A Lesson in Crisis Communication

I’m sure Boeing’s (failed) attempt at handling its crisis will be a hot topic in PR courses for semesters to come. And here are some of my insights on two missteps committed by Boeing.

It's cliche, but actions speak louder than words. Boeing has released several statements reiterating Boeing’s commitment to safety. Except, it doesn’t look like it. Let’s take a look.

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg Urges Trump to Keep Max 8 in the Sky

This action by Muilenburg gives the impression that he’s more worried about his bottom line than safely getting passengers from point A to point B. Standing behind the integrity of the Max 8, when after two crashes in less than six months seriously puts its safety in question, and urging that the Max 8 stay in the sky without first coming to the conclusion as to what went wrong, I along with many others conclude that safety in fact is not at the top of Boeing’s mind. Actions speak louder than words when it comes to an organization’s reputation and the public’s perception of how it is handling or not handling a crisis. And as of now, it does not bode well for Boeing.

FAA Decides to Ground the Max 8

Once again, another misstep on Boeing’s part. Instead of Boeing taking the initiative to ground the Max 8, the FAA ordered they be grounded via an emergency order. In response to the FAA's action, I am left to question Boeing’s judgement to keep the planes in the sky because the planes were ultimately grounded. If anything, this move makes the FAA appear more responsible and committed to safety than Boeing.

It is always important to note that no individual at any organization or the organization itself is intending to act maliciously or recklessly. Unfortunately at times, organizations and individuals do commit PR missteps and have knee-jerk reactions. And we can only speculate as to what individuals were in the room while Boeing planned its response. Though, if there was a PR person, I’m sure Boeing’s legal counsel drowned them out, and consequently, there wasn’t much collaboration between the two. Lastly, seeing how poorly Boeing handled this crisis, it makes me question their crisis communications plan. Shouldn’t this be a crisis that Boeing is well-prepared to address? Boeing is in the industry of aerospace, plane malfunctions and crashes should be at the top of its mind and yet…