Expect The Unexpected

“Expect The Unexpected.” That was the tagline for the automobile insurance company my family used when I got my driver’s license at the age of 16. It was the one phrase my father told me when he handed me the keys to our family’s car as I headed off behind the wheel, driving my high school friends to a football game. Even as I got older, the phrase stayed with me as a pragmatic statement about how the world works and in my father’s words, as a phrase of care and concern. As I look back over my many years of driving – which included a car accident caused by a drunk driver that resulted in serious injuries – I’ve learned that you cannot always prevent the unexpected, but that you can and should expect the unexpected.

In the realm of corporate reputation management, it is of crucial importance to plan for the “worst case scenario” well in advance of its occurrence. In some cases, reputations are at stake – in others, lives may be at stake. Not only does a company need to determine what the worst case scenarios are – it needs to professionally craft the messaging pertinent to each scenario and then outline a strategy for the communication channels it will use to distribute these messages.

On September 11, 2001, I was working in the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit, which is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers and the tallest structure in Michigan. When word started to break about the terrorist attacks, approximately 7,000 people were working in the Renaissance Center and it was considered a possible target. As a result, the building was evacuated. Fortunately, the building’s management company had previously given all employees a manual that outlined exactly what to do if the building needed to be evacuated, providing clear steps to follow and emergency numbers. As a matter of routine, the building management firm conducted simulated fire drills every three months that included an evacuation via the emergency staircases. As a result of this preparation, the building was safely and quickly evacuated.

So while it may be impossible to prevent the unexpected, it is vitally important to conduct scenario planning, whether it be for natural and manmade disasters, or for some misstep by your company that results in negative consequences – intended or not. As most companies are well aware, the resulting fall-out can include misinformation that spreads across the Internet and news media like a wildfire. It can be extremely difficult to contain if a plan is not ready to go.

As public relations professionals, our job is to help our clients expect the unexpected, develop the readiness ‘tool kit’ they need to handle unexpected issues or events expediently and professionally, and to provide the support and expertise they need to implement those strategies efficiently. Corporate reputation is a fragile thing, and it is vital to handle it with great care and intentional, comprehensive planning for the unexpected. In other circumstances, lives may depend on this pre-planning and a no-fail communications strategy is imperative. Either way, “Expected The Unexpected” is a mantra we would all do well to think of as we begin each new day.