Recently I helped a nonprofit steer through some unwanted attention. A Murdoch-owned newspaper had gotten hold of an angle on something tangential. This tangential thing has little to do with the nonprofit’s mission and values. But the nonprofit does bear some responsibility for the tangential thing. And that was the focus of the reporter’s story. He was pushing the nonprofit’s leader for a response. I prepared them for a pressured interview with the journalist by doing some roleplay. I gave feedback on the bad answers and helped the leader pivot to better ones. At first they considered not commenting but I suggested that would be a bad look. They called the reporter, had the interview, and the story ran. The nonprofit emerged as well as they could from this thing that they didn’t want to be a part of. Now they can continue with their day-to-day mission, without further trouble. There was real risk in the story because part of this tangential thing was also related to a major donor. If the nonprofit leader threw the major donor under the bus they could say bye to millions of dollars. No jokes. Now, they haven’t had any further unwanted attention, and no major donors blame them for the story. Nobody is demanding answers. Everybody can breathe a sigh of relief. You can’t muzzle the press but you can deal with a dangerous dog if you’ve had the right experience and training.
As a strategic communications consultant, I help people get the attention they deserve. But I also help people and organizations steer clear of attention they don’t want. The wrong kind of story usually has some root in some mistake you may have made. But when a journalist is on the hunt, there are ways you can engage with them to lessen the negative impact of such zeal. Nobody should face judgement for their worst mistakes. That includes the occasional managerial slip-up at a nonprofit or foundation. I wish it weren’t the case, but it’s often my business to help people through such sticky situations. Nothing surprises me and I have seen it all. Believe me.
With the reelection of Donald Trump, nonprofits are going to face more scrutiny than ever. Are you confident that your leaders and staff are in a good place to fend off such hostile attention? How about your board members? Or: Are there any of your colleagues who might be more vulnerable than others to a baited question? How do they communicate under pressure? Are they ready for a scrap? Would they do you real damage if they spoke their minds on a given issue?
If you’re not sure, it’s worth doing a crisis communications audit and coming up with a plan. I can help.
Now, I’ll give you a good example of bad communication under pressure. It’s from the Great British Bakeoff on Netflix. I binged the latest season on Saturday thanks to my sister-in-law’s refusal to get off the couch all day. The leading contestant going into the final was a talented chef named Dylan. Blessed with good looks and superior baking skills, he looked set to win the final. Spoiler alert: He didn’t. Not only did his baking fall apart a bit in the last episode, his attitude was off. They kept asking him what it would mean to him to win the big prize. He kept saying some variation of “I want to be a chef and this would be good for my resume.” Bad, Dylan. Bad! It made him look like he felt entitled to the prize, and his key audience, Paul Hollywood, needs a sycophant. You don’t kiss-up to the Hollywood? You’re toast. Meanwhile the person who did win the eventual prize responded to the same pressure well. They said it would mean the world to them and they wouldn’t be able to believe how incredible it would be. Check the box.
Not all pressure looks like pressure. Not all innocent questions are so innocent. If your key audiences need reassurance, it’s not always only about the words you’re using. It can be about your tone. It can be about your appearance. It can be about what you’re not saying, as much as what you are. Throw in the added uncertainty of talking to a journalist you may not fully trust and a difficult situation can open up a minefield of risks you don’t want to face. Meanwhile, I love to help people through this kind of stuff so that they can focus on doing their jobs. If you want to talk about such a situation, let’s do so. I’m around.
Matt Davis is a strategic communications consultant based in New York City with clients all over the world.
