The basics:

• PR advisors stress importance of clear messaging during leadership transitions
• Avoid common mistakes like oversharing or poor characterization
• Succession planning builds stakeholder confidence
• Crisis communications helps protect reputation and stability

An unexpected or sudden change in leadership can cause uncertainty across an entity’s spectrum of stakeholders. Anyone with a vested interest in the success of the company, institution, or organization will have questions about the path forward and what it will mean for them. These departures and transitions must be handled carefully and deliberately to instill confidence and maintain day-to-day operations.

Organizations often turn to crisis communications professionals after executive departures are mishandled, which almost always triggers internal turmoil and may lead to distrust with external audiences. It’s far better to have the right expertise guiding how major changes like these are communicated to ensure that the news is cascaded in a controlled and consistent manner.

Communication tips

There are a few common mistakes that organizations make during an executive transition – but there are also ways to address them.

Characterization of the departure: It is rarely beneficial for either the company or the departing individual when the separation occurs on bad terms. Departure announcements should be factual and concise. Often, they are best characterized as a mutual decision by both the individual and the organization. While there certainly are exceptions to the rule, publicly airing grievances, citing poor performance or pointing to specific mishaps can reflect badly on all involved.

Publicly airing grievances, citing poor performance or pointing to specific mishaps can reflect badly on all involved.

Transparency without oversharing: Employees, donors, and/or patrons don’t like to hear explanations that make the process or decision seem overly secretive. Avoid phrases like “behind the scenes” and “closed-door discussions.” These expressions come across as dark and mysterious, which can lead to speculation and suspicion that there are ulterior motives playing out in the background.

Prepare for questioning: In some cases, you will receive direct and probing questions from certain stakeholders who feel they are owed more detailed information about the change. Knowing and respecting the boundaries, guidelines and legal guardrails of what you can (or shouldn’t) say is critical. Providing reliable information, being prepared to confidently answer questions, and mitigate the spread of misinformation will help to safeguard the organization’s reputation and help to stay within the bounds of a separation or non-disparagement agreement.

Succession planning: All stakeholders benefit from knowing that the organization has a plan to achieve and maintain organizational stability during the executive transition. Whether it’s identifying an interim replacement from within, sharing the process for selecting a new executive or a combination of the two, the announcement of a departure should be coupled with the sharing of a succession plan. This information will instill a sense of confidence, and potentially some peace of mind, for those who have concerns about how reporting lines and workflow will be affected.

Understanding the audience: The way an announcement is delivered is almost as crucial as what the messaging itself says. For instance, a town hall-style meeting may not be the best way to share the news with a large group of employees, as these types of public forums often invite and embolden attendees to speak their mind, which has the potential to get others in the crowd more riled up than necessary. Additionally, sending a company-wide message before first informing the departing executive’s direct reports and key stakeholders privately may alienate the very people you’ll need to rely on during the transition. Anticipating how the audience may receive this news will help to inform the best possible strategy for moving forward.

Being at the top of your game when announcing a change in executive leadership is of utmost importance to the health of your organization as it moves forward. One misstep can sow seeds of mistrust and speculation that can take years to undo. If you’re not sure about your communications strategy or you are concerned about the reaction this news may cause, retaining an experienced public relations firm from the start can make the difference between a smooth transition and a turbulent one.

Georgi DeMartino and Erin Friedlander are experienced public relations advisors at Kessler PR Group, in Ocean Township. Kessler PR Group is the region’s leading public relations firm specializing in crisis communications, reputation management, litigation support and media relations.