Today's Conversation Starter comes from Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO of public relations giant Ruder-Finn, and author of Trust: The Secret Weapon of Effective Business Leaders. Bloomgarden offers her thoughts on the recent revelations about Pat Tillman and Jessica Lynch from a communications perspective.

The recent revelations about Pat Tillman and Jessica Lynch, finally getting at the truth years after each event, is our latest reminder that crises are complex, that it is often difficult to get the straight story, and that the cover-up is almost always worse than the crime. No matter how many times this is reinforced by experience, business and political leaders regularly make things worse by failing to adhere to even the most basic communication principles about what to do in a crisis. Leaders would do well to keep four lessons in mind:

To begin, determine the facts for yourself. The Tillman and Lynch events are perfect illustrations of the difficulty of determining within a reasonably short period of time what actually happened. During a crisis, those involved feel pressured to respond immediately and aggressively. But it’s ill advised to make decisions and take actions on information that you are not 100% certain is accurate. That doesn’t mean you should hide in a bunker. At the press conference held the day of the Virginia Tech shooting, school president Charles Steger demonstrated real leadership by showing that he was concerned and in charge, but also by refusing to speculate about facts that hadn’t been verified.

The second principle is to dig down. Go beyond your direct reports to find out what has happened. As any police detective or fan of Rashomon will tell you, different people will almost always have very different descriptions of the same event. Make it an imperative to talk to as many people as possible who have firsthand knowledge so that you can gather the information you need to determine how best to proceed.

Third, don’t “spin” the story. Don’t deny the scope of the bad news, and don’t indulge in wishful thinking. No matter your politics, who among us did not want to believe that Pat Tillman died heroically and Jessica Lynch acted bravely? But the truth is noble too. That Tillman was killed by friendly fire and Lynch didn’t fire a shot during her capture doesn’t change the fact that they are both American heroes.

Most importantly, tell the truth. Remember that during a crisis, everyone involved will be heavily scrutinized, and the truth will always be revealed, eventually. Be transparent and committed in your own mind to telling the truth, and you’ll prevent the crisis from mushrooming into a much more pervasive distrust of you and your organization.

It is important to remember that John F. Kennedy’s highest public rating came about when he took personal blame for the Bay of Pigs. He said he wanted everyone to know that it was his decision and his fault. This is a useful example for those facing tough challenges.

HARVARD BUSINESS ONLINE RECOMMENDS:
Written Communications that Inform and Influence: The Results-Driven Manager Series (Paperback)
Winning Your Employees' Trust (HBR Article Collection)
Harvard Business Review on Crisis Management (Paperback)