Crisis Communications Is Topic of Construction Management Event
The best and worst practices for dealing with the press, government, and other interested parties following a construction site accident were discussed in February at the third in a series of Schack Institute construction management breakfasts. This event was supported by the Herman and Lawrence D. Ackman Endowment Fund in Business Ethics.
Helio Fred Garcia, a 30-year public relations veteran, founding adjunct faculty member in the NYU-SCPS M.S. in Public Relations and Corporate Communications program, and executive director of the Logos Institute for Crisis Management and Executive Leadership, identified pitfalls to be avoided and opportunities that can be realized after a construction accident by a timely, truthful, and well considered response.
A developer or contractor’s priorities for public communications in the aftermath of a construction site accident, according to Garcia, are:
- Quickly acknowledging the problem
- Conveying appropriate emotion
- Committing to an investigation
- Keeping the public informed
- Expressing confidence in the company’s safety practices and results
Garcia described such a response by a construction company following a crane accident in Texas that killed four people and injured seven. The company held a press conference within a few hours of the disaster in which its executives pledged to investigate the accident and identify the responsible individuals. The executives also told reporters that they were collecting all the facts, personally contacting the affected families, and praying for them. In addition, the executives cited their company’s impressive safety record. “They communicated empathy, revealed a plan to go forward, were calm, shared information, established a defense, and stated their own high standards,” he noted. Underscoring the need for prompt communication, Garcia explained that “deputized citizen journalists” with cell phone photographs in the blogosphere had recently posted reports of a construction accident before news radio stations could get to it. He warned against a complacent attitude that leads companies to consider themselves invincible in the arena of public opinion. Garcia also cautioned against “flailing around and looking helpless,” an impression that can undermine a company’s statements.
“Companies must designate in advance a person to be in charge of presenting the facts,” Garcia said, “because, in urgent situations, everyone piles on and wants to be part of the response.” He recommended that someone in the construction company, preferably an individual familiar with construction site operations, be assigned as a spokesperson. “You need someone directly accountable,” he advised. “A public relations agency is thought of as a hired gun.”
Garcia cited a KPMG study showing that expertise and reputation are the two most influential factors owners look for in choosing construction contractors, as well as a Fortune magazine article on leadership of large organizations, asserting, “We have to remember that reputations are won or lost in a crisis.” Both publications, he said, stressed the importance of responding skillfully when mishaps occur on-site. In a crisis, “attention focuses on the leaders,” Garcia noted. “How they respond affects the future of their organizations.”