What Bison Can Teach Us About Crisis Communication

Most animals have the same instinct when a storm rolls in: turn away and run. It feels like the safe move. But bison do something different. They turn directly into the storm and walk through it. And because they move with it rather than against it, they clear the worst of it faster.

It's a useful metaphor for organizational communication, especially in a crisis.

When something goes wrong, the instinct for most organizations is to wait. To get quiet. To hope the storm passes before anyone notices. And sometimes that works. But more often, silence creates a vacuum. Other people fill it. Speculation replaces facts. Trust erodes.

The organizations that navigate hard moments best aren't the ones with the most polished statements. They're the ones that communicate early, clearly, and consistently, even when the full picture isn't available yet.

That means acknowledging what's happening. Being honest about what you know and what you don't. Giving your stakeholders, employees, donors, clients, the public, a reason to stay oriented toward you instead of looking elsewhere for answers.

Turning into the storm doesn't mean being reckless or oversharing. It means having a plan, a clear voice, and the willingness to lead, even when it's uncomfortable.

That's what effective crisis communication looks like. And it's the principle behind everything we do at Herd Alignment.