Earlier this year I read Paul Kimmage’s interview of Floyd Landis, a retired cyclist. I had watched Landis win the Tour de France in 2006 and followed the subsequent doping controversy, which included him being stripped of his Tour de France win. So I was interested to learn about the chronology of events and actions that kept the controversy in the media for roughly four years.

The article is quite extensive and details how ill-prepared Landis was to handle the crisis. Many journalists and bloggers will focus on the doping itself, however, as a communication professional what fascinated me was how poorly the communication was handled and as a result extended the crisis, further damaging Landis’ credibility.

There were many missteps in how Landis responded to his failure of a drug test in 2006. These gaffes illustrate the importance of crisis communication planning. Consider the impact of the following lapses:

• Failure to plan. Like most companies that fail to plan for a crisis, Landis knew there was always the potential for his doping to be discovered. Yet, he never thought through the basic steps he would take or even who he would look to for counsel if his actions were discovered. When the crisis hit, Landis was physically and emotionally exhausted, and was ill-prepared to handle communication with the media. At a minimum, in advance of a crisis, companies should define potential types of crises, outline the communication objectives, and identify the crisis communication team.

• Lack of experienced counsel. When faced with a crisis, and ideally in advance of a crisis, it is important to secure seasoned, professional communication counsel to develop a crisis communication plan and help execute that plan. As a result of Landis’ failure to plan, he had not sought out or identified experienced crisis communication counsel. In the heat of the moment, Landis was referred to Spanish lawyers, who then led his communication activity – apparently without a thoughtful strategy or plan. While Landis may have needed legal counsel, they should not have been driving the communication strategy. Instead his legal team should have been part of his crisis management team, working hand-in-hand with one another.

• Lying to the media. One key to successful communication is to be truthful and not misleading or evasive. Landis responded to a reporter’s question about whether he had ever taken performance enhancing drugs by stating, “I’ll say no….” His response came across as disingenuous and dishonest. Landis then went on to lead a campaign based on a lie. This set Landis up for the next crisis – when that underlying lie was uncovered – further damaging Landis’ reputation.

Clearly, the best approach to crisis communication is to anticipate potential crises and take steps to prevent those situations from materializing. While not all crises can be prevented, it is important to be as prepared as possible. Obviously Floyd Landis could have prevented this crisis by not doping in the first place. Furthermore, he should have been aware his doping could be discovered, and prepared for that possibility.

In retrospect it appears Landis’ judgment was flawed and perhaps he was naïve enough to believe he wouldn’t get caught, that his actions were justified or simply, that the rules were for everyone else. Regardless he made a series of decisions that ultimately ruined his career.

While most companies follow the laws and try to act with more integrity than Landis, there may be areas where they operate in a similar state of denial. A few simple steps in preparation can help ensure your company is ready when the crisis does hit. With the right planning, companies can effectively mitigate a crisis and perhaps even prevent a potential crisis from developing.

Below are links to previous blog posts regarding crisis communication:

• “Crisis Communication Planning and the Impact of Social Media”
• “So You Made a Mistake? Now What?”
• “Social Media & Damage Control”
• “Crisis Experts Share Perspective on Tiger Woods”

If we can be of assistance as you develop a crisis communication plan for your organization, please contact us at [email protected].