How to protect your organisation from a communication crisis

Knowing how to protect your organisation from a communication crisis is a vital skill for any leader – discover five tips to navigate your next one here.

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Inc

Anointed leaders are morally and legally obliged to mitigate risks. Protecting customers through a prevention mindset and rigorous standards is leadership 101, regardless of size. 

Here are five ways you can protect your organisation from a communication crisis.

Promote speaking up

Employee freedom to raise red flags without punitive consequences is critical. Defective products result from myopic shortcuts and a race to achieve scale or strategic position.

Embed a “fix-it” mindset

The challenge is that most firms get defensive and make an ostrich-like response to commercial threats or launch delays. Stubborn denial slows down the remedial action required.

Don’t rely on deep pockets

Large organisations throw money at problems hoping regulators will recede and litigious consumers will run out of cash.

However, consumer power is rising. It takes only a few scary Twitter warnings to start a bandwagon or class action. You can’t rely on your size as a get-out-of-jail-free card.

Learn the art of apology

Consumers forgive those who admit error rather than dodge blame. Meanwhile, affected customers crave the acceptance of responsibility and signals of justice over restitution. 

Be prepared

Have a contingency plan. Understandably, few prepared for a pandemic but event organisers like Wimbledon’s Lawn Tennis Association took the prescient action of insuring against it. 

Causes of communication crises can often be anticipated. Remember, social media is your friend when you need to communicate quickly.

The path to misconduct is littered with incremental decisions justified by short-term agendas. However, incremental oversights mount and become a hundred-pound reputation gorilla.

There are different ways to handle crises depending on severity. Being prepared and responsible should be uncontroversial.

Remedying a defective process, scientific formula, or product is much easier and cheaper than tolerating a decade-long distraction.

Smart leaders stem risk before it escalates out of proportion.