Internal communications can support your public statements in the best of ways. Or, they can have the exact opposite effect.
A few years ago, before cyberattacks on hospitals and health systems became common, a health system announced to the media that it was experiencing some minor impacts of malware in its electronic health records system. The announcement downplayed the incident, and over the course of the next hours and days, subsequent official messages (both press releases and social media posts) repeated that claim.
Meanwhile, diligent journalists dug in.
Crisis Builds Quickly Through Chaotic Messaging
In what should not have surprised hospital officials, reporters reached out to employees for comment. Their stories contradicted the company line. One newspaper reprinted an image of a ransomware note that had popped up on several hospital computer screens. An employee had taken a screen shot of the note and shared with a reporter – making it clear the system had been hacked, that it was dealing with a cyberattack – and not struggling with a minor isolated issue.
Further coverage repeated anonymous claims by several nurses and a doctor that patient services had been seriously compromised, appointments had been cancelled, care delayed, patients discharged untreated or sent elsewhere. Under attack for misleading the press, hospital officials responded by ignoring media inquiries and reporters’ follow up questions.
Subsequent media reports supported by accurate inside information made it clear that patient care was in chaos.
Unsurprisingly, readers properly inferred that leadership had been lying and the situation was worse than initially claimed. In fact, the public came to believe the situation was beyond their ability to control.
The takeaway? During a crisis, communications with internal audiences are equally important – and sometimes more important – than public-facing statements.
How Can You Use Internal Communications to Support Your Public Statements?
1. Establish a Clear Chain of Communications Command
Your business should designate one individual whose responsibility is to respond to media inquiries and their name should be common knowledge across the organization. Every employee should know to pass along the inquiry to that individual along with the reporter’s contact information. And they should be instructed to do that, rather than simply transferring the reporter’s call, to protect the spokesperson from being blind-sided.
This applies to senior staff and members of the board of directors as well. Everyone from the janitor to the CEO needs to know how to handle media inquiries and should be instructed to refrain from freelancing.
2. Prepare Employees for Stealth Inquiries
Reporters don’t always identify themselves as such. Additionally, sometimes people who are not reporters will ask about sensitive issues and then share the answers with others. Employees should know to escalate any questions about sensitive issues to the official spokesperson. They can say, for example, “I want you to get accurate information, so give me your email and I’ll have the right person get back to you.”
3. Make Sure Your Legal & PR Messaging Are Aligned
Your legal counsel and PR consultant should review all public-facing statements and press releases prior to their use – the former to make sure it won’t undermine a future litigation strategy, and the latter to make sure it won’t undermine the organization’s overall reputational strategy.
4. Insist That Internal Communications Remain Consistent With Public Facing Communications
Nothing will compromise your public relations strategy faster than an external statement that contradicts what you’re saying in an internal memo. Make no mistake, those internal messages will be shared.
Use Your Internal Communications to Support Your Public Statements
Of course, these guidelines are most helpful when they are part of a more comprehensive crisis communications plan. But even as stand-alone items, they can help you avoid compounded the initial crisis with a crisis of public confidence. Make sure your internal communications support your public statements.
