Lynn Espinoza is a broadcast news veteran with more than a decade of media, presentation and executive coaching experience. She has developed personal coaching sessions for Fortune 100 C-level executives, corporate communicators of all kinds, doctors, lawyers and leaders in non-profit.
U.S. Airways CEO: When Communication Hits the Wrong Note
Posted on January 16, 2009. Filed under: Latest News
A catastrophic accident is the worst thing that can happen to an airline company. Yet the fate of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 was indeed a miracle. It appears that neither U.S. Airways nor Airbus was to blame for the mechanical failure. It is likely that a flock of errant geese caused both engines to fail. And NO ONE was killed.
All of that was known when U.S. Airways CEO Doug Parker hit the airwaves to make “the official statement”. He appeared breathless as he hastily read his prepared statement. And there was nothing wrong with the words he used. He covered the bases that he needed. He talked generally about the passengers and how families could get information. There were even some phrases designed to convey concern and empathy, but he didn’t read them with a tone of either. In fact, he never looked up. He just read.
What was missing was the heart. Certainly, he was locked away in headquarters trying to get his hands on all the information that matters to the company. He probably didn’t know that millions of TV viewers around the world were crying tears of joy as the shivering passengers were plucked from water and wing. The pilot became an instant hero. And a day later, the passengers and crew have the prayers of the nation, to help them recover quickly.
It would have been nice to hear a heartfelt word from Doug Parker; for him to take a deep breath and say that the thoughts of ALL U.S. Airways employees were with each person involved. He could have hailed the heroes in the cockpit, and the incredible efforts of the cabin crew. He didn’t need a script for that. A huge communications opportunity missed for the the airline.
Doug Parker said what he had to, and in doing so, he stayed far away from liability. A word or two from the heart would not have hurt on the corporate liability side, and would have spoken volumes on the human level.
One Response to “U.S. Airways CEO: When Communication Hits the Wrong Note”
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I completely agree with you, Lynn. If I knew Mr. Parker, I would send him your phone number and ask him to give you a call, because even a few minutes of forethought and preparation could have gone a long way towards humanizing US Air - the company.
As it was, Captain Sullenberger did the all work for them.
The Internet has made today’s communications much more immediate and unfiltered. News watchers are looking for ways to connect with the subject matter, whether it be through a blog, Facebook, Twitter…
It’s no accident that President Obama has a Director of New Media - http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/change_has_come_to_whitehouse-gov/ charged with the task of fostering communication, transparency and participation online. Mr. Parker should take a look!