We are excited to to invite Rob Hayes, founder and President of Compass Communications LLC, to share his thoughts on our Online Reputation Management blog.  Rob managed communications for Florida’s agency that coordinated response to and recovery from the devastating 2004 hurricane season and headed external communications related to state employees for the Office of Governor Pataki during the response and recovery following the attacks of 9-11 and the anthrax attacks in New York State.

What is crisis communications?

It’s funny how we are always trying to fit everything into a definition or elevator speech.  To me crisis communications is the act of engaging your risk communications plan.  When injury or loss is imminent, occurring or recently occurred all communications are crisis communications.

What are the biggest mistakes you see people and companies make when dealing with the media?  

Not being credible in their statements whether it is in acknowledging their own role in the event, acknowledging the true impact on others or when discussing the future impact and how to deal with it.  In my time working for Governor Pataki, Governor Bush and while running my business, two of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen people make time and again are having the wrong person delivering the message and sharing the wrong information. [Read more…]