Defining Success in Crisis Comms
A Communicator’s Guide to Letting Go
Ever walk out of a meeting thinking, “Why didn’t they take our advice?”
You saw the risks. You mapped out the response. You flagged the headlines that might follow. And still—the decision went another way.
It’s one of the hardest parts of working in crisis communications: doing the right work and still watching it get set aside. And when the consequences play out just as you warned, it can feel like you failed.
But here’s the truth: you didn’t. Our job isn’t to control outcomes. It’s to advise—bringing clarity, calm, and a reputation lens into a conversation full of competing priorities. Legal, sales, engineering, HR, and leadership all have different pressures and points of view. Most decisions reflect tradeoffs we may never see.
That’s why we need to rethink what success actually means in this role. Because if we keep measuring ourselves by outcomes we don’t control, we’ll always feel like we’re falling short.
Your Role Is Advisory—Not Final
Let’s be honest—it stings when your advice is passed over. You did the work. You had the right instincts. Maybe you even predicted how things would go. And then, leadership heads in a different direction.
It feels personal. But it’s not. It’s the structure of the job.
In crisis communications, we’re not decision-makers. We’re advisors. Our job is to bring a clear point of view on trust, reputation, and perception—one voice in a room full of other experts. Legal is thinking about liability. Sales is thinking about revenue. Engineering is thinking about accuracy. Leadership is weighing all of it, sometimes under pressure we’ll never see.
So no, we don’t own the final call. And we’re not supposed to. Our success is defined by how we show up: clearly, calmly, and consistently—with advice that’s timely, practical, and rooted in the reputational impact.
That’s how we build trust. That’s how we earn influence over time. Even when the answer is “not this time.”
Everyone Brings a Different Lens
Why does good advice get sidelined? It’s not because people don’t care. It’s because they care about different things.
Legal is thinking about what could end up in court. Sales is thinking about what keeps customers from walking. Engineering can’t tolerate shade cast on their work. HR is worried about what this means for morale. Leadership? They’re looking at the long-term story the company is telling.
None of these perspectives are wrong. They’re just pointed in different directions.
That’s why your job isn’t to win every argument—it’s to make sure reputation has a seat at the table. To speak for trust, clarity, and long-term credibility when the room is focused on short-term urgency.
And the better you understand the other lenses, the sharper your own message can become.
When Your Advice Is Ignored
You did the work. You flagged the risk. You offered a clear path forward. And then the business took a different turn—and exactly what you feared plays out.
It stings. Not because we need to be right, but because we care about doing what’s right.
Here’s where it gets hard: if you tie your sense of success to every outcome, you’ll burn out fast. Because the truth is, your job is to show up with the best guidance you can—not to guarantee it gets followed.
So ask yourself:
Did I frame the reputational risk clearly and in time?
Did I offer options—not just objections?
Did I deliver my message to the people who needed to hear it?
If the answer is yes, then you did your job.
The outcome doesn’t define your value. The quality of your input does. That’s what builds credibility—for the next issue, and the one after that.
Staying Grounded
Emotional discipline is part of the job in crisis comms—but that doesn’t mean we don’t feel it when our advice is dismissed or things go sideways. It’s easy to internalize those moments. That’s why staying grounded matters—both for your own mindset and the health of the team around you.
Keep perspective. Your voice is one of many, and being overruled isn’t rejection—it’s part of the process. Leaders are making tough calls with inputs you may not see.
Stay humble. We’re professionals, not prophets. If things go wrong, resist the urge to spiral or disengage. Stay curious. Stay helpful. That’s how you grow your influence.
And for those you lead or mentor: set the tone. Normalize that good advice isn’t always followed. Celebrate sound thinking, not just good outcomes. Debrief with empathy, not blame.
The goal is resilience. Protect your energy—and theirs—so you can keep showing up strong the next time.
Because credibility is cumulative. It’s earned not just when your advice is taken, but in how you respond when it isn’t.
Case Study : Chatbot Tay
One of the clearest examples I’ve experienced of doing everything right—and still not being heard—was the 2016 launch of Microsoft’s AI chatbot, Tay.
Tay was designed to engage with users on Twitter using language modeled on a teenage persona. It was set to debut during Build, Microsoft’s major developer conference—a moment packed with media attention and product announcements.
My team was brought in less than a week before launch. One of our comms managers immediately spotted major red flags. Tay was easily manipulated, and—true to Godwin’s Law—she surfaced examples of how quickly it could be led into conversations referencing Hitler and other offensive content.
She documented her findings in a clear, actionable brief. I escalated it quickly. Our recommendation: pause the launch, or at the very least, decouple it from Build. The reputational risk was too high.
Leadership listened. But the launch moved forward. The excitement around showcasing AI innovation won out over caution.
Within 24 hours, Tay made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Microsoft acted quickly, took Tay offline, and issued an apology. But the damage was done.
From a comms standpoint, I still believe we did our job. We gave specific, timely advice. We stayed engaged, supported the aftermath, and didn’t make it about ego.
Sometimes, the business just isn’t ready to hear what you’re saying. That doesn’t mean you failed. It means you showed up—and helped build trust for the next time.
Final Thoughts
In crisis comms, success is showing up—again and again—with what only you can bring. Clarity. Calm. Credibility. Not control.
You won’t win every argument. That’s not the point. The point is to help the business see risk more clearly, make better-informed choices, and—when needed—recover faster.
So the next time your advice is overruled, ask yourself: Did I do the job only I could do?
If the answer is yes, then you succeeded.
And when you keep showing up that way, people will remember.
Keep showing up with clarity.
Keep offering the calm in the storm.
And keep building the kind of trust that lasts longer than any one headline.