Don’t let a disaster ruin your reputation
By renae hanvin
Dec 28 2022
A CEO that I was working with recently was concerned about a situation that could have potentially put them on the front page of the news or become a national media story.
As the conversation took place, the ground and the office I was in literally began shaking. We ended the call and I ran outside, unsure as to what was happening.
Ten minutes later, we reconvened and I said “I can’t quite believe these words are coming out of my mouth. But you don’t have to worry about this situation putting your organisation in the news.
You’ve just been knocked off the front page by an earthquake!
This interaction was a timely reminder that when you’re preparing your business for disruptions and disasters, your reputation is one of your biggest assets, and you must have a plan to protect that asset.
What is a crisis response plan?
A business’ reputation is how people, both internally and externally, judge a business on the work it does.
A crisis response plan is a document that sets out how a company will respond to any particular crisis.
Incorporating reputation management into a crisis response plan means that leaders and employees will be able to react quickly and effectively to a crisis in order to protect the business’ internal and external reputation.
Why is a reputation management plan necessary?
Now, more than ever, businesses are constantly challenged by a myriad of disasters. And bad publicity can impact your business disproportionately.
With the right professional advice and reputation management plan, you can limit any damage resulting from a crisis and leave a better impression on your customers, clients and the general public.
When a disaster inevitably arises your leaders and employees will know how to quickly and effectively protect the business’ internal and external reputation.
Further, creating a reputation management plan ensures that leaders are always communicating and building trust with employees and demonstrating the type of strategic leadership that drives a business forward.
