It’s never a good idea in a crisis for people to hear conflicting statements about the situation. But that’s what can happen when there are multiple sources of information in the crisis and their messages are not in sync.
A case in point are the statements that were made this week by Pfizer and U.S. government officials about a booster shot for the pharmaceutical company’s Covid vaccine.
Here’s how it played out:
- On Thursday, Pfizer said their vaccine may require a booster shot and the company would seek emergency authorization for it.
- After Pfizer’s announcement, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said in a joint statement that “Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time.”
- Yesterday, The Hill reported that Anthony Fauci said that Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called him to apologize for not warning top health officials before the company’s announcement that it would seek authorization for a third dose of its Covid-19 vaccine.
Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that those who first learned about Pfizer’s announcement also heard about the government’s statement or the CEO’s apology.
There have been other communication-related issues throughout the pandemic, including public statements made by then-President Donald Trump and his healthcare advisors about the cause, nature, duration and management of the crisis.
Advice For Business Leaders
When communicating about a crisis:
- Depending on the nature of the crisis, such as a public health emergency, defer to government or other public officials who should be responsible for managing and communicating about the crisis.
- Do not have more than one person speak on behalf of the company or organization.
- Carefully consider and think through the impact of all statements about the crisis before sharing them with the media and the public.
- By controlling the message, you can also control when it is released, how it is distributed, and who is likely to hear it.
- Do not say or do anything that surprises other people or organizations who have a role in managing and responding to the crisis. It is always better that they hear the news from you first instead in of finding out about it later from others.
