What will Michigan Governor Snyder say during the State of State?

by Michael Szudarek

Amid the Flint water crisis, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder prepares to give his sixth State of the State address tonight, in what very well might be the most important speech of his entire career. And while it isn’t bad to apologize, we witnessed last week at the North American International Auto Show that when you to apologize too much, you actually end up saying nothing—similar to what the automotive media reported on VW’s press conference performance.

One of the most critical things the Governor can do tonight is to show compassion in his message. While painful and uncomfortable with emotions running high, discussing the issue with compassion will help gain the trust while humanizing himself in the process. Snyder must show genuine remorse. And, he must convincingly demonstrate that direct actions are being taken to address this situation as swiftly and thoroughly as possible. In crisis situations, we at Marx Layne & Company can’t stress enough the importance of expressing empathy and caring. Acknowledging fear, anger, suffering and uncertainty are genuine emotions.

For CEOs and other business leaders watching tonight, the reality is that a crisis is going to face nearly every company at some point. As with anything in life, preparation is key. Below is short summary of five steps you should consider in anticipation that adversity touches your organization.