How to overcome hurdles

Anyone who runs their own business, whether this is an administration firm or building company, will know that not everything runs smoothly all of the time.

A person or company’s reputation can easily be tarnished in a matter of minutes, especially in the digital age where a bad comment, poor decision or wrong move can stick around in cyberspace forever.

That’s why you can never be too prepared when it comes to dealing with crisis management. It’s important to have a plan in place to control or respond to a potential situation quickly and effectively.

If you do find your company is at the centre of unfair attention or negative press because of a slip up, it’s worth remembering that not everything runs perfectly all the time. Having thick skin and being quick-thinking will help you overcome any hurdles.

Besides, even the largest companies out there have had their fair share of problems in the past – read on to find out how they have survived.

Prepare

Don’t wait until a crisis hits to put together a contingency plan. Instead of acting off the cuff when emotions are likely to be heightened, it’s better to have a procedure in place so everyone involved knows what the company policy is on negative issues and bad press.

If you can see potential threats in advance, you can prevent them or easily overcome them should they occur.

Leadership matters

Take Apple, for example. The company always had plenty of brainpower but it wasn’t always utilised effectively for its own gain.

When Steve Jobs came along after a brief hiatus away, it finally had a leader with the vision to anticipate what customers wanted, all the while maintaining his famously high standards.

Foresight, adaptability and being firm but fair are all essential qualities in a leader, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Rebrand

McDonald’s has been around for so long and with restaurants in practically every country on the planet, it’s difficult to believe it has dealt with any kind of hardship.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, however, the fast food empire was not doing so well and in 2003, for the first time in the company’s history, it reported a slump in profits.

But did McDonald’s just roll over and give up? Of course not.

Instead it dedicated itself to providing healthier meals and a more transparent operation in a bid to silence critics – and it worked.

The message is; if it’s broke, fix it or alter it slightly.

Calm staff

If your company is faced with a crisis, obviously nothing positive will be achieved if everyone is stressed and tense.

When IBM posted an $8 billion (£5.2 billion) loss in 1993, a new chairman was brought in to clear up the mess and what he found was a culture of in-fighting and finger pointing.

Thankfully, this was quickly nipped in the bud and the new chairman not only declared a fresh start and new culture, he introduced incentives to ensure managers embraced it.

It’s good to talk

Keeping the lines of communication open is essential when dealing with a crisis. If you need to schedule a meeting instantly to bring leaders together, then free conference call services like those offered by Buzz Conferencing are a good solution. Taking advantage of such technology means you don’t need to waste time booking a meeting room and waiting for people to come into the office.

Problem-solving and decision-making will lead to a much better outcome when heads are put together. Don’t go it alone.