Crisis Management-Is it all Spin?
The NY Times published a provocative article today about the world of crisis management. In the article, recent attempts at crisis management with BP, Toyota, and Goldman-Sachs were reviewed and critiqued as to their overall effectiveness. It's a worthwhile read and fairly accurate as to how effective a crisis management campaign can be in averting or limiting the damage of a crisis.
In my opinion, the most important aspect of the Times' article concerns their recognition of the role integrity plays in crisis management. It should be an easy formula to follow-tell the truth, especially the bad news up front. Get it all out there and accept responsibility. This is the most important aspect of any crisis management plan. However, that plan depends upon the company's or individual's history of truth telling. In other words, it comes down to integrity. It's a pretty simple formula. Be honest, own mistakes, admit responsibility for failures and the public will normally be more apt to forgive. The classic example is the 1980's Tylenol contamination case. As in all other human affairs an honest reputation will usually weather the storm.
On the other hand, if there is no history of truth telling, very little can be done to weather a public relations storm. There is no substitute, no antidote to get around this.
In the end, integrity and honesty are the best components of any crisis management plan. There are no substitutes.