The scene is all too familiar – a CEO or top company spokesperson at a podium with microphones splayed in front, offering a scripted statement of apology. It’s become somewhat routine, and yet it’s a critical step in recovery. But just how much weight does that statement carry? Imagine a high jumper, flinging her body over the bar. If she clears the bar, she lands safely on the foam mat. If she doesn’t clear it, she is disqualified. How high is the sincerity bar in crisis communications?
This is a quote, from an article by Crisis Management International consultants Melissa Mack and Charlie McDonald, published in our latest Crisis Manager newsletter. While many of us take the standard scripted CEO podium scene with a massive grain of salt, almost automatically assuming insincerity, for some reason many still choose to approach their apologies in this manner. What Melissa and Charlie describe in their article is a new term, the “sincerity bar,” a way to gauge the level of genuine apology and effort needed to be successful in crisis management.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/