After my last post, a couple of people asked: “Right, but what does an internal crisis brief actually look like when we don’t have all the answers yet?”
Fair question.
Because the instinct is to wait until everything is confirmed, signed off, and legally approved.
But by that time, your people have already formed their own version of what’s happening.
And it’s almost always worse than the reality.
I’ve used this structure with clients for years. It’s not complicated. It’s not perfect.
But it works when you need to brief your team quickly and honestly, even when you’re still piecing things together yourself.
Save this. You’ll need it the next time something breaks before you’re ready.
Keeping your team informed during a period of uncertainty is the best way to protect your company culture. For expert support in developing your internal and external response plans, take a look at our crisis planning and preparation services.
One of the most dangerous assumptions I see in crisis response today is this:
That the truth will speak for itself(in the age of AI and fabricated content).
It will not.
I have learned that in moments of uncertainty, people do not wait for facts.
They look for signals.
Who speaks first.
Who sounds credible.
Who appears composed.
Who seems to care.
This is why crisis response today is less about information and more about judgement.
When deepfakes, edited clips and misinformation are circulating, the organisations that hold trust are the ones that already have three things in place.
First, decision discipline.
Someone who knows when to speak and when not to.
Not everything needs an immediate response, but everything needs a considered one.
Second, language that sounds human under pressure.
Audiences can sense scripted reassurance instantly.
In high-risk moments, tone matters as much as facts.
Third, leaders who have rehearsed uncertainty.
Not just the scenario, but the discomfort of not having all the answers.
What I have seen repeatedly is this:
Organisations do not fail because they lack technology, they fail because they have not prepared their people to lead when certainty disappears.
AI makes crises faster and noisier.
If you are relying on tools alone to protect trust, you are already exposed.
I am often asked what matters most in the first hour of a crisis.
Not the wording of the statement.
Not the headline.
Not the volume of coverage.
What matters is behaviour.
After years at the BBC and then working alongside leaders in live crisis situations, the first 60 minutes are where most avoidable damage either happens or is prevented.
Confusion about who makes decisions, fills gaps quickly.
Assumptions creep in when facts and unknowns aren’t separated early.
Language that protects the organisation before acknowledging impact is noticed immediately.
I’ve set out below the structure I return to when those first decisions matter most.
You can’t control reaction, but you can control consistency.
You can’t rush readiness.
And a strong statement won’t rescue a spokesperson who isn’t prepared to speak.
Most crises don’t escalate because of what’s reported.
They escalate because of what happens in that first hour, behind closed doors.
That’s the part I keep coming back to.
In a live crisis, this is the structure I come back to every time
Step 1: Decide who is in charge
One decision owner
One deputy
No committees
Step 2: Separate facts from assumptions
I ask teams to write two lists on day one:
What we know for certain
What we believe but cannot yet prove
Never merge them. This is where most credibility is lost.
Step 3: Put affected people first
If your first draft opens with the organisation, rewrite it. People notice immediately when language protects the institution before acknowledging impact.
Step 4: Control time, not reaction
You cannot control how people respond.
You can control when you update and how consistent you are. Silence without a timeline invites speculation.
Step 5: Agree what you will not do
Before speaking, I ask teams to agree:
No speculation
No blame
No rushed statements to “get something out”
Step 6: Prepare the spokesperson before the statement
A weak spokesperson cannot be saved by strong wording. If the person speaking is not ready, stop.
Step 7: Set the next update
Even if there is nothing new to say yet. Trust grows when people know when they will hear from you again.
What I have learned: Most crises escalate because of behaviour, not headlines.
I’ve learned this the hard way: when a crisis hits, you find out very quickly who you can rely on.
Not by title.
Not by seniority.
But, by how people behave when the pressure becomes personal, before the answers become clear.
I’ve sat in rooms where decision making slowed because too many people needed to agree. I’ve seen strong legal advice help, and I’ve seen fear of getting it wrong quietly take control. I’ve watched credibility wobble when certainty was performed instead of earned.
Over time, you start to notice patterns.
Below, I’ve set out the working list I use when building or stress testing a crisis response team. It’s not theoretical. It’s shaped by what holds when timelines are tight, scrutiny is public and the margin for error feels small.
Calm matters.
Being able to say “we don’t know yet” matters.
Understanding how journalists think matters.
And so does having people in the room who are willing to challenge senior leaders when it counts. Titles don’t manage crises – People do.
My working list: How I build a crisis response team
This is what I look for when the pressure is real.
1. Clear authority
Everyone must know who decides. Fast escalation matters more than consensus.
2. Calm under personal pressure
If criticism becomes personal, the response must remain professional. Emotional regulation is a leadership skill.
3. Comfort with uncertainty
The ability to say “we do not know yet” protects credibility. Overconfidence does not. Fast escalation matters more than consensus.
4. Respect for legal, without being led by it
Legal advice is critical. But communication decisions cannot be paralysed by fear.
5. Strong writing under time pressure
Clear sentences.
No jargon.
No internal language.
6. Stakeholder instinct
Strong crisis leaders think beyond headlines.
They ask who is affected and what they need first.
7. Willingness to challenge senior leaders.
The right advice is not always the comfortable advice.
8. Discipline around updates
Missed timelines damage trust faster than bad news.
9. Understanding how journalists think
Not how organisations wish they thought.
10. Rehearsal before reality
The best teams have practised long before the crisis arrives.
There’s one question I’ve asked in dozens of boardrooms, training rooms and crisis management rooms over the years.
No matter the sector, the size of the organisation or the titles in the room – it always changes the energy.
I usually wait for the right moment. The conversation is flowing. People are confident. They think they’re prepared.
Then I ask it.
“What’s the one thing you’ve not told me that you hope no one ever finds out?”
It’s not about digging for secrets. It’s about surfacing risk. Because that’s usually where the real vulnerability lives and where the real comms work begins.
You cannot build a credible crisis comms strategy without being truly honest about what would do the real damage, if revealed.
That one question has shaped entire strategies. It has revealed gaps, rebuilt trust and prepared teams for headlines they never thought they’d face.
What’s the hardest question you’ve ever had to ask a client or a leader? I’d love to hear.
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