When a crisis hits, the instinct is to wait until you know everything before saying anything. That instinct is understandable, and in most cases, wrong. Silence gets filled — by employees, by social media, by reporters — and the narrative is set before you’ve opened your mouth.
The organizations that handle crises well have one thing in common: they did the boring preparation in advance.
What a holding statement does
A holding statement is a short, pre-approved message that buys you time without saying nothing. It typically:
- Acknowledges the situation is known.
- Expresses appropriate concern, especially for anyone affected.
- Says what you’re doing right now.
- Commits to a time for the next update.
That’s it. No speculation, no blame, no detail you can’t yet confirm.
We’re aware of a disruption affecting some customer accounts this morning. Our teams are working to resolve it, and the security of your information is our first priority. We’ll share an update by 2 p.m. Eastern.
Write them now, for your top five scenarios
Sit down with legal, operations, and HR and list the five events most likely to hurt your organization: a data incident, a leadership departure, a safety event, a product failure, a public allegation. Draft a holding statement for each. Agree in advance who can approve its release — ideally in minutes, not hours.
Practice the first hour
Once a year, run a tabletop exercise. Present a scenario at 9 a.m. and see how long it takes to get a statement approved. Most organizations are shocked by the answer. The fix is almost always the same: fewer approvers, clearer roles, and a spokesperson who has practiced.
A crisis will test your values in public. Preparation is how you make sure your response reflects them.