A crisis poorly anticipated and handled does more to harm a company’s most valuable commodity, REPUTATION, than anything a competitor could or would do.
Possible crises:
- Layoffs
- Lawsuits
- Discrimination and/or harassment allegations
- Rumors
- Drop off in quality or an increase in defects
- Financial problems
- Government investigations
- Strikes, boycotts, unionization
- Loss of executives from accidents.
- Threats from current or former employees of groups
Prepare for potential crisis through planning:
- Assess possible vulnerabilities
- Take corrective action of assessed vulnerabilities to prevent or minimize
- Develop a chain of communication
- As a situation evolves, quickly identifying the potential for a crisis
- Immediately obtain input from those most knowledgeable
- Ensure that the crisis plan is in place and be flexible
- Prepare for extensive crisis management
Benefits
- Positive recognition of the company
- Demonstrated competence, leadership, honesty
- Lasting relationships
- Changes to ensure success and elimination of new crises
Crisis mistakes
- No advance plan
- Not recognizing the crisis signs
- Not communicating with everyone connected to the business
- Not having prepared information packets
- Not asking for the input of knowledgeable people
- Not returning telephone calls
- Not being flexible
- Not being honest or to be misleading
- “No comment”
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