Rethinking the Goal of Crisis Management
Traditional crisis management still treats control as the objective. Craft the perfect message. Push it out fast. Get ahead of the story. But that approach rarely works anymore, especially in an environment where audiences don’t wait for official statements. They listen to each other.
That’s why Tony Jaques’ Relational Model of Crisis Management matters. It shifts the goal from message control to stakeholder credibility. It’s not about what you say. It’s about what they believe.
What Is Narrative Intelligence?
Narrative intelligence is the ability to recognize, interpret, and influence the stories people tell about a brand. It’s what allows companies to anticipate how stakeholders will receive information, not just how it’s written but how it feels and how it fits into broader conversations.
This skill is crucial in a crisis because perception moves faster than truth. Audiences aren’t passive receivers of messages. They’re active participants in the narrative. Narrative intelligence means meeting them where they are, not where you wish they’d be.
Inside the Relational Model of Crisis Management
Tony Jaques’ model is built on one core truth: crisis response is not transactional. It is relational. Brands do not win trust by issuing statements. They earn it by managing relationships over time.
At its core, the model prioritizes stakeholder trust as the single most valuable asset in a crisis. That trust is built over time through transparency, consistency, and credibility, long before a crisis hits. Jaques argues that what matters most in a crisis is not the content of the message, but the history behind it. Stakeholders judge every response through the lens of prior experience.
The model also stresses that stakeholder perception is not uniform. Different groups—customers, employees, investors, media, regulators—may all respond differently based on their relationship with the brand. A one-size-fits-all statement ignores the relational dynamics that shape how a message is received.
- Mitroff’s Five-Stage Crisis Management Model emphasizes prevention and preparation. It includes signal detection, probing, containment, recovery, and learning. Mitroff focuses on anticipation, encouraging organizations to hunt for weak signals before a crisis forms.
- Steven Fink’s Crisis Model divides crises into four stages: prodromal (early warning), acute, chronic, and resolution. It’s useful for identifying how long a crisis can linger and how reputational damage can extend far beyond the initial event.
- Burnett’s Crisis Model introduces the concept of a strategic window. It suggests that crises can create unique moments for organizations to demonstrate leadership, reframe public narratives, and even gain a competitive advantage.
- Turner’s Six-Stage Crisis Management Model focuses on the cultural and systemic buildup that leads to organizational breakdown. It reveals how ignored assumptions, unnoticed errors, and internal blind spots set the stage for crisis long before any triggering event.
Jaques pushes communicators to shift their focus from message design to relationship management. The goal is not just to calm outrage or push out facts. It is to reinforce or rebuild trust in a way that acknowledges each group’s expectations and emotions. In short, your credibility is your crisis response.
How Narrative Intelligence Complements Jaques’ Model
Where Jaques focuses on relationships, narrative intelligence adds the layer of interpretation. It’s not just about having strong relationships. It’s about knowing how those relationships shape the way your message is received.
For example, a community impacted by layoffs may interpret a company’s apology through a lens of past resentment. A brand with high trust equity might issue the same message and be believed. That’s narrative intelligence in action, it helps you read the emotional context behind every stakeholder group.
By integrating narrative intelligence, you move beyond reactive messaging and start shaping the story with empathy and strategic foresight. You shift from defending your position to reinforcing your values.
Why This Matters Now
Crisis response today lives in real time. The media cycle is faster. The backlash is louder. The audience is more fragmented. And none of that is slowing down.
Brands that rely on traditional command and control messaging get left behind. But those who invest in relationships and read the narrative landscape in real time? They lead the conversation, even in crisis.
The future of crisis management is not about perfecting the statement. It is about earning the benefit of the doubt. Jaques’ model gets you there. Narrative intelligence keeps you there.
Each model offers a unique way to understand and manage the crisis. But Jaques stands out for one reason: he centers the human factor. And in today’s environment, relationships—not press releases—will define your reputation.
