data that you are aware of. Provide the sources of the facts, figures, and data.
Delivery style
Your body language and your demeanour should show empathy and sincerity to those who have been affected by the crisis and who potentially could still be impacted by it. Your tone of voice should be reassuring and calm, your facial expression solemn and serious. Your pace of speaking should be slow and deliberate. Your body gestures and your movements should be restrained and limited.
FURTHER ADVICE
- Logically build to a call to action – what do you want your audience to think, feel, or do after your address?
- Focus on delivering facts, figures and statistics you are aware of.
- Post your initial address and conduct regular briefings and updates until the crisis has been averted.
- Conclude with a reassurance of hope. Remind people of the power of collaboration and unity.
