Handling a Crisis

There has been a lot of talk lately in the presidential campaign about handling a crisis. Which candidate has been tested? Which one has "the spine of steel" to deal with the unknown and unwanted emergency? Will the United States be at greater risk if one candidate is selected over another? These are all pertinent questions because of the simple fact we all want to be safe and feel as if our government and our leaders not only have our best interests at heart, but also are looking out for us in good times and bad. In the past nearly eight years, some bad things have occurred inside our borders. We have been attacked by terrorists, had a valuable region of the country destroyed by a hurricane, and seen pockets of our infrastructure collapse. How have our leaders handled these rocky events? Have they done so in a way that instills confidence? God forbid, nothing like these will ever happen again, but if it does, then which of our candidates do we want to have in the position of leading us through them?

One of the essential ingredients in handling a crisis is communication. Above all else, people want one very basic thing when something terrible occurs: information. Specifically, they want to know what has happened, what is being done about it, and what steps are being taken to help ensure it never happens again. Additionally, they also want honesty, accountability and compassion. People also want to be communicated with in a manner in which they understand and in ways we can be inspired to take actions or steps to help be part of the response to a crisis. If the communicator in charge falls short on these fundamental expectations, then the effectiveness of their communication efforts will in all likelihood be compromised.

I have purposely not mentioned either presidential candidate in the context of this entry. My purpose is not to endorse one candidate over the other as being the best communicator in times of a crisis, but rather to raise some specific questions as to which one do we feel is best suited to serve as our primary source of information should our nation be hit with a future crisis. Communication will not solve a crisis, but any solution to a crisis cannot be carried out unless effective communication is part of the mix.