Lessons from the Governor on Crisis Management
Unless you’ve been living in an information void this week, you have heard that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has resigned amid multiple allegations of sexual harassment. This is not at all unexpected, as members of his party, advocacy groups, and, apparently, even his brother had been encouraging him to do so. Cuomo, who rose to national prominence with his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, is the second New York governor to resign this century, the first being Eliot Spitzer, who left his post after his extra-marital relationship with a prostitute was made public. Spitzer’s transgression now seems rather pedestrian in comparison to the allegations that have been brought against Cuomo. These allegations are credible and have been corroborated by the New York State Attorney General.
This is a scene we’ve witnessed many times. A person in power is accused of something unsavory or illegal, and they resign before severe consequences ensue. In this regard, the Cuomo news is not particularly unusual. After all, sexual harassment is rampant in the United States. It’s more well known in some industries, such as tech, pharma, and finance, but it’s everywhere, and no one is surprised that politics and government are rife with it. Aside from following this soap opera with rapt attention, there are a few things we can learn from this—things we know already but need to be reminded of—about how to conduct yourself and your business in a time of crisis and bad PR.
The first thing is to recognize that bad behavior—regardless of how long it’s been tolerated—will probably come out eventually. In fact, it’s already out. People within your organization know already that it’s going on, and they’re not happy about it. The Enron scandal is a story not merely of greed but even more so of the hubris that accompanied it. The executive team and the company’s auditors thought they were the most brilliant guys in the room and that they would never be held accountable. The subsequent multiple federal convictions disabused them of that notion rather quickly.
When bad behavior comes to light, the worst thing that an individual or an organization can do is deny its existence. All players need to own it and admit that they have engaged in wrongdoing. Proclaiming your innocence amid corroborated stories, as Cuomo continues to do, does nothing but magnify the spotlight. Claiming ignorance of said bad behavior just makes everyone involved look naïve, foolish, and untrustworthy.
Public statements should be kept brief. Err on the side of under communicating in these situations. Richard Nixon’s written resignation of the Presidency was 10 words in total—“I hereby resign the Office of President of the United States.” If Twitter had been around in 1974, he could have resigned in one tweet. Nixon’s resignation speech, which was broadcast on radio and television, was a mere 16 minutes long. He did not go into many details, and, even more importantly, the speech was devoid of both demagoguery and self-pity. No detailed explanation was put forward; it was entirely unnecessary to do so.
When faced with a public crisis, the best thing to do is to act swiftly and decisively. De-escalate the situation by acknowledging it and taking immediate action. There are probably multiple crisis management teams working with New York State and Governor Cuomo to frame this narrative for the public. If the crisis seems insurmountable and will affect revenue, do irreparable harm to brand and image, or cause public mistrust, then it may be time to bring in the hired guns. It can be well worth the investment.