How to Handle Bad News
Lessons in crisis communication from a presidential hopeful.
Lisa B. Marshall
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How to Handle Bad News
I typically try to stay clear of commenting on politics, however, no matter your political leanings, everyone can learn lessons from Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain’s recent crisis communications fiasco.
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What Happened?
Herman Cain’s very public, public relations collapse is on par with Richard Nixon’s Watergate scandal and with the Exxon Valdez oil spill as one of the most mismanaged communication crises in recent memory.
It all began with a Politico news story that uncovered financial settlements for at least two female employees who worked for Cain and had accused him of inappropriate, sexually suggestive behavior in the late 1990’s. The settlements were paid by the National Restaurant Association, a trade group in which Cain was the top dog.
Of course, that’s not the bad part. Scandals happen all the time. It’s how the adverse news is handled from a communication perspective that matters.
In fact, how many of you remember a similar allegation against David Letterman? I’m guessing not many. Why? Because David Letterman followed the rules of crisis management perfectly, and made the story go away quickly.
Rules For Handling Negative News
So what rules did David Letterman follow that Herman Cain didn’t? In general, the standard advice in these situations is to be responsive, to be honest, and to be concerned.
If you don’t respond quickly and honestly, others will assume you’re hiding for a reason. And if you do lie, then when the truth comes out (and it will), you’ve then created a secondary problem—a problem with your overall credibility.
So here are the 4 standard rules for handling adverse news:
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Be first and be fast
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Tell it all yourself
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Tell it to your supporters on your home turf
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Take responsibility
Mistake #1: He Wasn’t the First to Break the Story
In this case, Cain’s campaign could have easily broken the news first because according to Politico, they asked the Cain campaign about the sexual harassment allegations 10 days before running the story. He had plenty of time to prepare and to break the story on his own terms. It’s always best to come forward immediately, so that you can define the issue. If you don’t define the issue, others will just define it for you.
Cain could have simply stated right from the start, “Yes, I was accused of sexual harassment in his past. However, after an objective investigation, the accusations were found to be baseless. I’m publically releasing all the documentation relating to this matter so we can call stay focused on the important issues facing our nation.”
End of story. But that’s not what happened.
Mistake #2: He Didn’t Tell All
When the story first broke, Herman Cain denied the allegations. Then he explained one accusation, then later he “suddenly remembered” more and gave different statements about the issue. By revising his story several times, he caused further questions.
When responding to a scandal or crisis, you need to tell the truth. You can’t sugarcoat. It’s important for you to be the one that communicates all of the damaging information. You need to provide enough detailed information to stop any speculation or rumors that might have already started.
Mistake #3: He Didn’t Directly Tell His Supporters
Ideally, you communicate the bad news to a supportive crowd. Dave Letterman chose to do it during the first few minutes of his show to a live audience. The weekend before the news story broke, Herman Cain and fellow Republican presidential hopefuls, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum held a fundraiser forum in New York City. This would have been an ideal time to set the record straight directly with his supporters, but he didn’t. Five days after the story broke, he had another opportunity at another fundraiser in Texas. However, instead, an agreement was in place to not bring up the issue. Bad idea.
Mistake #4: He Didn’t Take Responsibility
As of this writing, four different women have described his inappropriate behavior. Yet, on Cain’s website he writes, “Once this kind of nonsense starts, the media’s rules say you have to act in a certain way. I am well aware of these rules. And I refuse to play by them.”
Cain is refusing to take responsibility, he is refusing to provide clear information and tell what happened because as he explains on his website, “nothing happened, which they don’t want to hear.” However, he does have the option of providing more details, to set the record straight, and lay this issue to rest.
Summary: Lessons Learned From Herman Cain’s Campaign
If you find yourself in a position where you need to share adverse news, it helps to follow a proven formula: Be first and fast, tell it all yourself, tell it to your supporters on your home turf, and finally, take responsibility. It’s not a guarantee that this will make the issue disappear, but it will lessen the negative attention and impact, allowing you to get back on track with your business.
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About the Author
Lisa B. Marshall Lisa holds masters with duel degrees in interpersonal/intercultural communication and organizational communication. She’s the author of Smart Talk: The Public Speaker’s Guide to Success in Every Situation, as well as Ace Your Interview, Powerful Presenter, and Expert Presenter. Her work has been featured in CBS Money Watch, Ragan.com, Woman’s Day, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and many others. Her institutional clients include Johns Hopkins Medicine, Harvard University, NY Academy of Science, University of Pennsylvania, Genentech, and Roche.