Prepare Your Business for Crisis with Expert Mike Swenson
About the Guest(s):
Mike Swenson is a seasoned professional in strategic communication, crisis management, and cause branding. He retired in 2021 after a distinguished career as a broadcast journalist, press secretary to a governor, and founder of Barclay Public Relations. Founded in 1987, Barclay Public Relations has evolved from a regional to a national leader specializing in influencer relations, employee engagement, and crisis management. Mike is a nationally recognized leader in both cause branding and crisis management. He served as the Global President of IPREX, a collaboration of more than 100 independent public relation firms. Mike is also the creator of Crisis Track, an initiative dedicated to preparing businesses for potential crises.
Episode Summary:
In this episode of The Chris Voss Show, Chris interviews Mike Swenson, a revered expert in public relations and crisis management, to discuss the importance of crisis preparedness for businesses. Mike shares his extensive experience and insights on how companies can strategize to navigate crises effectively and maintain their reputations. The conversation delves into the creation of contingency plans to ensure businesses can swiftly respond when the unexpected happens, a necessity in today’s fast-paced and interconnected world.
Swenson outlines the five critical steps companies should take to be crisis-ready, emphasizing that a significant percentage of businesses never recover from disaster without proper planning. He shares personal anecdotes and industry examples of how failing to prepare for crises, regardless of their nature, can lead to long-term reputational damage and even closure. The episode emphasizes the imperativeness of having a communication strategy and spokesperson designated well before a crisis strikes, allowing companies to act quickly and decisively.
Key Takeaways:
Crisis Preparedness is Essential: Having a crisis plan is as crucial as any other aspect of the business strategy. Swenson’s five-step process ensures companies are ready to tackle potential risks effectively.
Team Identification: Identify and assemble a crisis management team that knows their roles and responsibilities when a crisis arises.
Rapid Response and Ownership: Highlighting the importance of taking ownership of issues and responding swiftly to control the narrative and limit reputational damage.
Plan for Worst-case Scenarios: Businesses should proactively identify potential risks and have clear, predefined steps and messages ready to deal with various crises.
Long-term Impact of Crises: A company’s failure to prepare can lead to slow business deterioration, impacting customers, employees, and stakeholders over time.
Notable Quotes:
“The whole premise was, we gotta keep this simple because a lot of, a lot of times you’ll go into places, ask for their crisis plan, and it’s like three notebooks up on the shelf.”
“The impact rolls through well, so then that company may be able to stay in business for two or three more years, but they didn’t handle it well.”
“One of the biggest things in a crisis is to own it. I mean, once, once it happens, it’s your brand.”
“It’s those five steps. And we had a lot of success with that, obviously with, with that company.”
“What I really am worried about is companies just not realizing that bad things are gonna happen.”
