7 Crisis Communication Mistakes That Make Everything Worse

Mistake one: the non-apology. 'We're sorry if anyone was offended' reliably generates a second news cycle about the apology itself.

Mistake two: lawyer-speak. Statements written to minimize liability read as evasive to the public. You can be careful and human at the same time.

Mistake three through five: responding before you have facts, deleting criticism, and letting the CEO wing it on social media. Each one converts a one-day story into a one-week story.

Mistakes six and seven: going silent when a response is clearly warranted, and declaring victory too early. Crises end when the audience says so, not when you do.