“You’re A Crisis Manager? For Real?”

I am not a believer that perception is reality; but I frequently encounter people who do based on their reaction when I answer the question: What do I do for a living? When I tell them I’m a crisis expert and an executive coach, their questions or comments reveal their reality on the subject that is strongly related to what they saw on the  popular television show Scandal. Perception is reality in many situations due to a lack of communication about a given subject or topic and or in this case, peoples infatuation with Hollywood’s portrayals. I enjoy taking on some of those common misperceptions and having conversations with those who are curious and want to learn more about what a crisis expert actually does.

Crisis expertise was not a part of the product and service mix when I launched my second company, SMALIK Enterprises (SME) in 2017. Although, I found myself getting asked by former clients and individuals to assist them with their personal and business issues based on their belief that my negotiating and communication skills that they had experienced with me in the past would help them get out of their current “crisis”. After helping my first SME client navigate through an insanely difficult and nearly public legal situation, I was hooked. Each client, their situation and their problems are different, making for a very dynamic and ever changing environment. The work is intense, demanding, and the stakes can be quite high for most. Crisis management work aligns perfectly with my analytical and solutioning skills while allowing me to fulfill my personal passion of being of service to others who find themselves in situations where no one else wants to help them work their way through a personal, political or professional crisis. I’ve been through my own fair share of crisis and know how valuable an impartial and non-judgmental ally can be. 

Here are some of the most asked questions I get about what goes on in the world of a crisis expert:

DOES TV ACCURATELY DEPICT WHAT A CRISIS EXPERT DOES?

Aside from the use of occasional kidnapping, random threats of torture, or the infrequent assassination as conflict resolution techniques that many refer to from Scandal, there does appear to be some core linkage and alignment with the actual craft. Minus Hollywood’s responsibility to keep the viewer at the edge of their seat with dramatic music and imagery, the skills needed to excel and the outcome objectives are the same.  It’s all about finding “best case” solutions to what can be a ridiculously challenging problem for both the individual and the corporation that his or her behavior is affecting.

WHAT DO CRISIS EXPERTS DO?

In the broadest and simplest terms, crisis experts and their teams are advocates for people and catalysts for change. Both items are critical to finding an effective resolution. Merriam Websters defines an advocate as “one who pleads the cause of another: specifically, one who pleads the cause of another before a tribunal or judicial court.” Notice the use of the phrase “and their teams”.  Effectively, solutioning an individual or corporate crisis is a group effort given the expertise that is required in so many business, communications and legal specialties. Not to mention, the outcome or agenda for each side is almost always very different. Finding a strong solution benefiting both sides and creating a platform for change is the key. Doing so privately, with discernment and the least amount of attention is the secret sauce. Discretion is everything.

People Advocacy:  I will always listen to and help any individual or company who contacts me for crisis management assistance, but the help is frequently in the form of a referral to another professional consultant within my very tight business network. Crisis management work is unique in many ways and I look for the most challenging cases I can find given the time and energy that must be invested to find the best solution possible. If I don’t feel I can deliver the outcomes the client is looking for, then I don’t want to waste our time and their resources looking for a solution that isn’t realistic or possible. Yes, there truly are people out there who get caught embezzling millions of dollars and expect to experience zero consequences for their actions while being totally unwilling to change the behaviors that led them to creating the crisis in the first place. The latter is most often the dealbreaker. I call it: “out of the woods syndrome”. I often hear from potential clients: “I will do anything to not go to prison,” or “Please, if you get me out of this, I have learned so much and I will never re-offend. In fact, I will spend hours helping others.” Much to my chagrin, the minute they are “out of the woods” they forget every aspect of their criminal journey. Advocacy in individual crisis cases often extends to the spouses, children, extended families and employers of the client as they are often radically impacted by the behaviors or potential financial or criminal liability of the person we represent. This is a key reason I will agree to represent certain individuals and not others. On the corporate side of the business, companies are increasingly the target of individuals who make false claims or spread misinformation on businesses to gain financially. Entrepreneurs and small business owners are increasingly at risk in these types of scams and that’s just wrong in my opinion and I always try to protect them when I can.

Change Catalyst: Truth and transparency are essential to effective and efficient solutioning. Too often however, your agenda as “the fixer” is at odds with the clients not so hidden agenda to minimize all personal or company accountability and legal liability. It’s unfortunate that most individuals or corporations reach out for help after the crisis erupts, as change is essential to prevent the crisis from re-occurring, or worse, becoming public. While the tactics and tools you deploy to define the problem and create the solution are unique in each situation, the specialized knowledge and expertise that you and your team have are key to your success. Client behaviors won’t change until our team behaviors create a connection that allows them to trust us, to see us as credible and authentic, and to believe we are their advocate. As Steve Jobs said: “If you define the problem correctly, you almost have the solution.” The issue is within truth and trust. No matter how many times I tout: “I am on your side. I do not want to find out something in the ninth hour that will impact your deal or our strategy,” it almost always happens.

WHAT SKILLS DO YOU NEED TO HAVE TO BE A CRISIS MANAGER?

I can speak only for the approach the team and I use when working with crisis clients. Our focus is:

Exceptional Emotional Intelligence Skills: Connecting with the client and their situation demands mastery of emotional intelligence behaviors and techniques of self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social interaction/communication skills. Modeling these behaviors during each interaction builds your credibility and credibility is your greatest capital when it comes to information discovery and transformational behavior change.

Proven Analytical, Critical Thinking, and Creative Problem-Solving Skills: I do believe Albert Einstein said it best when he observed: “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” The path each person takes to build these skills is different, but they usually are a result of the experience and expertise acquired in our personal and professional lives.

Elite Negotiation Skills: Advocacy means, “one who pleads the cause of another” and the solution will always include negotiating with someone in every step of the process, particularly in personal crisis cases. It could be negotiating on legal matters, family or domestic matters or with employers. The possibilities could be endless based on each situation and client. For us, simply put, people use us because of our Global Services team that has proven track record of delivering results.

Rigid Flexibility: The key: expect, anticipate, and be prepared to react to change 24/7/365. It’s inevitable and it can be very productive and useful. Or not, you won’t know until it happens, and it will happen!

So, this is my story on what crisis experts do. I can honestly say I wish there wasn’t such a need for the service given the chaos and disruption it brings to the lives of those who are impacted by crisis.

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