How to Handle a Crisis
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.
