BP CEO Tony Hayward’s complaint that he “wants his life back” is the most tone-deaf comment I’ve ever heard uttered by a CEO doing crisis communications.
This is what he said to Fox News yesterday: “There’s no one who wants this thing over more than I do. You know, I’d like my life back, so there’s no one who wants this thing done more than I do. And we’re doing everything we can to contain the oil off shore, defend the shoreline and return peoples lives to normal as fast as we can.”
Crisis communications is all about staying focused on the main messages you want to convey. One of the key messages to convey in any crisis is one of empathy and concern. When people are upset, they need to know you care. That demonstration of empathy is critical for building trust and credibility.
Hayward’s comment shows an astonishing lack of awareness for the situation and what it requires.
This event began as a tragic industrial accident that claimed 11 lives, then mushroomed into the largest environmental disaster in the nation’s history. The damage to the Gulf and to those who depend upon it for their livelihoods is beyond calculation and the crisis continues with no end in sight.
Someone at BP needs to grab Hayward and tell him: “It’s not about you!”
Having the CEO act as spokesman usually lends credibility to crisis communications, so long as the CEO has some skill and comfort in communicating with the media. Is Hayward up to this?
