CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 2: Buffalo Bills players and staff kneel together in solidarity after Damar ... [+]
It’s not often that business leaders have an opportunity to learn from a crisis that plays out in front of their eyes. Company executives had that chance Sunday night if they were watching the NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Buffalo Bills’s Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field during the first quarter of Monday night’s game, and is currently in critical condition, CNN reported.
How the NFL and the Buffalo Bills responded to the situation provides the latest exampleof the crisis communication best practices to follow for those who have to deal with a crisis at their company or organization.
Crisis management and communications experts weighed-in with their observations on what the league and team got right—or could have done better.
Don’t Wait To Act
“While the game was paused as Hamlin received medical treatment, it took the NFL more than an hour to announce it had been fully postponed and would not continue that night. The delay caused widespread criticism on social media,” according to PR Daily.
As crisis experts we only get so much time to help organizations react and manage their worst possible moments,” Adam H. Brill, the senior director of communications at Harrison Edwards who manages the agency’s crisis and government affairs practices., said via email
“We call it the ‘golden hour’ because it’s within a short 45-minute window that answers have to be given, especially when lives are on the line.” This should be followed by efforts to recover from the crisis “and getting information out consistently and through trusted sources who can mitigate rumors while providing reassurance that every effort is being made to help those directly impacted,” he counseled.
A Different Perspective
Not everyone was critical about the time it took for the NFL and the Buffalo Bills to respond to the crisis.
“This is one crisis communication situation where everyone involved is deserving of grace. Uncertainty is uncomfortable but unavoidable in life. If there’s one lesson to learn for leaders, it’s that sometimes you have to wait for more information to make the best possible decision for the situation,” Amy Dardinger, director of media relations of the Next PR public relations agency, said via email.
“I think the NFL responded appropriately and well given the shocking on-field occurrence,” Anthony D'Angelo, a professor of public relations at Syracuse University with expertise in crisis communications, said via email.
“There was some chatter on social media that the NFL didn’t move quickly enough. I disagree given the number of people that would necessarily be involved in such a decision, an unprecedented one playing out in real time on a national stage,” he noted.
‘Be Aware Of The Moment’
In situations like this, it is incredibly important to be aware of the moment at hand and make the decision that is right for the people involved,” David Triani, a publicist with Otter Public Relations, said via email.
“Had the NFL resumed play, that would have been a catastrophic decision and nightmare for the league to navigate because it would make them come across as heartless,” he observed.
“While the decision to postpone the game took longer than I would have liked, the fact that they did come to that decision is a great lesson in leadership. Knowing when to put the human being above the profession or business is incredibly important,” he concluded.
Tell Your Side Of The Story
CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 2: Buffalo Bills players and staff kneel together in solidarity after Damar ... [+]
Last night the NFL responded to criticism on social media about the time it took to respond to Hamlin’s collapse.
Dawn Aponte, the league chief football administrative officer, said in a conference call officials communicated with both teams and medical personnel throughout the situation. "There couldn't have been more collaboration throughout this process by all parties," said Aponte. League EVP of communications Jeff Miller said "there's nothing in consideration right now" about rescheduling the remainder of the game.
Express Compassion And Concern
"Given the serious nature of Damar Hamlin’s collapse and uncertain medical condition, the NFL, Bills and Bengals all responded with compassion and sincere concern,” Next PR’s Dardinger commented.
Keep People Posted
The Buffalo Bills issued a statement overnight about the condition of player. The team said that Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest and remained in critical condition, and that his heartbeat was restored on the field.
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, the Bills said Hamlin remained critical condition at the hospital. The team said that he spent last night in the intensive care unit, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Have Plans In Place
Crisis Management
“Let this near tragic experience serve as a guide for the NFL and every company that manages lives to do better in how it protects its team’s health, those on the gridiron and off.
“Get a plan in place, drill it several times annually, and make sure you know what to do in just about every possible scenario,” Brill recommended.
“All organizations need to have a well thought out plan that covers a multitude of scenarios and what the following steps taken should be,” Jason Ouellette, a partner at Escalate PR, said via email.
Crisis Communication
“Time and time again this planning is put on the back burner but as we start off the new year, it is important that all organizations have a crisis communications plan in place—and if there is one already there, [then] update [and] review it.
“A crisis communications plan will not give you the exact actions that need to be taken but what it does is gives you a foundation of how to deal with a multitude of scenarios. Start by identifying a crisis team—who is involved, what is their role and how can they bring this forward,” he advised.
