As BP struggles to cope with the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the usual sentiment is again surfacing of this being a major ‘PR disaster’. The fact of the matter is that the company is failing to plug the leaks and no amount of PR can or will change this, making it in my mind a major ‘operational disaster’.
Yes, the way in which BP’s spokespeople handle the messages, the flow of information and the concerns of the locals affected by the disaster is important but one cannot expect the company’s communications teams (external and internal) to solve the crisis. The bulk of the responsibility is surely on the shoulders of BP management, the disaster recovery teams and engineers finding a solution, and quickly.
Having worked on a gas-to-fuels facility for ten years, I am surprised that a scenario has not been written and practised for a disaster like this. Or could it be that the scenario exists but those responsible thought the proposed recovery plan would suffice?
My first lesson in crisis management came from a seasoned communicator in the South African mining industry – “if you can imagine it, it CAN happen”.
Let’s look at the payments industry and a few of its own scenarios-come-true:
- The credit crunch and global economic meltdown
- State control over interchange fees
- Class action law suits
- Failing technology solutions
- Multi-million dollar security breeches
Companies in every industry are pushing the limits in their efforts to remain competitive. Pushing the limits comes at a price and involves bigger risks. Decision makers should take responsibility for implementing big ambitious plans. They should also take responsibility for ensuring that they have disaster recovery plans in place that are regularly tested because if ‘it’ can happen, it will – and it’s no good when it’s too late to expect the communicators to achieve reputational miracles.
As for the communications specialists, your job is to point out the potential issues, to ask the difficult questions, to challenge the recovery plans and to take your place at the decision making table.
Denise Gee