The Reality Behind the Swan Analogy
In PR, we’re often described as swans - calm and serene on the surface and then flapping around underneath so that no one can see. And for a while, I think we all took pride in that. “The PR team can handle anything…”.
But what about when the flapping is visible above water?! Now, we know the old adage of ‘it’s PR, not ER’, and we’re not saving lives here…but when the proverbial sh*t hits the fan, and it’s on you and your team, this notion feels like it goes out the window as fast as an incorrect influencer post goes live.
And for a ‘Type A’ gal with no sense of poker face (I’m both well aware and have been informed), the ‘swan-like’ demeanour can feel a bit forced when you really just want to throw your hands up in the air like Candi Staton.
But as a leader, you’ve no choice. You need to find the energy to assure the team, your client, your stakeholders, your media contacts, that you’ve not ‘got this’…even if at the time, it feels like you maybe don’t.
Finding Calm in the Chaos
Consult your toolbox
Consider what’s in your control
It’s easy to say that the PR team can fix it, and we pride ourselves in that role, but sometimes, we can’t. So first off, is it something that’s actually feasible for us to course-correct? Will this matter in a day, a week, a month? These first quick questions can save hours of agonising back and forth.
Assess everything
Back to basics on this one, but the who, what, when, where, why is a proven process to consider a plan of action. We’ve all written crisis comms or scenario plans for the most obscure scenarios, and I truly believe that if you write it down it’s less likely to happen (I realise that I’ve jinxed that forevermore now).
Trust your gut
There’s a brilliant clip of Reese Witherspoon talking about women in films always having a ‘what do we do now?’ line, when that’s both offensive and untrue that a woman wouldn’t know what to do in a crisis situation. So, trust your gut, as you’ll likely know what to do once you have the information above.
Have your own personal messaging hierarchy
The action or outcome will be the same, but how you deliver that news and what you say is imperative. Depending on the situation, let people in on a need-to-know basis, signalling not only a clear message but what it means for them. When a crisis hits, we often search for what we can do to help, so ensure there’s a clear role communicated, and sometimes that can be as simple as saying there’s nothing more they can do.
Find your 'mirrors'
You need to find your people, so that once you’ve gone through actions 1 – 4, you can let your guard (and your shoulders!), down, and say, you’ll never guess what happened?! Share what you’ve experienced, achieved, resolved and let them support you. It can be exhausting managing change at pace, so take the time to decompress and as always – find the learnings, as it won’t be long until you need to exercise your sea legs for the next wave…!
And remember, this is the PR industry. The pace isn’t for everyone. It’s intense and it’s tiring. But it can also be so rewarding. In the words of a very wise woman (Pam from Gavin & Stacey), ‘It’s the drama, I just LOVE it!’
