Morgan Lyons, Dallas Area Rapid Transit June 4, 2015 Working through a crisis: communication approaches for board members and board support staff Morgan Lyons, Dallas Area Rapid Transit June 4, 2015

What we’re going to do Crisis? What crisis? Reputation management What’s your role? Answering questions

Crisis types Simmering (Emergent) Boiling (Immediate)

What’s a crisis? Operational “Clothing store chain appealing to Valley Metro over 'explicit' ads” “Family of woman killed when car was struck by Metro-North train sues” “Drivers protest as RGRTA board meets”

What’s a crisis? Board conduct “Absence of women on Toronto’s TTC board embarrassing, bad transit policy” “Even pro-transit officials don’t ride HART bus”

What’s a crisis? Financial “Inside the Rail Checkbook: More than $1 Billion Spent but Few Details to Go Along With It”

Victims, Villains, Heroes and the Audience Crisis Actors Victims, Villains, Heroes and the Audience

Managing a crisis Manage the crisis, manage your reputation Focus on the possible, probable Don’t do stupid stuff during the crisis

What’s your reputation worth? Public trust Voter support for funding

How do you get in a crisis? Say something “SORTA member: Hitler analogy 'bad example‘” Do something ) “DART sure is working hard to keep that missing billion dollars missing”

What’s your role? Private advisor Public advisor Agency spokesperson

Playing your part You don’t get to be the victim Don’t be the villain It’s great to be the hero

Playing your part …but it’s ok to be the silent character “Do what you do.”

Know your role Private advisor Public advisor Agency spokesperson

What you need to know The facts of the crisis How your agency is involved What your agency is doing about it Who is responsible for communicating your actions How your message is being communicated and who is receiving it

What you need to know How you can help How you can get the information you need to be helpful Protecting the agency’s reputation is everyone’s job

Being the spokesperson Scale of the issue requires another or a different voice Board governance Crisis in executive staff leadership

Being the spokesperson Know who will talk to the media Have the support of your board colleagues Know your message; know your story

Three Interview takeaways You’re always on. Don’t say it if you don’t want to hear it repeated. It’s not personal, it’s business. Greed is good. Have a message and stay on it.

The answer is the answer, is the answer, is the answer. A Bonus takeaway The answer is the answer, is the answer, is the answer. .

Wrapping up

Morgan Lyons, Dallas Area Rapid Transit June 4, 2015 mlyons@DART.org Thanks for Listening Working through a crisis: communication approaches for board members and board support staff Morgan Lyons, Dallas Area Rapid Transit June 4, 2015 mlyons@DART.org