Effectively Address Emergent Issues

A first mover is an individual or organization that communicates first whenever a public issue arises. Typically, whoever is the first to define the following three things will be the one who controls an event's interpretation:

• The nature of the issue
• The responsible organization's motives
• The responsible organization's actions

If the impacted organization effectively addresses all three of these, it will likely demonstrate a level of care to stakeholders.

Being the first mover is not just about speed; it's about effective and prompt communication. Setting response priorities can mitigate damage to your reputation. Ignoring or attempting to shortcut these priorities can do permanent damage. You should attempt to gain control of the narrative and acknowledge the issue(s) in a timely manner.

Stop the production of victims.

• Identify problems and set response priorities.
• Deal with underlying issues first.
• Resolve the problem by addressing key issues.

Failure to stop producing victims makes your response, no matter how competent, look weak, timid and incompetent while undermining the organization's reputation.

Manage the victim dimension.

Often, the most significant and lasting elements of an event or crisis involve the victims.

• Focus on the victims' needs to help them move through the state of victimization.
• Do not attempt to silence victims.
• Concentrate on empathy. Be a good human – people are hurting.

Communicate internally immediately. 

Inform, educate and script your unit promptly using brief but frequent short statements. This communication should run up and down the chain, including briefings for your commanders.

Notify those affected indirectly. 

Your external stakeholders are those who have a problem that this issue created. Friends, families, relatives, neighbors, regulators, governments, allied organizations and interest groups should hear from your organization as soon as possible.

Manage the self-appointed media.

Be aware that social media and smartphone journalists have the tools and power to quickly activate their agendas and disseminate a biased perspective. Have a plan to address the back-seat drivers of information.

• State awareness through fact-based messaging that an incident or issue has occurred.
• Express empathy or sympathy if an issue affects victims or others closely related to them. 
• Reaffirm the organization's core values in relation to the issue.
• Provide a summary of the actions related to the issue response.
• Set future expectations that demonstrate an organization's commitment to caring.

Digital communication makes it much harder to grab the first-mover advantage; others may start talking before you're ready. That is why it's essential to understand the concept of the Golden Hour. The Golden Hour doesn't just refer to a specific number of minutes but also to the audience's observation that an organization genuinely cares. If an organization can effectively demonstrate its care within the first 45 minutes of an event, there is a likelihood that the loss of trust will be minimal and without long-term harm. If you miss the 45-minute window, it is still possible to take control of the narrative, but it is more challenging as time passes. 

Saying nothing or waiting it out is not an option. A lack of response will become the story. Silence does not protect the organization from future risks, and it opens the door for others to control the narrative. If the silence continues when there is an expectation of caring, public opinion can turn against the organization. Silence and communication gaps drive people to reach conclusions about a situation, make judgments and act on what they hear rather than facts. 

Develop some pre-approved command messages and keep them on standby. Typically, the following four questions can help with a strategy for making important decisions at the right time:

• Will key stakeholders expect a response now?
• Will stakeholders see silence as an affirmation of guilt or indifference?
• Are other people discussing the organization and influencing the perception of others, or is there a reason to expect that people will soon be talking about the issue?
• Will an organization lose the ability to influence the outcome of the issue if it waits to communicate?

If the answer to all four questions is no, there is an opportunity to monitor and prepare. Public affairs professionals can devote more time to planning, drafting responses and getting ready to engage. However, when any one of the questions becomes a yes, the response must be accelerated to maintain effectiveness within the Golden Hour.