“We take this very seriously.” If I had a pound for every time I’ve read that sentence in a crisis statement, I could retire.
It appears in almost every apology. Every incident response. Every difficult announcement.
And it means absolutely nothing.
Because of course you take it seriously.
Nobody issues a statement saying “we’re treating this with complete indifference.”
The phrase exists to fill space whilst saying nothing at all.
What people actually want to know is not whether you’re taking it seriously.
They want to know what you’re doing about it.
Specifically. With timelines.
- “We’re reviewing the incident” tells me nothing.
- “We’ve suspended the individual involved and launched an independent review, which will report findings by the end of March” tells me everything.
One sounds serious.
The other is actually serious.
I understand why the phrase keeps appearing. It feels safe. It sounds concerned. It’s hard for anyone to argue with.
But that’s exactly the problem.
It’s designed not to be argued with which means it’s also designed not to mean anything.
The organisations I work with who get crisis communications right have learned to stop using placeholder language entirely.
They’ve realised that the gap between “we’re taking this seriously” and “here’s exactly what we’re doing” is the gap between managing a crisis and prolonging one.
Strip out the filler.
Say what you’re actually doing.
The rest is just noise.
Vague language can prolong a crisis rather than resolve it. If you need help drafting clear, impactful communications that protect your reputation, explore our crisis management services.