How to develop a timely, truthful crisis comms strategy

You never forget your first crisis. Mine began on a Saturday morning in early 2016. I’d just interviewed for my dream job – director of Media and Community Relations for my company. I was serving in an interim capacity for the role, and I was confident about my prospects. Life was really good.

A few hours later, I received an urgent phone call from my boss, letting me know that an employee had been severely injured on the job. We needed to activate our crisis team and start working our crisis communication plan – something I’d never done before. My mind raced, my heart dropped to my stomach, and in a mere moment, that unforgettable weekend became a pivotal learning point for the years that have followed in my career.

At Southwire, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of wire and cable and an emerging influence in many important electrical markets, we have more than 8,000 people that are located across North America and around the globe. This is my 12^th year with the company, and six of those years have been spent leading our crisis communication team.