Overlooking the importance of transparency hurts your brand

In today’s world you never know when a crisis is going to hit. I watch organizations and brands struggle with this publicly and as a communications professional, it’s one of those things I hope and pray won’t happen to me. However, in a culture dominated by a 24-hour news cycle and social media, the likelihood is not if but when. How a company or organization acts or doesn’t act when a crisis hits will have lasting effects. We have best practices that help inform how we should proactively respond, yet somehow organizations still miss the importance of being transparent, showing empathy, and being apologetic.

In my home state of Connecticut, the University of Hartford has made national news with what seems like their inadequate handling of alleged racism between two students. In the video linked, you’ll notice the story headline highlights “bullying,” but as this story has evolved and more facts have been reported, Brianna Rae Brochu, the student accused of harassment, now faces hate crime charges and is no longer a student at the University of Hartford.

While I understand there’s still an active investigation underway and the university is looking more deeply into this issue, investigative reporting has highlighted policy and communication failures from the university. They include:

•  A lack of transparency from the University of Hartford
• The school’s attempt to silence students from publicly speaking

Since this story broke, I’ve noticed a pivot in the university’s response. But their initial communications and public relations failures remind me of the importance of these three crisis communications best practices.

1.      Be transparent – Organizations should expect all stories will be made public. Look at your organizational policy and practices. Make sure they reflect your organization’s mission and values. If they don’t, change them so they do.
2.      Actively listen and engage – The university missed an opportunity to proactively engage with students on this critical topic. They’re now reacting to the event, and as a result, have lost credibility in the eyes of the public and student body.
3.      Take action – Take action right away. No organization wants to be perceived as ignoring a problem. In the case of the University of Hartford, according to some student accounts, they don’t feel safe or that the university takes complaints related to racism and prejudice seriously.

In closing, don’t wait for a crisis to hit. Make sure your organization and its communication policies include these three crisis communication best practices.

I’m interested to read your comments on how you’ve helped your brand, company, or organization navigate through a crisis.