Rather than calling on the 'fifth amendment' right to remain silent, wide use has been made of what negotiators recognize as the concept of 'plausible deniability'. Most commonly this tactic masquerades as the 'I didn't know – no-one told me anything'. An attempt to negotiate their way out of an awkward situation.
In any negotiation both sides potentially have a finite amount of time available for preparation, and we certainly are not advocating spending more time through rehearsal. The difference between the parties is not the amount of time spent in the preparation, but rather the quality of how the available time is used.
Fundamental to managing a business crisis effectively is our ability to remain calm and in control, and to continue to trade while the crisis is managed. Although the crisis may be very big for us, customers and stakeholders want to continue to do business and our capacity to meet their needs while we negotiate the crisis is a major measure of our effectiveness.