Larry D. Lauer

Events this week caused me to reflect on the many crises I have been involved with handling over the years. I was amused to remember how some close colleagues would observe how “cool” I remained under fire!

The fact is, I was always terrified!

But it was pure fear that caused me to study crisis communication and management when there was no crisis. I decided to write about it, and to work it into my teaching as a way of making sure I learned the material. This allowed me to develop a step-by-step guide for handling whatever might come my way. True, each crisis is unique. But it is also true that the steps for handling them will remain very much the same.

This lesson also holds true for most other aspects of our work… including developing brand clarity, writing important proposals, giving major presentations, and even designing group process for integrated planning.

Bottom line: Always do your homework.  Your never can over-prepare. Then when the drama begins, you just follow your step-by-step plan. Magically, you will look like you know what you’re doing, and that will make you effective even when deep inside you are terrified!