Scott Weighart

	As a managed healthcare executive during turbulent times in the industry, here’s a question you should be asking yourself: If a crisis were to suddenly arise for my organization, would my people be ready to handle it?

Any potential crisis can be a wolf at the door for managed healthcare leaders. For example, given the tension between making healthcare information accessible while making it confidential and secure, data breaches are a constant source of anxiety.

	Earlier this year, the Washington Post described 2015 as “

 noting that one-third of the U.S. population has had its healthcare data compromised in breaches. In February of this year, Anthem suffered a data breach that affected nearly 80 million patients in one swoop.

READ: Ten Health Organizations Slammed by Cyber Breaches

	Beyond the HIPAA headaches that can arise with data breaches, crises may arise related to physician contracting, denials management, and care management related to an increasing reliance on IT applications.

	Leaders need to have a crisis plan in place; and they must demonstrate the temperament and leadership skill to weather a storm.

Preventing a crisis is better than having to respond to one. Still, it’s important to assess whether your organization’s leaders are ready to face a crisis.

	The Bates Executive Presence Index, or ExPI is a multi-rater assessment that provides leaders with feedback on qualities in three dimensions: Character, Substance, and Style. Each of those three dimensions consists of five facets, as shown in the model below. Leaders should have a variety of important stakeholders assess their performance in all of these areas.

	When it comes to crisis readiness specifically, three of these areas can provide important measures. They are:

 Proving to be steady in a crisis, able to calm and focus on others.

. Displaying a calm disposition, being deliberate-not impulsive.

. Valuing constructive conflict; raising issues without shutting others down.

	Low scores from others in these facets of executive presence may indicate that the leader is too impulsive, reactive, or emotional when the situation calls for a more deliberate, proactive, reasonable approach. This should indicate that the leader needs additional training to ensure that, when a crisis situation occurs, he or she will handle it appropriately.

	One key element of crisis training should be addressing how leaders will respond to the media during a crisis situation. For seven tips, visit (link to slideshow).

 is director of learning and development at Bates, where he builds innovative content for Bates leadership programs. 

 is a marketing and public relations associate for Bates, which has developed the Bates Model of Executive Presence, and the Bates ExPI assessment, the first research-based, scientifically validated assessment of executive presence

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If a crisis were to suddenly arise for your organization, would your people be ready to handle it?

Assess healthcare leadership's ability to handle a crisis

	If a crisis occurs at your company, the media is going to want to hear directly from its leaders. Here are seven tips healthcare leaders should keep in mind when speaking to the press. 

	What crises are most likely to arise in the coming year?

	Periodically, have your leaders meet to discuss how to mitigate risks and what the process will be for handling a crisis if it comes up.

	If at all possible, make sure that you break the news before someone else does.

	Don't put off a press conference, press release, or press briefing. Waiting will result on playing defense and having to change negative perceptions.

	Focus on restraint, composure, and assertiveness.

	Although you will need to act quickly, you will need to be deliberate in your response. Discuss options as a team, and focus on debating solutions rather than acting impulsively, defensively, or emotionally. Help others generate light, not heat.

	You never want to say, “No comment.”

	After reaching agreement with your team on a course of action, make yourself available to the media. Prepare by identifying what their toughest questions might be along with bullet-points answers to give yourself talking points.

	Be careful of putting too much “spin” on bad news or by withholding information that is likely to come out eventually.

	Acknowledge what happened and why, expressing empathy or concern as the case may be.

	Use “you” language when addressing issues that affect your customers or anyone else affected by the crisis.

	This is your opportunity to initiate real dialogue with your audiences during a moment of truth. Handled well, you way actually bolster the company’s reputation.

	If the organization made a mistake, it’s best to own that rather than blaming the victims or dwelling more on forces outside of your control.

	People appreciate accountability in an organization, and doing otherwise can add insult to injury.

Here are seven tips healthcare leaders must keep in mind when speaking to the press.

Author | Scott Weighart

Articles

Assess healthcare leadership's ability to handle a crisis

Speaking to the media: 7 tips for executives