Should We Take This Seriously?
Knowing When to Investigate Criticism to Avoid a Crisis
No organization is immune from criticism. The discernment to know when to address it is what sets many businesses, schools and ministries apart. One of the common pitfalls we see in crisis management is the failure to take certain inquiries or criticisms seriously, allowing small-scale issues to escalate into full-blown crises. There are many examples of this happening in recent history. Rumors of unkind and off-brand behavior from comedian and television host Ellen Degeneres had been circulating for years before public allegations from former and current employees led to a reputation crisis and the eventual cancellation of her talk show. She and the team around her seemingly denied and ignored the toxic workplace accusations instead of reviewing and resolving the problem. In January 2024, an Alaska Airlines plane lost a panel minutes after takeoff, resulting in millions of dollars of losses from flight cancellations and investigations. The company now faces a class-action lawsuit. Remarkably, no one was seriously injured. However, a quality investigator from the Boeing factory where the plane was manufactured revealed to 60 Minutes that he had warned both Boeing and federal regulators for months about lapses in safety practices inside the company's factory prior to the incident. Leaders and those around them must exercise wisdom in determining which criticisms to take seriously.
How to discern the validity and impact of criticism:
- Know your vulnerabilities Is a warning or complaint coming from an area where you know you’re already vulnerable? For example, your organization lacks guidelines and oversight in a specific area of HR, and then you receive reports of an employee's questionable conduct in that area? Is your communication being flagged as tone deaf, and you know that your organization lacks foundational messaging? Pay special attention to your vulnerabilities. It's in these places of weakness that mistakes are often made and can escalate quickly.
- Establish a crisis management team. Leaders from several areas of your organization should review all negative feedback to help ensure that there are no blind spots in determining what to escalate and what to ignore. Having the team already established also enables your organization to swiftly respond to issues that have escalated, thus minimizing the repercussions.
- Consult third-party counsel. An outside perspective from a communications expert can provide objective, experienced counsel on handling criticism. They are outside the echo chamber of the organization and don’t fear reprisal for speaking hard truths. They can provide response language to use with critics and help evaluate the risks around corresponding decisions.
- Measure the impact. When it comes to online critiques, it is vital to know where they are coming from, the reach of that voice and the potential impact. Unfortunately, organizations often elevate an issue unnecessarily by responding to a critic who has little to no reach. By responding, you have now brought that criticism to the attention of your much larger organizational audience.
In a highly critical culture, it can be easy to dismiss detractors. Ensure your organization is equipped and prepared to handle criticism effectively by distinguishing between issues that require investigation and those that can be left alone.
