Leading Through Crisis

Leading Through Crisis

Leading Through Crisis

A Company builds its Image & Reputation through the years, and it can be within hours that it is damaged or even destroyed if a Crisis is not well managed. In today’s digital world crises are even faster, more frequent, and dynamic than before. Thus, to succeed, companies must be able to react quickly and appropriately. Furthermore, executives must be trained and equipped with the right messages and key strategic alliances to handle well.

A Company builds its Image & Reputation through the years, and it can be within hours that it is damaged or even destroyed if a Crisis is not well managed. In today’s digital world crises are even faster, more frequent, and dynamic than before. Thus, to succeed, companies must be able to react quickly and appropriately. Furthermore, executives must be trained and equipped with the right messages and key strategic alliances to handle well.

After handling several crises in the consumer goods corporate world, following are some learnt lessons to lead through crisis:

Be prepared before the Crisis. Develop a crisis response plan:

1. Identify your business top five risks, both globally and locally. Understand your business and identify what can go wrong considering product (quality, ingredients), the environment, your production facilities, activists, etc.

2. Identify Key Stakeholders that could support you through crisis including: Influencers, Government officials, Trade Associations, NGOs, employees, customers, among others. It is important to over-communicate with your stakeholders to ensure they all have the same message and avoid confusion and misinterpretation.

3. Constantly monitor all media (traditional & social), especially in your most relevant topics.

4. Train your top executives to talk to the media, Government officials, shareholders, employees, unions, the community near facility if needed, and customers/dealers.

Make sure you have a Diverse team at the Table when handling the Crisis:

1. Our world is more diverse and multicultural than ever. Thus, to generate better ideas, strategies, and outcomes, it is highly recommended to have people of various backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge at the table.

2. Having a diverse team will help identify issues, biases, and blind spots to lead to more innovative, empathetic, and inclusive recommendations and decisions.

Lead using the language of Trust and through your values and empathy:

1. Make sure you stay anchored in your Purpose and values and allow them to guide your decision-making.

2. In times of crisis, it is key to talk to people with empathy, understanding their thoughts and feelings, thus using a language of Trust. Messages should be clear and customer friendly, so they address people’s doubts and needs correctly.

3. Crises develop fast, so you need to increase your speed to respond appropriately. Otherwise, the message could be the right one but a little too late.

In summary, knowing your business well and who could support it, having the right team and developing the messages using the language of Trust, can help you lead through crisis.