Why Technical Accuracy Is Not Enough in a Crisis
- JD Solomon
- 1 hour ago
- 6 min read
Technical professionals rightly take pride in accuracy. Accuracy is the foundation of good engineering, sound science, and a responsible operation. However, in a crisis, accuracy alone does not meet the needs of senior management, regulators, or the public. People want to understand what is happening. They want to know how the events impact them, their families, and their survival. A technically accurate message that does not address these concerns will fall short.
Crisis Communication
Crisis communication is not a technical exercise. It is a leadership function. It requires context, empathy, and relevance. After all, no one wants to be lied to in a crisis. But people process information differently when they are under stress. They care most about their own survival and absolutely nothing about how right you were (or how good you think you are).
“No one wants to be lied to in a crisis.”
Technical accuracy is necessary, but it is not sufficient for effective communication.
From the Real World
That Great Flood of 2017 hit New Orleans unexpectedly on August 5th. The next week more flash flooding occurred. The Executive Director of the Sewerage & Water Board blamed it on climate change. Others said it was because only 38 of 58 of the below-sea-level city’s drainage pumps were operable.
I found myself dispatched to New Orleans in mid-August to evaluate the system and help get it back up to speed. Technically, my role was reliability, while two other colleagues led the physical improvements for the pumps and the electrical system.
Less than a month later, what would become Hurricane Harvey came barreling across the Gulf, looking for a landfall somewhere between New Orleans and Brownsville, Texas. We were not ready.
In the week preceding the storm, my job was heads-down, focusing on what was broken and assessing (day-by-day) the realistic performance of the drainage system. One part of the August debacle was that no one accurately knew what the drainage system could do. The other part was poor crisis communication.
By Wednesday morning of that week, I was shifted to the emergency management system. The focus had become supporting crisis communication rather than the normal reliability improvement role. My job was to make sure what we said was accurate; however, the communication and the numbers we gave to the public would have a different purpose.
By Thursday night, Hurricane Harvey’s path was more definitively leaning toward a Texas landfall. By Friday morning, New Orleans had dropped from the probability cone.
“You better get to the airport,” our program manager said.
“Yeah, luckily we will not be in crisis mode over the weekend,” I replied.
“I think everyone needs a couple of days’ rest. Shifting gears and preparing for the storm was a tough exercise.”
“I’ll be back Monday by 9,” I stated as I headed for the door. “The job doesn’t change, but the delivery certainly was going to be different if we got hit.”
Accuracy Without Context Creates Confusion
Technical professionals often respond to crises by providing detailed explanations. We describe the data, the measurements, and the system limits. Most of us assume that more information will create more understanding. In reality, more information often creates more confusion.
People in a crisis are not looking for technical detail. They are looking for meaning. They want to know whether they are safe. They want to know whether the situation is under control. They want to know what the organization is doing. When the message focuses on technical accuracy without providing context, the audience is left to interpret the information on their own. This leads to misinterpretation and unnecessary concern.
Accuracy Without Empathy Creates Distance
Technical professionals sometimes avoid acknowledging emotions because we fear it will undermine credibility. Maybe worse, as analyticals, many of us don’t have a lot of natural empathy.
Facts without empathy create distance. People interpret it as indifference or defensiveness.
Empathy requires recognition, not emotional language. Mentally putting yourself in the place of one who has been impacted makes the technical message more effective.
Facts without empathy create distance.
Accuracy Without Action Creates Frustration
In a crisis, people want to know what the organization is doing. They want to know what steps are being taken to evaluate, stabilize, and resolve the issue. Returning to the normal state of affairs is the normal disaster recovery expectation.
A technically accurate message that does not describe the actions being taken leaves organizational and community leaders without the information they need to move forward. That’s a big reason technical professionals need to be present and inform the crisis communication team, but we techies should expect to take a back seat to the crisis communication team. At least until things stabilize and get back to normal (whatever and however good or bad that normal is).
Accuracy Without Boundaries Creates Risk
Technical professionals sometimes provide more detail than the situation requires. We share a lot of stuff in case someone needs it. Plus, at least for engineers, our duty-based ethics training tells us to tell our decision makers everything we know.
