On this special episode of Come Rain or Shine, Lee Cockerell, my father and retired EVP of Walt Disney World, joins me to talk about how to handle a crisis.
Here are four steps to keep in mind while dealing with a crisis:
Safety First. Before anything else, the safety of employees, customers, and yourself comes before anything else.
Deal with the Facts. During a crisis people get emotional. People speculate and gossip. You should deal only with the facts when you communicate with people.
Be Empathetic. Everybody is dealing with a crisis in different ways for different reasons. Understand people are worried.
Use the situation to get better. You and your organization can learn plenty from a crisis. Use it as a training opportunity.
Lee also shares his experience running Walt Disney World during hurricanes and 9/11.
During a crisis, your culture is on show for everyone to see. Your actions should match your words. What you say doesn’t build a culture. Culture is built through actions.
