Skip to main content

Staying cool in the cauldron

Crisis communication...we've done quite a bit of it. And we're asked what it's like.

When everything's boiling, when reporters are calling, emailing and texting, and they need to hear from you right away. They have questions. They want answers. You're trying to stay calm. So you can see the big picture. So you can calibrate.

Calibrating is important. Getting your arms around situations...quickly. Are you the one to respond to questions, or should someone else be taking them on? If responding to questions is necessary. When you're in business, maybe an executive who's uniquely qualified -- and media-qualified -- should be on deck. When you're on an HOA board, are you prepared and qualified? Do you jump in the cauldron, or do you touch base with someone else...your property manager or HOA attorney?

Calibrating and staying calm helps, whether it's reporters or HOA residents firing questions. And it's sure nice if you've anticipated problems that can stir up questions. Even better if, after anticipating problems, you've already worked them out. This may keep you out of cauldrons in the first place.

(For more...At Least Some PR or contact hoastrategic@gmail.com)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Houston!! We have an issue!

Two dinosaur sculptures in the front yard of a home located in an HOA in the Houston area just made ABC 13 Eyewitness News. The homeowner said "she's been contacted (by the HOA) and asked what her plans were" for the dinosaurs, a T-Rex and a Velociraptor. The homeowner's "plans are directly tied to their plans," according to the TV-news story. "She says she is prepared to contest any request that they be removed. It's about creativity, not conformity." Here's the thing about media coverage of just about anything...of organizations like HOAs, business firms and all the rest. It's the question of whether or not -- to what extent -- media coverage might influence situations and outcomes. When organizations -- and their policies -- are in the news, will media coverage influence policy decisions? Keeping in mind, of course, the key role of governing documents in policies and procedures.
2 comments
Read more

Better than blurting??

In several posts, we've been talking about prepared statements...how they might sometimes help HOA boards deal with tough questions from homeowners and even -- heaven forbid! -- tough questions from the news media. We're often asked if prepared statements are nothing but PR spin. People sometimes cringe at the mention of spin. Actually, a prepared statement is measured words in a measured response. What's preferable? Measured words or words blurted out in the heat of the moment?
1 comment
Read more

Heaven or Hell?

( Editor's note: There's an article in a North Carolina newspaper, "My descent into HOA hell in North Carolina." And there's this article with a distinctly different message about HOAs.) Here's Why HOAs Are a Big Deal by Harvey Radin Would you believe that homeowner associations outnumber U.S. cities by a huge margin? There are more than 300,000 homeowner associations and only 35,000 U.S. cities and towns. HOAs also outnumber the giant retail store locations, fast food restaurants, megabank branches and coffee chain locations. The biggest fast food chains have 7,000-14,000 restaurant locations. Megabanks have 4,000-6,000 branches. The biggest coffee chains have up to 24,000 locations in the U.S. and other countries. Homeowner associations are a big deal. Not only because of the surprisingly large number of them, but also because many of them are multimillion-dollar properties. And many are managed and governed by volunteers, by homeowners who are e...
2 comments
Read more