For nearly a month, we?ve been following the story of of a massive oil leak coming out of a British Petroleum drilling operation in the Gulf of Mexico. From most signs it appears that BP has joined countless other organizations that have no plans when it comes to dealing with a challenging situation. For now, BP stands for ?Big Problem,? when it comes to public perception, something that could damage its brand forever. It’s seen as a blamer and a complainer, instead of a company that is committed to a solution.
You can?t stop bad things from happening but you can prepare for how you?ll handle them. Here are some tips on overcoming a crisis:
Don?t Minimize the Problem: Is there really such a thing as a ?small oil spill??? It?s a losing proposition to try to downplay the scale of a problem. If only one person is affected by an oil spill, a computerized billing issue, or a new traffic pattern, then it?s a big problem to them. If it?s a temporary problem, let people know how the pain they are experiencing will be worth it.? If it?s a accident then let them know what you?re going to do about it.
Share Your Action Plan: People like routines and stability. They want to know that things can go back to normal. Even if you have all of the answers, share your strategy for making things right. When I was a part of distributing hurricane relief supplies, I saw how people needed to know that there was a system in place to treat them fairly and get them whatever supplies were available, even if if it wasn?t all they they needed.
Use All of Your Resources: BP is using its website well to distribute information about its efforts to contain the leak. But why isn?t that same information being shared at every BP gas station? While I understand the stations may be more like a franchise, it can?t hurt sales to put some good news out at a time when they are experiencing a lot of criticism. People like the idea of being part of a movement. Do everything possible to have them cheering you on as you search for a solution.