I use timelines to keep clients on track when sticky situations start to occur.
A timeline must be a simple document that an entry-level journalist can follow and also the man in the street. This is easier said than done when a company is in crisis and the lawyers are climbing over every scrap of paper.
I start with the latest situation (and clear date shown) at the top and then descend the page with a readable listing of events. It’s best if you can keep the timeline to less than one page and each event to 2 lines at most and if more information is needed on a particular event it can be asked for and readily accessed.
There are many uses for a good timeline:
- Gathering all the facts from media releases, websites, internal documents etc in one place
- As a dispute starts escalating towards public view, then you are ready to respond
- Useful having a pre-approved statement of facts to forward to media
- When key issues are reported incorrectly they can be retracted if the editor agrees with your objection and a good timeline can support that case
- When complexity is turning into confusion and current affairs type journalists smell blood and ask the Dorothy Dix questions
Having had ASIC investigate several funds while I was at AM Corporation in the early 2000s timelines saved the executive team much time when explaining the chain of events that led to restructuring of some of the funds. We did not use the timeline to hide information/events rather it allowed us to illuminate where the company had made decisions on based on various economic data and market conditions.
Earlier in the 1990s, I ran public affairs for Coopers & Lybrand at the time that they were appointed to assist the Victorian government in understanding where Pyramid building society had gone awry. A timeline of key company and regulator decisions matched against the economic climate (Australia was in recession at the time with) helped with the explanations to reporters.
In these situations, and many more PR situations a timeline made a large difference when decimating and communicating important information. They are a tool which has been and should continue to be used regularly and diligently for PR and communication purposes.
Chris Hocking, founder and director of Chris Hocking Strategies: SMSF and financial services public relations. Sydney based with clients nationwide.