The moment of realization can be daunting: a situation within the company has the potential to spiral out of control. As of now, it's confined within the walls of the company, but when this news escapes—and it very well might—it will traverse like wildfire, causing widespread reactions.
Customers will question their loyalty, regional investors and stakeholders will seek clarifications on your actions, business affiliates will harbor concerns, employees will be on edge, and local media will hang onto every statement and move you make. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
To prevent this corporate hiccup from magnifying into a damaging PR debacle, especially in the Middle East's unique landscape, it's imperative to act swiftly. Ideally, your company's crisis management blueprint will be contemporary and feature these pivotal steps:
1. The Importance of Information
Accumulate as much knowledge as possible about the event. This will shape your communication strategy, influence internal decisions, and potentially highlight legal implications. Ensure you're not blindsided by external entities, including the media, who might be a step ahead regarding the situation.
Mobilize your specialists. Engage the right personnel to advise on the ensuing steps and to act accordingly. Streamlined decision-making is essential during crises, typically led by the company's CEO.
2. Refine Your Monitoring System
Stay updated with fresh intel, be it social media chatter, media articles, internal whispers, or feedback from stakeholders. This will not only inform your decisions but also allow you to modify your communications strategy as required.
3. Craft Your Messages
Words matter, especially how they're delivered. While your crisis strategy would have pre-established scenarios and provisional statements, they may need tweaking based on real-time developments. Generally, ensure your communications project that the company has the situation in hand, is actively addressing it, and remains transparent throughout. All communication channels, both internal and external, should resonate this narrative. Collaborate closely with legal advisors to ensure the messages are appropriately framed.
4. Designate Official Spokespersons
Initially, generalized statements representing 'the organization' might suffice. However, as matters escalate, a high-ranking representative should be prepared to articulate the company's stance, reflecting its commitment and seriousness towards the situation.
Not all corporate mishaps catch instant global attention. More often than not, company leaders have a window of opportunity to address and strategize their communication.
Crisis communication should be calculated. Ideally, it should flow in a sequence, beginning with regulatory bodies, then trickling down to employees, customers, stakeholders, and eventually the broader public and media, if necessary.
In certain scenarios, rectifying the situation silently might be a viable strategy. But this approach is risky and demands meticulous judgment. If things don't pan out, whispers of deceit and cover-ups will emerge, placing the company in a defensive stance.
Most enterprises in the Middle East will, at some juncture, confront a situation that poses a threat to their image. The steps mentioned are a robust guideline, but in the end, it's the company's ingrained values and ethos that will steer its response. A genuine, transparent approach can help retain the trust your company has built over time with its stakeholders.