5 Ways EO Membership Enhances Your Ability to Navigate a Crisis Successfully

Contributed by Eden Gillott, an EO Los Angeles member who is president of Gillott Communications, a strategic communications and crisis PR firm. She’s the author of three books: A Business Owner’s Guide to Crisis PR: Protecting You & Your Business’ Reputation, A Board Member’s Guide to Crisis PR, and a Lawyer’s Guide to Crisis PR.

There are a surprising number of parallels between entrepreneurship and crisis public relations.

While you’ve probably heard the idea that you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with, I bet you haven’t heard that being part of an entrepreneurial peer group such as EO increases your chances of successfully navigating a crisis. 

Here are five reasons why those of you who have already established these kinds of peer relationships are more prepared for trouble than you may think.

1. You Love Learning

As a member of a mastermind group, you jump at the opportunity to keep up with business trends. You block out time for annual conferences. You happily nibble and chat during lunch-and-learns. And I bet you’ve got enough leadership and business books to fill an entire bookcase, or at least a week’s worth of audiobooks.

Just like those who manage PR crises, you are accustomed to processing large amounts of information quickly. You thrive on adrenaline. Your love of learning means you’re open-minded and quick on your feet, which really comes in handy when you’ve just gotten news you wish wasn’t true because it changes the entire calculus of your PR strategy.

2. You’re Proactive

You don’t wait for things to happen to you, and you don’t wallow in negative self-talk. Because you keep an eye on trends, you’re poised to move before others become aware of what’s going on. Management guru and former Intel chief Andy Grove called these inflection points. And seasoned business leaders who are part of an entrepreneurial peer group understand the value of stopping an issue before it has a chance to take root and become a much bigger problem.

From the perspective of a crisis PR manager, a job well done is the story you never hear or read about. Why? Because the issue was handled proactively. And if a pivot is necessary, you make it look like that was the plan from the outset.

3. You’re Comfortable Being Vulnerable

If you’re part of a peer-to-peer group, you don’t reply with “I’m fine.” You don’t rate things as a seven out of 10.

In EO, it’s referred to as “sharing the 5 percent” — the best of the best, and the worst of the worst. The 5 percent isn’t about sharing regular updates or things someone could easily Google. It’s about reflecting on and exploring things we don’t share with the rest of the world.

The process of figuring out which changes will have the highest impact can elicit a wide range of emotions. The right change can feel as if it cracks you open and puts you back together stronger than before.

The same can be said about weathering a PR storm. You have to get vulnerable to explore what brought you to this point. You have to dig deep to figure out if you’re willing to do what it takes to ensure the same mistake won’t happen again. 

4. You Can Count on Your Network

If you’re feeling lost, you know you can count on your EO network.

Haven’t done something before and have no idea where to start? No problem! There’s a high likelihood that someone in your network has valuable experience to share — both about what to do and what not to do.

People are often surprised to find out that much of my role as a crisis PR expert is advising clients on what not to do or say. You can have the most beautifully laid-out plan, but if you go off-script or act in a way that isn’t aligned with your message, your plan will crumble.

5. You’re Comfortable Asking for Help

Although some of us still struggle to admit we need help in some aspects of life, running a business is not one of them. You know you didn’t get where you are alone.

As part of an entrepreneurial peer group like EO, you’re surrounded by people who’ll pop into a group chat at all hours, asking for experience shares and referrals. You know there are only a few degrees of separation between you and someone whose Zone of Genius can help solve your problem.

Successfully handling the optics of a crisis is a team effort. It requires an array of people who have complementary Zones of Genius. Legal, HR, marketing and communications, insurance, and outside strategic communications counsel must work together and row in the same direction.

Are you a proactive, lifelong learner who’s part of a network, one that makes you feel safe being vulnerable and supports you when you ask for help? If so, congrats! You’re well on your way to navigating your next crisis successfully.

This post first appeared on EO’s Inc.com channel.