Be consistent and frequent: I don’t know the exact schedule that Bloomberg has had for his pressers but it looks like he was up for 20 to 30 minutes in the morning and afternoon on the days before, during and after Sandy. Establishing an operating rhythm for his communications enabled him to get his team’s messages out consistently. Keeping people informed helps keep them calm.
Be relevant: Bloomberg and his staff have done a masterful job of talking about the things that matter most to people. He’s kept his remarks relevant by providing information on preparation plans, evacuations, when the power will be back on, transportation updates and even the plans for Halloween post-Sandy.
Make specific requests: In a crisis, most people want to know what they can do to help or at least stay safe. (Then there are those who ignore all the requests at the peril of themselves and others.) Bloomberg has been very clear in asking people to do things that help themselves and the community – evacuate low-lying areas, stay out of public parks until damaged trees are cleared, only use 911 for life threatening emergencies. Most people will honour specific, common sense requests. Leaders communicating in a crisis need to make them.
Put the team front and centre: In every press conference I saw, Bloomberg had the leaders of the relevant city agencies lined up behind him. They were there to answer questions but also to demonstrate that there was a unified effort to address the challenges at hand. Bloomberg went out of his way to recognise specific leaders and their agencies for the work they were doing. In a crisis, people want to know that qualified people have their backs. Bloomberg made sure that New Yorkers knew that.
