Tevez and Lessons in Crisis Communications

2012-02-14 10:52:44 by Frank

The football world is up in arms about the apparent dispute between Manchester City and its troubled talisman Carlos Tevez. Whatever the rights and wrongs there is obviously a communication issue at stake here. It’s never helpful to have a public spat between manager and player, so what would I do if I were Man City’s manager?

First there needs to be a firm agreement between player and club that no further public comments (other than holding statements) will be made until there is an agreement on the way forward between them.

Equally everyone else involved with the club should be told that they must not speculate or comment on the affair until it is resolved.

I would appoint a mediator between manager and player to take some of the emotion out of the situation and focus on the best interests of the club and the supporters.

Never say “never.”  If Tevez has to go just to save face then this could be a costly own goal for City. Leave the door open for negotiation, as Alex Ferguson so expertly did when Wayne Rooney was in a period of uncertainty.

Beef up media training for both manager and player. There is no way they can escape media interviews but there are ways to make sure they keep from inflaming the story.

Once the way forward has been agreed, get an announcement out quickly and be open that there was a problem and it has been resolved. Say sorry to the fans for the disruption and re-affirm the commitment from the whole club to success on the field.

But what do I know about football?