A New Approach to Risk and Crisis
From the very beginning of my advisory career, starting as a lobbyist and becoming a corporate affairs specialist, I have had the challenge and privilege of working on major issues, international incidents and systemic threats to companies and organisations. In times like those you learn a huge amount about the people, the structures, the organisation and most of all the leadership that helps or hinders the initial response, the ongoing reaction and then the recovery.
The first thing I observed was that in a crisis, corporate affairs is always in the room. In crisis situations we find ourselves at the heart of the strategic discussions, decision making and response. Outside of this, we were often ‘just PR or Public Affairs’, but when the pressure was really on, leadership always called . That leads me to the first truth - reputation really matters. In the harshest of situations the opinions of audiences shape the path back to safety, or can set a trajectory from which there is seemingly no way back. This is as true in peacetime as it is in a crisis.
The second truth is that in the vast majority of cases it is the decisions of leadership and or, the failures of the system they are responsible for, that have led to the environment where a crisis can erupt. Media and politicians can be unfair and go too far in their critique, but without cause is unusual. The triggers, the events that preceded the crisis, they are more often than not a consequence of decisions by leadership. Yet, when those decisions were taken corporate affairs was not properly in the room. In normal times, reputational challenge is often drowned out by financial, operational or legal risk.
The third truth, is that this has been our failure. Instinctively, most of the corporate affairs colleagues I have met on my professional journey understand the best way forward. But good advice is only good advice if it is heard. And our answer wasn’t heard, because we used the wrong tools. Leadership understands the language of risk, numbers and certainty; perceptions and opinions are feel rather than fact. That approach puts our advice into the second category of consideration and not the first. That is why we end up being asked to solve the PR problem after the fact, rather than help avoid it in the first place - and that is where we enter the world of Spin - trying to talk our way out.
These three truths have led me to create River Effra - a new reputation and crisis advisory firm that places the language and methodology of risk at its heart. We can plot audience opinions, we can predict those opinions, but if we leave it there we end up with a risk register in name only, or facing crises without understanding our options. Risk done well takes us to consequence and when we present reputational consequence, alongside legal or financial consequence, we can be heard.
And, that is what River Effra will do. Our ambition is to be the best reputation risk and crisis communications response advisory firm. We have an unrivaled group of advisers on our Expert Panel (to be revealed on 5 October) with hands on experience drawn from aviation, the police, the legal professions, print and broadcast media - who have seen it all. Combined with a risk based approach, our expertise can make the different. We will help leadership gain understanding under extreme pressure or emerging risks, and it is this understanding that leads them to better decisions, and delivers better outcomes.
If you are interested in hearing more we will be launching the company with a morning seminar on Leadership under Pressure – Managing Risk and Crisis Response in the Hardest Situations, 5 October 2022, 08:30-12:00.
The Inner Temple Lecture Theatre
Crown Office Row, Temple, London EC4Y 7HL
To reserve your space email: event@rivereffra.com