The real problem in a crisis is that what we know is changing. What’s an accurate statement this morning is inaccurate in the afternoon. In other words, early information often changes. When it does, the organization appears inconsistent.
Crisis communication requires boundaries. It requires discipline about what is known, what is unknown, and what is still being evaluated. It requires clear statements about the status of the information. This protects the organization and maintains credibility.
Boundaries do not limit transparency. They strengthen it by ensuring that the information shared is reliable.
From the Real World: Hurricane Hugo
It was early in my career, but I knew this was not a pretty after-action debrief. Hurricane Hugo had just flattened Charleston. The monster hurricane had grazed Myrtle Beach, albeit on the more impacted northern side. Beachfront condos and houses were temporarily condemned. Our job was now to inspect the damage and declare which units would be classified as habitable or uninhabitable.
“Did I say something wrong? Did I say something inaccurate?” asked one of my engineering colleagues after speaking to a local citizens group.
“Not necessarily inaccurate,” shrugged our boss. “But certainly insensitive.”
“Well, the truth is the last 24-hour forecast was correct. And it could have been much worse,” countered my determined engineering colleague. “They have to accept that, and they have to accept that things are not going to get better for months, not weeks.”
I remembered the team lecture that followed throughout my career. Our boss made quite an impression on me about what victims “have” to accept, how much impacted people really care about how accurate our forecasts are, and our personal opinions about how fast (or slow) things will improve.
In a crisis, context and empathy matter a lot more than defending technical accuracy.
Five Steps to Prepare for Crisis Communication This Hurricane Season
Technical professionals do not have to wait for the next storm to put these principles into practice. Before hurricane season is in full swing, take these five steps:
Verify the accuracy of your system maps and online equipment information.
Verify your role with the crisis communication team.
With hurricane season here, review local guidance — most counties and states in hurricane-prone regions publish it.
Review CDC and FEMA protocols.
Understand the difference between a crisis communication approach and an approach such as FINESSE. (FINESSE is not a crisis communication tool.)
Accuracy Must Be Part of a Larger Structure
Technical accuracy is essential, but it must be integrated into a communication structure that supports decision making. That structure includes context, empathy, action, and boundaries. It helps leaders understand the situation. It helps the public feel informed. It helps regulators see that the organization is acting responsibly.
In a crisis, accuracy is an important foundation. However, understanding the communication context and empathy will carry the day. You create effective communication that supports leadership and strengthens trust when you combine accuracy and empathy.
This article first appeared on Substack: Solomon, J. D. (2026, August 12). Why technical accuracy is not enough in a crisis. Communicating with FINESSE (Substack). https://communicatingwithfinesse.substack.com/p/why-technical-accuracy-is-not-enough
References:
WWLTV. (2017, November 15). Timeline: How New Orleans flooded on Aug. 5, 2017 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKTuUzTUgXA
Solomon, J. D. (2020, August 18). Overcoming crisis caused by rare events. https://www.jdsolomonsolutions.com/post/overcoming-crisis-caused-by-rare-events
Solomon, J. D. (2021, November 8). Success or failure determined by addressing rare events. https://www.jdsolomonsolutions.com/post/success-or-failure-determined-by-addressing-rare-events
Solomon, J. D. (2022, September 27). Improve your communication of rare events before they happen. https://www.jdsolomonsolutions.com/post/improve-your-communication-of-rare-events-before-they-happen
Solomon, J. D. (2023, February 11). Improve your career by showing empathy to the decision maker. https://www.jdsolomonsolutions.com/post/improve-your-career-by-showing-empathy-to-the-decision-maker
Solomon, J. D. (2023, March 6). One question creates empathy and improves business presentations. https://www.jdsolomonsolutions.com/post/one-question-creates-empathy-and-improves-business-presentations
Solomon, J. D. (2024, January 29). How context matters in successful asset management implementation. https://www.jdsolomonsolutions.com/post/how-context-matters-in-successful-asset-management-implementation
JD Solomon writes and consults on decision-making, reliability, risk, and communication for leaders and technical professionals. His work connects technical disciplines with human understanding to help people make better decisions and build stronger systems. Learn more at www.jdsolomonsolutions.com and www.communicatingwithfinesse.com.
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