Five ways to minimise a reputational crisis

One look at the news headlines shows how many organisations are complacent, fail to prepare or don’t listen to their advisers, panicking when a crisis strikes, often causing long-term reputational damage.

It’s worth reminding yourselves that it’s rarely the crisis that causes the problem – it’s the way the crisis was handled, particularly when issues are dismissed as unimportant, those affected are not considered, or those involved try to point the finger at others for the problems they now face.

So remember these points to give yourself the best chance of coming out unscathed when a problem occurs.

• Be prepared. You insure your house, your car, your health but what about your reputation? Do regular audits of potential problems and deal with them. Undertake regular crisis simulations and procedural reviews and refresh your media training and put sensible measures and precautions in place, as well as a positive and adaptable mindset.

• Build trust before, during and after a crisis. Develop strong relationships with your stakeholders and let them know directly as soon as anything bad happens. Keep channels of communication open, even if your responses to media, for instance, are measured and strategic rather than reactive.

• Do not hide when a crisis strikes. If there is a void where you are not fronting up and giving your side of the story, there will be others all too happy to fill the void. Speculation and ‘expert’ voices are quick to share their often-negative opinions and interpretations, so make sure you have a prepared list of messages for any potential criticism.

• Ensure that your spokespeople and leadership are aligned on addressing issues and the media. That means being humble, listening to the concerns of others and being prepared to apologise. Those who are most successful when a crisis strikes tend to show compassion and understanding as well as being honest, accountable and transparent. Showing concern is not the same as admitting liability as many legal experts may try to suggest.

• It’s worth underlining how important honesty is in crisis communications. Any attempts to hide or distort the truth make a situation worse, without fail.

Remember, as Benjamin Franklin once said,  “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

If you need crisis communications support or media training, please get in touch!