“Safety is our number one priority.”
No it’s not.
Preparing the team for combat is. Years ago, a contractor was killed at a range where my organization was training. We were being safe but I found it hard to say safety was our number one priority when we were training in the extreme heat of the North Carolina summer, in full kit with live ammo. If my command was prioritizing safety over all else, we would be chilling at home. Instead, how about, “We train for combat to keep America safe, this was a horrific accident. Eddie was a great team member.”
When I was a young company commander about to go to combat, a fellow company commander walked around telling people (including families), “my goal is to bring everyone home.”
Is it? There are easier ways to ensure everyone comes home than to deploy to Iraq’s “triangle of death.”
Your greatest asset? “People are our greatest asset.”
Good, but if we say it we have to add context and show it’s true.
“We’ll do a complete investigation.”
Not so fast, make sure we are going to do a complete investigation (whatever that means) before we declare it publicly.
“We take these allegations seriously.”
Truth is, we take some allegations seriously. Maybe not these. If you’re going to say we take these seriously, then be sure you do.
As public affairs officers we have to be careful, organizations often slip into dissimulated catch phrases which are easily proven wrong publicly. Good reporters will recognize garbage statements like these, and ask for supporting evidence.
When your organization is in crisis, communicate from a completely factual position and avoid catch phrases wrought with assumed meaning and dichotomy. On background, help the media understand what’s going on and craft forever lines which link back to your core mission. Hint, if you are in the military your core mission has something to do with the defense of our nation.
Photo by Chief Petty Officer Brandyn Hill
