While there was a point in the past where you could quiet angry audiences with a few reassuring words, the right color tie, and a friendly face, that day is gone.

Today that same effort still works to buy you some time to get things done, but it's not even close to a be-all end-all solution. Instead, you need to (and here's where we lose some people...) actually say what you mean and do what you say.

Say what you mean. This is pretty simple on the surface, but when you factor in editing by committee, legal concerns, and the 'Us vs. Them' thinking that tends to creep into organizations of all kinds, you start to see why so much of the crisis communications-related messaging out there dances around key information or forgets to demonstrate even a drop of empathy.

Streamline your team, work to truly understand what audiences are feeling, come up with a plan you can actually accomplish to make them feel better, then tell everyone exactly what you're going to do. This requires some time to pull together, which means that you'll need a strong holding statement and media contact handling structure, both items that should already be included in your general crisis management plans.

Do what you say. Another easy one, right? Let's see...because getting this right is critical. Making a strong statement filled with expressions of compassion, confidence, and competence will tamp down on any initial outrage factor, but you better believe the torches and pitchforks aren't going away for good after a few words.

No, you actually have to back those words up by following through with action. Try to spin your way through an issue purely with smooth talk and you'll find yourself chasing the last train out of town as you learn how double-edged that sword can become. As an added factor, today's swelling ranks of activists, both amateur and professional, love to roast for lack of follow through and make use of social media to guarantee your business partners and potential customers are kept up to date along the way.

This edition's quote, from author Angeles Arrien, was spot on when it identified the sources for misunderstandings as, "not saying what we mean, and not doing what we say". Few would dispute it applies to our own personal interactions, but it spoke to me in terms of reputation management as well.

After all, when you strip away the surrounding details, the source of most business-related reputation threats today is a clash between the expectations of an audience and the reality of an organization, or individual's, actions. In other words, a misunderstanding.

Erik Bernstein
President, Bernstein Crisis Management Inc.
erik@bernsteincrisismanagement.com / www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com