Crisis Management: Tips, Tricks, Do’s and Don’ts

By: Elle Roper

Photo courtesy of FreePik.

Understanding how to manage and respond to crises is critical for organizations. Without knowing essential tricks and what to do, an organization could perish. This blog post will include some technical advice, including things to pursue and things to avoid, for when an organization finds itself in a crisis. The article will also include past examples and analyze what went right or wrong for each specific scenario. 

What is Crisis Management?

Crisis management involves an organization preparing to strategically handle an event that is negatively impacting the company. Planning for crises might seem like a manifestation for the worst, but it’s always better to be prepared than to be floundering and potentially worsening the situation. The goal of crisis management is to minimize the damage to an organization and maintain its reputation. A lack of planning, which is to say a lack of a crisis management process, can lead to an organization losing reputation, customers or even the business itself. Now, let's look at some examples of a successful crisis management process. 

Microsoft's Data Breach

In 2024, Russian-based hacker group Midnight Blizzard was able to breach some select Microsoft corporate emails, allowing the group to access users' data. The situation was dire: if no immediate action was taken, then Microsoft's reputation as a brand that protects user privacy might have gone straight down the drain. Instead of shuttering in and only messaging about the breach internally, Microsoft immediately went to the public, communicating effectively and transparently about what had happened. Effectively communicating outwardly to the public as soon as possible is one of the first steps an organization should take when dealing with a crisis. Microsoft also offered steps to ensure the violation would not affect customers. These decisions kept the public informed and maintained a high standard of trust. Microsoft's next step was staying transparent with its public: they took full responsibility for the data breach. Overall, the Midnight Blizzard breach is an excellent example of how to handle a crisis correctly. Microsoft dealt with a crisis situation in real time, prioritizing transparency and honesty. 

United Airlines

In 2017, two teenage girls attempting to board a United Airlines flight were denied a seat because of their clothing. The clothes in question were leggings. United claimed that the leggings were in violation of their flight dress code. As time progressed, the incident blew up on social media, sparking a public backlash on the dress code and denying a flight. The situation was the symptom of a somewhat poorly-defined and potentially sexist dress code that United Airlines had. United Airlines stuck by its dress code policy and did not announce an apology. 

United Airlines made multiple mistakes when handling its crisis, which had the long-term effect of losing a significant number of flyers. One mistake was not announcing the situation to the public in a timely fashion. Instead, the airline waited until the backlash was deafening and then issued a statement doubling down on its decision. Unfortunately, United did not seem to hear what the public was communicating on social media. Instead, it stuck with its original statement, making the organization seem insensitive and unwilling to listen. The airline could have issued an apology in a timely manner and provided some form of compensation for the girls who were unfairly denied seats. When an organization is unwilling to listen to its public and does not acknowledge them, crises can escalate beyond control, leading to potentially devastating reputation damage.