The Chilean miners spent 69 days underground, subject to darkness, limited food and water, separation from family and... media training?

According to TJ Walker, a crisis communications expert, the miners underwent media training in their underground confinement in preparation for the media aftermath surrounding their rescue.  Anyone watching the television on October 13^th saw that predicted media chaos around the rescue capsule.  It is this kind of frenzy that can make or break the image of the mining company; imagine instead of the smiles, pumping arms and chanting, the rescued men surfaced saying " Wow, thought they'd forgotten about us!"  

What might happen in your business that could affect your image?  It's a good idea to prepare for these possibilities by making sure you have:

1. A crisis spokesperson,
2. A media trainer available and
3. A list of possible circumstances that might arise that would require immediate response to the media.

Unfortunate circumstances like the one in Chile cannot be predicted, but with these three essentials in place you can have your " emergency preparedness kit" for your brand!

    

Why you have what you need right now to be a great communicator

The genuine relief and emotion on the faces of the rescued Chilean miners and  their families was priceless. 

Photo Courtesy of Government of Chile

I was moved to tears as they thanked the men that had brought them to the surface after 69 days underground.

The power of a moment like that is unforgettable, and the visceral reaction that it can evoke is a reminder of the powerful connection that we humans share.  It is this connection that is the conduit for excellent communicators.  Authenticity will always draw us in more than honed skills or practiced rhetoric.

For example, just the other night, my friend shared the incredible experience of hearing Mother Theresa speak at a Presidential Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. years ago.  Picture at this meeting the leaders from churches and representatives of organizations from around the world.  Of course, our President and First Lady (at this time it was President Clinton) are there seated at the dais as Mother Theresa speaks:

She captures this room of hundreds of people--not with her gestures or oratory skills but her simplicity of purpose and genuine emotion.  Her love for the children and passion for her work magnetize this audience some of who have been listening to political speeches nearly on a daily basis for decades.

Soft-spoken and humbly dressed, Mother Theresa is considered one of the most captivating keynote speakers in the history of those Presidential Prayer Breakfasts.