What I learned from my first high-stakes crisis comms fire drill

A high-ranking executive at a client company was accused

Years ago, a high-ranking executive at a client company was accused of hunting and slaughtering an endangered species.

I was still relatively green in my PR career when our team got the kind of call that makes your stomach drop.

The news hadn’t hit the headlines, and we didn’t know if it was true. The situation had all the hallmarks of a crisis comms nightmare:

We were supporting the company (not the individual exec), but when an accusation this severe involves leadership, the lines blur quickly.

What did we do next?

Looking back now, with more years of experience and a lot more crisis calls under my belt, I see how closely my instincts aligned with best practices for crisis response—even though, at the time, it felt like I was holding on for dear life. Here’s what happened next and the crisis comms lessons that still hold up today:

Step 1: pause, gather the facts (the first hour is everything)

The team’s first action wasn’t to react publicly or scramble for statements. We paused and asked the most critical question in any crisis situation: what do we actually know?

We immediately gathered the team internally and spoke with the client, both the company and their legal team, to assess:

We didn’t rush to “control the narrative” before knowing the narrative. Every crisis comms pro knows that misinformation spreads faster than truth. Your job is to slow down, get clarity, and avoid making the situation worse with a knee-jerk response.

Step 2: identify the spokesperson (spoiler: It’s not the exec)

With an allegation this serious, we knew one thing right away. This executive could not and should not be the face of the company’s response.

While the legal team worked through the specifics of his situation, we advised the company to designate an alternate spokesperson. Someone with existing credibility and authority, who could speak on behalf of the organization without being tainted by the accusations.

Never let the person at the center of a crisis be the company’s voice, at least not in the initial phase. The company needs to distance itself from personal allegations while showing it takes the matter seriously.

Step 3: prep a holding statement (silence is also a message)

We drafted a holding statement. A neutral, factual statement acknowledging the situation without assigning blame or confirming details. Ours went something like this:

This message is effective because this buys you time while demonstrating responsibility. It respects due process with no rush to judgment, but it’s clear that you aren’t ignoring the issue. Saying nothing fuels speculation. Saying something measured positions you as accountable and in control.

Step 4: align internal teams (employees are your front line)

While external messaging was crucial, we quickly realized the internal audience mattered just as much if not more. Employees were hearing the same rumors, and they were confused, scared, and unsure of how to respond if clients or partners asked questions.

We worked with the company’s HR and leadership team to draft an internal memo that:

In a crisis, your employees are unofficial spokespeople, whether you want them to be or not. Equip them with the right message before rumors spiral.

Step 5: monitor and adapt

We set up real-time media and social monitoring to track how the story was evolving.

Both strategically and fortunately for us, the story didn’t reach the press. Had the company started to appear in the news, our real-time monitoring would allow us to spot inaccuracies quickly, identify reporters who were shaping the narrative, and prepare follow-up statements if necessary.

Despite the lack of media inquiries (phew!), we stayed in daily (sometimes hourly) contact with the client for several weeks, in case we needed to adjust our approach as new information surfaced.

Crises evolve quickly. What’s true today might not be true tomorrow. Monitor relentlessly, and be ready to pivot your message when the facts change.

What I learned (and what I’d do differently)

That experience stuck with me because it was my first real taste of crisis comms in the wild.

Whether you’re accused of hunting an endangered species, or facing an outage, a layoff, or a legal dispute, the principles remain the same.

Have you experienced a major crisis drill in your PR career? I’d love to hear your story!