I hadn't meant to imply The Olympics were in crisis, but . . .

The article below this one had been the lead article on this Web site for a month until I moved it down to make room for these additional reflections on The Olympics that were triggered by a recent newspaper headline.

My original article describes an analogy of crisis communication as "The Olympics of public relations" that I've used for years to reflect the level of intensity and challenge associated with communicating during a crisis. It did not suggest that The Olympics themselves were facing a crisis or that they had created one for anyone else. And, quite frankly, I'm still not convinced that they are.

The 2008 Summer Olympics are, however, certainly embroiled in a controversy centering on allegations of China's recent and recurring human rights violations and the attention-getting protests these violations have sparked. In recent weeks, there have been demonstrations in several countries and protesters have disrupted the international travel of the Olympic flame that relay runners are carrying on the road to China. There have even been suggestions from some protesting groups that the summer games should be boycotted.

Just how serious are these protests and their implications for The Olympics?

Here's what one headline from The Cincinnati Enquirer said on April 11, 2008:

Olympic president: `It is a crisis'

This appeared over an AP report, datelined Beijing, that extensively quoted International Olypmics Committee President Jacques Rogge and described the upcoming Olympics as "the most politically charged in recent history." The article also said the IOC is facing "one of its toughest tests since the boycott era of the 1970s and `80s."

Personally, I think this is an over-reaction that has blown the situation way out of proportion. While these demonstrations and allegation are not pleasant and are undoubtedly trying for IOC members and support staff who have never experienced anything worse, they certainly aren't yet of crisis proportions and are a long way from the serious problems The Olympics have previously faced. There has been no indication that the future of They Olympics is in jeopardy or even that anyone is considering the possibility of canceling this summer's games. There haven't even been any withdrawals of countries scheduled to compete.

Despite the sensational headline, what The Olympics are now facing is far different than what occurred in 1980 when the United States led 62 nations in a boycott of the Moscow Olympics. - That was a crisis! - Another was the 1998-99 bribery and ethics scandal surrounding Salt Lake City's selection as the site of the 2002 Winter Games. The investigation that followed this expose resulted in ten members of the IOC being expelled and another ten being sanctioned, the first expulsion or sanction for corruption in IOC history. (Coincidentally, it was also this incident that thrust Mitt Romney into the national and international spotlight when he was brought in to take charge of the Salt Lake City Olympics Committee in 1999.)

So, let's just quit referring to the current situation as a crisis and get back to the reasons I refer to crisis communication as "The Olympics of public relations."

Successful Crisis Communication:
Winning The Olympics of Public Relations

Maintaining effective public relations efforts when your organization is facing immediate danger or is under the harsh and intense spotlight of unwanted and/or negative media attention isn't easy. In fact, it's tantamount to competing in the Olympics.

In any sport, the rules of the game are essentially the same whether you're playing informally with friends in the park, playing professionally, or competing in the Olympics. For instance, baseball is baseball.

• Three strikes and you're out.
• Three outs and the other team comes up to bat.

Olympic rules aren't substantially different. The differences are in the caliber of the participants, the intensity of the competition, the degree of media scrutiny, and the level of public interest. And, when the Olympic Games are over, those who have been successful can become media celebrities and use their new fame to their long-term advantage while those who failed to perform as well may never be heard of again.

Although public relations isn't be a sport, the same notion holds true. The basic rules and procedures for doing public relations are the same whether an organization is doing business as usual in a totally calm environment or it's facing a crisis.

• The principles and ethics of public relations don't change.
• The public relations practitioner's goal is always to build and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with the organization's key publics.

On routine days, they do it in an ordinary way and at a moderate pace. But, in a crisis situation, events move faster, the media are more numerous and more aggressive in asking questions, the public intently focuses on what's happening, and the stakes soar higher. Practitioners and organizations that succeed can go on to long and prosperous futures, but those that fail may experience staggering losses. Individuals can end up out of jobs, and organizations can lose millions of dollars or even go out of existence.

The bottom-line questions you should ask yourself before you have to face a crisis communication situation are: How well have you learned to play the game, and how well can you handle speed and stress?

If you're new to public relations and/or crisis communication, you may find the following on-line readings helpful.

Performing public relations during a crisis

Planning for public relations during a crisis

Coping when a public relations crisis occurs

Don't become a crisis communication hypochondriac