Why a company crisis is best resolved from the inside out

The full and original article was published on Institute of Internal Communication

During a crisis, many companies prioritise their public image by immediately engaging with the media to put their side of the story across. This is an essential part of protecting reputation, reassuring stakeholders and customers that it’s “business as usual” and retaining support. There should be a plan in place with chief executives and senior managers taking ownership of the crisis. But, at a time of chaos, when events are developing quickly, there’s a risk of forgetting that your staff are your most important audience, because every one of them is a PR representative and crisis manager for your organisation.
If employees become aware of a crisis situation involving their company through news reports and social media, rather than through their own organisation, this can create even more confusion at a difficult time. The last thing a company wants is to have staff who are uninformed and telling clients and customers that they don’t know what’s going on, or making up their own story, so it’s important to make sure internal and external messages are aligned and provide accurate information to everyone.

The full and original article was published on Institute of Internal Communication