Meet Our Team: Q&A with Anna
Get to know one of our crisis communications experts
Our team offers more than 150 years of collective experience serving faith-driven leaders and organizations. We sat down with one of them, Anna Hutsell, a crisis communications expert, to learn more about how she thinks and works.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got to where you are today at Guardian.
I always knew that I wanted to work in communications and PR in some capacity, but I never thought I’d end up working with faith-based organizations. I got my start in public relations in the food and beverage industry. After a referral from a friend, I met some members of the Guardian team when they were at DeMoss—a PR firm started by Mark DeMoss—and they convinced me to give working with ministries a shot. I began working at DeMoss, assisting Mark with crisis management and communications, and discovered a whole new level of focus and skill that challenged and refined me. Since then, I’ve been serving Christian leaders and organizations for a decade. While I never saw my career unfolding in this way, the work has been life-changing.
What is the first thing you do when you get to your desk each morning?
Enjoy the first sip of coffee. I make myself only drink water until then…but once I start work, it’s coffee, news and emails first.
If you could share one piece of crisis communications counsel with someone, what would it be?
No one is immune to crisis. no matter how strong or healthy you think your organization or leadership may be. You must check your pride at the door and consider all the small decisions that lead you and your organization each day. What needs to be revisited? What could benefit from an outside perspective? What needs to be protected?
Our team believes in the adage that most PR problems are actually management problems that have become public. Leaders and managers must keep their house in order to avoid a crisis from occurring in the first place, so we spend a lot of time helping organizations identify areas that need attention.
What is one of the worst communications mistakes an organization can make when facing a crisis?
The biggest mistake comes when companies and organizations do not conduct crisis planning before a major incident. This impedes their ability to respond quickly, thoughtfully and strategically. Amid a crisis, a lack of prior crisis communication preparation can easily result in critical missteps, making the situation exponentially worse.
What are three steps an organization can take today to better prepare for handling a future crisis?
Establish a relationship with outside counsel. I can't stress enough the importance of having seasoned outside counsel already at the table.
Prepare. Conduct a vulnerability assessment to identify areas of risk and ways to mitigate these before they become issues, then craft a crisis plan and issues-specific message set.
Begin monitoring. Google News is not enough. Everyone needs professional software and skilled analysts to mine, flag and interpret online conversation.
Why do you do what you do? What motivates you?
The organizations we work with have such an enormous impact on culture and people’s lives, and I want to do everything I can to remove barriers to engagement and communication. Whether crisis management or a brand’s strategic communications, the means of communication are often just as important as the message. They can reinforce and highlight, or distract and diminish. At the end of the day, if I’ve helped someone communicate more effectively, I’ve done my job.
What is your favorite habit?
I love to read. Kris McDaniel, a pastor I admire, once said he reads nonfiction to educate his mind and fiction to strengthen his imagination. I’ve learned to prioritize reading, because it will naturally fall to the wayside if I let it. When I read, it opens my mind and, ultimately, makes me a better thinker and writer.
We’re proud to have people on our team like Anna. Read more and meet the rest of our team at Guardian.