We live in volatile and stormy times, of constant changes and unexpected circumstances. Natural phenomena, terrorism, fires, environmental accidents, deaths and recent resuscitations, load the environment with uncertainty, to the point of threatening the continuity of business, government institution or professional career.

However, these situations bring with them multiple opportunities. The success obtained will depend to a large extent on the attitude of the collaborators or officials when facing and overcoming them.

Communication is essential to resolve or minimize the impact of the contingency. The image, what is perceived outside, is the result of the sum of the actions undertaken, so that a wrong decision, a newspaper headline, a malicious rumor, a lie repeated many times, can end decades of work and earned credit.

Audiences have channels to display their opinions. It is these platforms that are used to create the conflicts, feed them and bring them to their peak. With the speed of an avalanche, the situation can get worse if you don’t know how to react or have some notion of how to deal with it.

Michael Ritler said that to obtain a good reputation there was no money that was enough. He repeated that reputation, good or bad, is not made, but earned. It is a highly coveted intangible but difficult to measure and achieve. It is built on the hard work, transparency, consistency, and honesty of years. And it is lost like a sigh wrapped in the wind.

It is in these moments, where the reputation and image of a person, company or public institution works as a barrier or retaining wall to minimize the impact and lower the resulting tensions. However, even though these situations are unpredictable, you can prepare to handle them effectively when they arise. But, the majority react with nervousness, improvisation or method, they tend not to reconsider, to look for culprits, not to be adequately advised and to manage the crisis alone.

Establishing a crisis management team is no longer a luxury but an imperative. This multidisciplinary group of professionals with the commitment and ability to make decisions with a manual, protocol and action plan, facilitates prompt and effective action in the different scenarios that may arise.

Like Chapulín Colorado, this team, equipped with the right tools, can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Similarly, having the ability to mark times helps to achieve a favorable solution. Impulses and improvisations are bad advisers, although arrogance and self-confidence lead us to believe otherwise.

Author: Lara Guerrero