Opinion

Crisis communications: does your company have what it takes to come out on top?

In this guest post, Arli Miller examines a range of crises to highlight the importance of having a plan in place for when problems strike at home.

Arli Miller - April 2016Someone once said that you must never waste a crisis, and that’s the message that we should all be taking from the many and varied crises that unfold around us on what seems to be almost a daily basis.

There’s always something we can learn, and companies that aren’t critically examining other organisations’ misfortunes are doing themselves a disservice.

Henry Kissinger was famously quoted as saying “There can’t be a crisis next week, my schedule is already full,” but he, more than most, was aware that the nature of a crisis is that it’s coming – ready or not.

And the way you handle it is vital to your organisation’s recovery – both in a financial and reputational sense.

One of the main rules of crisis communications sounds pretty simple: Make sure you have the right spokesperson.

But as has been shown by Cardinal George Pell’s recent appearance in Rome before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, it’s an easy one to get wrong.

Of course, Cardinal Pell had no say in whether or not he appeared before the Royal Commission, but his many prior media performances over a number of years in Australia as a spokesperson for the Catholic Church’s handling of child sex abuse demonstrated time and again that the Cardinal has a fatal flaw: he doesn’t do contrition or compassion well.

As soon as Pell made his first appearance someone in the Catholic Church should have had the courage to veto further performances. That didn’t happen and the Church’s reputation suffered.

Organisations and individuals must also ensure they are acutely aware of public sentiment.

1399780971117Did Joe Hockey and Mathias Cormann not think how it would look to be seen smoking fat cigars after delivering a Budget that appeared squarely aimed at taking from the less fortunate? Couldn’t Bronwyn Bishop get some sense of the genuine public outrage when she spent 18 defiant days in the wake of the Choppergate scandal before finally deciding to resign?

And what lack of awareness about public perception led the Victorian Taxi Association to think it was a good idea to launch a social media campaign encouraging customers to tweet about their positive experiences with the industry? The entirely predictable response was a spate of negative stories about drivers, dirty taxis and bad experiences.

It’s worthwhile asking yourself whether you’ve been constantly putting maintenance on the backburner “until next year’s budget”, or whether the sexist jokes that Jack constantly tells are okay “because everyone knows that’s just Jack’s way”.

And have you thought who is best to represent the company when the proverbial hits the fan? Or what to do after that first call from A Current Affair telling you that someone has become ill or injured after using your product?

From burning washing machines to dodgy lettuce, suspect berries, blackface basketballers and stupid footballers, the possibilities for a crisis are ever-present.

If you wait long enough one will turn up on your doorstep. They are never welcome, but preparation and forethought can make the difference between a fleeting visit or having the joint ransacked.

Five point crisis checklist 

  • Call a meeting of all section heads and communications teams and find out whether there are any potential time bombs ticking away. What problems have been put on the ‘too hard’ or ‘too costly’ or ‘not front of office’ list?
  • Closely examine all practices and procedures. Are they just words on paper or are they really being followed? Ask yourself if your culture is really one where people feel free to report instances where policies are not being adhered to?
  •  Try to make a dispassionate assessment of your company’s and your sector’s reputation. Forget about how profitable you are and how the stock market rates your efforts: ask yourself what the public really feels about you, because that’s how you will be perceived at the start of any crisis.
  • Honestly assess your executives’ ability to be a spokesperson for the organisation. Who will be able to present as truthful, compassionate and empathetic? Do they need training before that assessment is made?
  • Get expert help. Being prepared for a potential crisis can either prevent a crisis developing or ensure that its impact is diminished.

Arli Miller is a director of Parker & Partners

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