On occasion, we share the inspirational story of a cancer
survivor. For this edition, we are pleased to share a narrative
from 61-year old Ronald J. Levine (right), a partner in the
Princeton office of the Herrick, Feinstein LLP law firm, where he
is co-chair of the Litigation Department. Diagnosed in 2007 with
Hodgkin's lymphoma, Levine – who is also a member of the
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Director's Advisory
Board – looked to the strategies he used with clients in
handling a crisis and applied them to his battle with
cancer.
2007, I was marking my 30th year of practicing law, representing
companies in high visibility product liability claims. I also was
busy advising clients, and giving lectures, on the topic of crisis
management, having learned first-hand that companies are not always
given a sixty-day notice that a crisis is coming. That summer, when
I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, it was quite a shock,
especially since I had been feeling generally fine, working out
regularly, and had no real symptoms.
I now had a major crisis – my own. It was unexpected and
certainly not part of my "plan." A husband and father to
two daughters, with concerned parents and in-laws, and a senior
partner in a major law firm, I had many responsibilities.
I was facing an uncertain future. Assuming all went well, I would
have to weather six months of chemotherapy, and then radiation. My
treatment would be no secret – I was going to lose my hair
for sure – and that would be the least of it. My contact with
people and my entire lifestyle would have to be adjusted. What to
do? In part, I looked to the four step crisis management lessons I
had been preaching to my clients, which ultimately comes down to
being prepared in advance.
What follows are those steps, and how I adapted them for my
personal crisis:
STEP ONE:
Be ready for action.
Set up an internal communications system that can be activated
almost immediately in any emergency situation. Key participants
must be identified in advance: public relations specialists,
accountants, compliance officer, and corporate counsel.
When faced with my personal situation, my wife and I prepared
our own crisis management manual. We had lists of experts to
consult, articles on the illness and records to be gathered. We
assembled crisis managers, including doctors, financial consultants
and close friends whose judgment we respected. I also had
"spokespeople." My wife sent out emails to friends and
family to let them know about the course of my treatment, and my
secretary communicated with my colleagues. For clients, I dealt
with them directly, telling them I would continue to service them
as before. Thanks to the support of my colleagues, I did not lose
any clients or business throughout my treatment.
STEP TWO:
Communicate quickly, but accurately.
Remember, the news media will get the information out
whether or not your company cooperates. Being the first to react
puts the company in control of the situation.
The company should make every effort to avoid the typical
"no comment" response. Cancer has an obvious stigma, and
I did not consider my diagnosis to be a "plus" in my
ability to retain and attract clients. I also feared that my
colleagues would begin to plan my exit from my law firm. Taking a
page from my "never say no comment" playbook, I decided
to share as much information as possible with my colleagues. I
explained my condition – and the anticipated cure – to
anyone who would listen. I also tried to stay visible. Being
present is important to reassure your colleagues that you will
survive the crisis.
STEP THREE:
Do the right thing.
Do not minimize a serious problem nor blow minor incidents
out of proportion.
Setting the tone and determining the frequency of communications
about a personal crisis can be challenging. The emails about my
condition – which were written by my wife or by me –
were balanced and fairly objective. We thanked everyone for their
concern and did not sugarcoat the situation. The updates also were
not doom and gloom, and they provided honest and accurate reports
on my condition and progress.
STEP FOUR:
Follow up.
Learn from the crisis. When appropriate, make amends to those
affected and then do whatever is necessary to restore the
organization's reputation. With proper planning and preventive
measures, a company truly can pull out of a crisis in a much
stronger condition.
The most important lesson I learned from my experience is to
live every day to its fullest and not to sweat the small stuff. By
sharing my experience, I have tried to give meaning to my own
crisis by helping others through theirs. As has been the case for
my clients – few of our colleagues are prepared for crises
and have much to learn from those who have weathered the storm. By
staying involved with the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, I have
been privileged to be able to put my experiences to good use and to
work with patients and their families who are facing these same
challenges.
As seen in the Autumn 2014 edition of Cancer Connection magazine – a publication of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.