by Crisis communications is a vital field that helps organizations navigate and manage challenging situations, protecting their reputation and maintaining public trust. The role requires a unique blend of strategic thinking, quick decision-making, and effective communication skills. What does it take to excel in this high-pressure field? How do professionals prepare for and manage crises effectively? As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Montieth Illingworth.
Montieth’s career in creating and executing communications strategies and programs to achieve high-value outcomes is extensive and accomplished. He has advised clients on a wide variety of special situations and issues, including global market expansions, new product launches, rebrandings, corporate contests, restructurings, bankruptcies, M&A, economic development, corporate governance, litigation and regulatory investigations. He counsels numerous CEOs, CFOs, CMOs and Generals Counsel, publishes a wide variety of thought leadership on communications, and has spoken at industry conferences on the emerging complexities of issues and crisis management.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
Litigation matters are always interesting because each issue is complex in its own way. You really have to find those complexities and unravel them for journalists so they can grasp the core issues and the importance of them as news. We also have several global, cross-border accounts where we work with the media in multiple countries. These are retainer accounts, and the clients are engaged in expanding into new markets, making acquisitions, or some other key initiative. Coordinating across media markets is always interesting. Then, we’re doing a lot of work in renewable energy, and a range of emerging technologies, but also alternative investing, so we have a rich mix of rapidly evolving sectors.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Thank you for saying that! We have a motto here which is care about the right things, work hard, and all good things will come.
So, first, setting the standards for what constitutes excellence in the work we provide our clients. I set the example through the quality of my own work product but also in paying attention to what others do, and offering helpful advice, support and feedback.
Second, manage to the person. Everyone is different in ability and aptitude and how they problem solve. Everyone brings a different life experience to the work and the company. I try and see and understand those differences. That’s the only way to get the best performance possible.
Third, is to be ambitious. Never stop visualizing what you want, what you can accomplish, and how you can grow and learn.
Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. What essential skills and qualities do you believe are necessary for success in crisis communications?
You have to like complexity. Every crisis is a puzzle of some kind. The totality of the information you need to make decisions, and advise the client, is never in a neat box so you have to assess what you know, what you don’t know and need to know, and how to get those facts, and adjust accordingly.
It’s very dynamic because the picture can change in the blink of an eye. Then, there’s what I call a kind of Zen-like patience that has to be demonstrated. You have to be the calm one in the storm. The analytical mind, the guiding hand, and the one ready to take action when it’s needed most! Crisis communication is also about always taking the posture of being reasonable. You can’t call the media and be aggressive and demanding, let alone intimidating or rude. You have to listen, ask good questions, and explain as needed to instill understanding about a situation. The control you want to achieve is only possible with that approach.
Finally, there’s what I call the “beyond the pale and the probable outcomes” phenomena. When the worst possible thing happens, which was totally unexpected, you have to deal with it but at the same time see how that sets in motion probable aftereffects and be ready for those.
An example of this is a sudden and unexpected discovery of a cyberattack that reveals private customer information; there’s a playbook for dealing with that via PR but get ready for the hack to be maybe worse than you thought and for the likely litigation that it will lead to.
Can you share a specific crisis you managed and the strategies you used to address it effectively?
That’s tricky. Ninety-nine percent of the time we’re retained under attorney-client privilege which means we can’t discuss the work. Most of our matters are in the news headlines which makes this even trickier. Then we’re also hired sometimes to limit media exposure as best we can. The ones I often think about when I get this question is a CEO transition. I work on a lot of these. The sudden departure, under whatever circumstance, of a CEO and everything that needs to be done to make the transition to a new CEO and how to manage all the stakeholders, including investors, in instilling confidence that there will be seamless continuity. The core strategy here is to convey that your succession or transition plan is the right one, that you’re confident in what you’ll achieve, and you’re communicating openly and frankly with stakeholders.
The full article can be found at Authority Magazine.