Monday and Tuesday were voluminous with brewing crises — one of the biggest political party switches in history, a new potential pandemic, and a decision to fly Air Force One over Ground Zero — all offered valuable, and contrasting, examples of communicating during an early stage of a crisis, and just how critical getting out in front with a central message is.  So what can we learn so far this week?

The Good…

Kudos to the Center for Disease Control, Secretary of Agriculture, USDA, the American Meat Institute and the National Pork Producers Council.  Hit with a crisis out of nowhere, and one that was tagged with an unfortunate name for a whole industry, the government and industry really scored an immediate victory and one that can not be understated. 

Almost immediately after the news hit, there were statements from every one of these entities alerting the public that you can not contract the virus from eating pork or pork products.  It has been repeated regularly.  This is no small victory, and provides crucial crisis communications lessons for every organizational leader:

1. Communicate early - and often! - The response was immediate, which allowed the message to get through in initial stories as opinions were being formulated.

2. Have a Message- You can not contract the virus from eating pork or pork products.  Easy to understand, easy to repeat and self-explanatory – a very good message.

3. Focus on what you can control - the media tagged this with a name that was unfortunate for the entire industry almost immediately.  There has been a concerted effort to change the name — not easy, and largely out of any business or industry’s control.  What you can control is your message, what you say, where you say it, how you say it, etc. The industry has really succeeded in an unwinnable situation.

The Not So Good…

There really is no way to sugar coat it — yesterday was a good day for Democrats and a bad one for Republicans.  A longtime United States Senator switching parties is a) huge news and b) never good for the party which that Senator is leaving.

The Senator gave a very clear explanation of why he was switching and had a very clear message.  Democratic leadership had a relatively easy task - graciously accepting their new colleague.  The Republican leadership had a much more difficult task — messaging bad news without appearing petty or divided.  What happened?

1. Words Matters - When facing news like this, language matters.  Senator Orrin Hatch understood this and issued a near perfect response in this situation: “I deeply regret my good friend Arlen Specter’s decision to leave the Republican Party. Having spoken with him, I know this was a very difficult decision for him, and we will always remain friends.”

Contrast this with the message coming from the National Republican Congressional Committee: “Today, Senator Arlen Specter switched his party affiliation to the Democrat Party. I hope you will join me in saying “Good Riddance.” 

Ouch!  Words matter.

2. Have One Message - The Party needed to stand as one yesterday, and failed to realize that once Senator Specter switched, it was no longer about him.  The switch, while only seconds old, was history.  In a situation like this, the Party needed to “message forward.” 

Some party leaders did this very well, focusing the message on what this will mean for the Country, while others stayed mired in why Senator Specter switched.  Too many messages is the same as too many cooks in the kitchen — spoils the message just as it spoils the meal.

 3. Appearances Matter - The Party needed to appear unified - the audience was not, and is not, Washington, it is the American public.  Inclusion, not exclusion. 

The lack of a coordinated message has led to mixed messages which leave the public confused.  A confused public is not one that will rally behind a party, leader or cause.  In the next few days the Party must put forth a clear, coherent message. It’s crucial.

The Ugly…

Flying a jumbo jet over the site of the worst terrorist attack on American soil for a photo op for public relations photos was a crisis communications disaster on every level.  There are a number of lessons here, however one that is more important than any other:

1. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate - There was both a complete lack of proper communication, and a complete breakdown in the communication that actually occurred.  Odds are none of this would have occurred if communicated properly. 

The same holds true in every organization — open lines of communication help mitigate disasters. Communicate, communicate early, and communicate often.