KEY POINTS:
Q. How can I prepare for a reputation-damaging event?
A. This depends on how well you're listened to and understood by customers and the public. That depends on how you communicate with them the rest of the time. You can't plan for a crisis when you're in the middle of one. You need to build relationships with people who are important to you when the going's good. If something goes wrong, you're more likely to be listened to if you have goodwill. That means you need a good everyday communication strategy, including a simple, clearly set-out process for dealing with any difficult issues that might arise.
Q. How are we supposed to be open with the media and others when we don't even know the full facts?
A. Don't be rushed into making a statement if you're not sure of your facts. But you do need to respond, no comment isn't good enough. Give yourself time to investigate by setting out the immediate steps you'll be taking to find out what has happened. If people are to trust you, they need to know exactly what you're doing to find out what went wrong and to put it right.
Q. What if we say something that turns out later to be wrong? Will people think we're liars?
A. A genuine and honest mistake will be understood and accepted. How much people trust you comes back to how much goodwill you've built up with them.
Q. A lot of my business is contracted out. How can I get contractors on board with a PR plan?
A. They don't need to know the details of your communications plan but they do need to be clear on what to do if a difficulty arises. There should be set-out reporting lines and processes so a crisis plan kicks in and the situation is handled appropriately from the start.
Q. How many people in an organisation should be speaking to the public?
A. All staff should have a clear idea of who your spokespeople are. For a major issue, it's appropriate a senior person, such as your CEO or a board member, speaks to the media. It's good practice to designate one spokesperson as the public face of the company.
Q. A competitor is in trouble. How can we take advantage of that without seeming mercenary?
A. When a major issue arises it's a reminder to ensure your company's affairs are beyond reproach. If you have useful information for customers in the wake of an industry issue, there may be a chance to comment publicly. You need to check there are no legal implications first, and if you don't have something constructive to say - don't.
Q. Are the public willing to understand and to forgive genuine mistakes? How easy is it to rebuild a damaged reputation?
A. If you've acted quickly, taken reasonable care and if your mistake was honest, people are more likely to forgive you. As Kiwis, we expect people to be decent and straightforward in their lives, and expect the same from corporate and political leaders. The best insurance your reputation can have is a good existing relationship with your customers and community. It's harder to build goodwill after a crisis when trust has been lost. A good reputation is the result of hard work over time - it's something you need to invest in and build up through day-to-day communication with customers, the public and the media.
