Experts state that it is not the crisis itself, but the crisis management process that changes the destiny of institutions, and that an institution identifying foreseeable crisis causes can prevent potential crises by adopting a proactive crisis management approach. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pınar Aslan emphasizes that conveying accurate information and considering transparency during crises are also of great importance, and points out that setting a strategy facilitates crisis management, and the most crucial stakeholders in this process are the institution's employees.
Accurate information transfer and transparency are of great importance…
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pınar Aslan, a faculty member at Üsküdar Üniversitesi, Faculty of Communication, Department of Public Relations and Advertising, evaluated crisis situations in institutions and provided recommendations on how crisis processes should be managed.
Crises can be prevented with proactive management
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pınar Aslan emphasized that crises are considered extraordinary situations that disrupt the normal functioning of institutions, stating, “Crisis causes are divided into two categories: foreseeable and unforeseeable. An institution that identifies foreseeable crisis causes can prevent these potential crises by adopting a proactive crisis management approach. On the other hand, every institution has the potential to experience unforeseeable crises, and it is possible to say that every institution can experience such crises, especially since the speed brought by today's communication technologies increases the rate at which crises erupt and spread.”
The principle of transparency must be considered during crises
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pınar Aslan, stating that transparency should be at the top of the list of things to do in a crisis, continued her words as follows:
“Crisis moments are times when truth becomes even more important. Especially when considering today's communication environments, it will be understood that the greatest favor an institution can do for itself to avoid risky environments such as disinformation and information vacuum is to acknowledge the existence of the crisis and never cease to tell the truth, no matter what. When considered within the framework of reputation management, it should not be forgotten that choosing to tell the truth during a crisis positively contributes to reputation, making it possible to emerge from the crisis with at least minimal damage. Conveying accurate information and considering the principle of continuity in the transparency process during crises are also of great importance. The target audience's expectation for explanations and information flow should not be thwarted; behaviors that contradict the message ‘You can get the most accurate information from us in the fastest way’ should be avoided. In this way, the target audience will not feel the need to search for an alternative information source.”
Starting crisis management without defining a strategy is a mistake!
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pınar Aslan touched upon the fact that the steps to be followed in a crisis situation should sequentially be: strategy determination, taking swift action, conducting preliminary research, prioritizing internal communication, and informing the target audience. She stated, “Starting the crisis management process without defining a strategy is a common mistake. Many institutions, caught off guard in a crisis, act without thinking due to anxiety, which causes the crisis to escalate further. Defining a strategy facilitates managing the crisis. Even giving a sincere message along the lines of ‘We are trying to understand what happened and investigating’ will be sufficient for an institution trying to comprehend the situation and access accurate information during a crisis. Additionally, acting quickly is important.”
Not acknowledging the existence of a crisis is a significant mistake
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pınar Aslan pointed out that another mistake made by institutions is not acknowledging the existence of a crisis and delaying action. She said, “Therefore, an institution that accepts the existence of a crisis and acts swiftly within the framework of its defined strategy can change the course of the crisis. During this process, conducting research and being informed about the situation are of great importance. Determining the next step without any research, without knowing what the target audience thinks, brings risks. It is possible to say that today's technologies offer a great opportunity, especially in measuring how the target audience perceives the crisis. For this reason, researching the initial reaction of the target audience and the media before taking action indicates how the content of the statement to be made about the crisis should be.”
Employees are the most important stakeholders during crises!
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pınar Aslan underlined that the most important stakeholders to be considered during crises are the institution's employees. She stated, “Crisis moments are when internal communication gains strategic importance. Informing employees before anyone else will facilitate bringing the crisis under control. When we consider today's crises, the potential role of employees, especially in videos leaked to social media, should not be forgotten. A well-informed employee who trusts their institution provides significant representation as an ambassador for the institution and adds value to the crisis management process.”
Crisis management changes the destiny of institutions
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pınar Aslan stated that another important stage in a crisis situation is informing the target audience, and concluded her words as follows:
“Transparency, continuity, and sincerity are issues that should never be forgotten during the process of informing the target audience. Crises are extraordinary situations that every institution can face, and it is not the crisis itself but the crisis management process that changes the destiny of institutions. Informing the target audience through all channels they access is especially important. An institution that has succeeded in establishing a trust-based and transparent relationship with its internal and external target audiences will be able to emerge from crisis moments with minimal damage while also seizing the opportunity to successfully continue its reputation management.”