I would not blame you one bit if you didn't want to read another word about this topic. It turns our national stomach and makes us feel ashamed, whether it turns out to be the misguided actions of a few military guards, or ordered from much higher in the chain of command. We can only hope that those responsible will be held accountable.

Distressing as it is to continue to focus on this, I think it is vitally important that CEO's of organizations and plant managers of operating facilities -- along with their senior staff members and public relations professionals -- look at what happened here. This has nothing to do with being Republican, Democrat, or Independent. Regardless of our political persuasion, or how we feel about our nation’s involvement in Iraq, this situation qualifies as a true public relations crisis. We can learn some important lessons that can be applied to any organization.

The Tardiness of a Top-Level Response was a Killer

Once the story broke on the national news, we found out that allegations of serious mistreatment of prisoners had been known within the military and government for months. Investigations were undertaken by the American Red Cross as well as the military late last year. Reports had been written and transmitted as high as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's office in early 2004. He was quoted in Newsweek saying, even though the report had been on his desk since January, he "hadn't had time to read it." This leads to some important questions…

The Staff's Responsibility

Where were his staff people? Surely there were several whose job it should have been to read this report. There are several possibilities:

(1) They didn't read it. Those in the inner circles of the Department of Defense are undoubtedly busy people -- stretched to the limit You know what it feels like to have too much to do and not enough time to do it. But when you hear rumblings about something as serious as this, someone must look into it. Key leaders must make it clear that they want and need to know about something like this rather than being blind-sided with it. “No Surprises” should be the rule of the day – even if the news is bad.

(2) They read it but somehow did not grasp how grave an issue this was and what it would look like when word got out. Not everyone has a clear appreciation for public relations. Some folks are so caught up in the day-to-day operations or the business necessities of getting a job done that they never take the time to consider what something would look like if it were spotlighted in the media. It is important for organizations to include on their senior staff someone whose job responsibility includes this kind of sensitivity.

(3) They read it and understood the potential damage it would do, but nobody was brave enough to force the issue with the boss. When he sees something that could reflect very negatively on the organization, a staff member must have the courage of his convictions to step forward and ring the alarm bell. It may not make him popular at the moment, but it is the right thing to do and can help minimize the damage.

Not one of the possibilities above is good.

The Boss's Responsibility

I don't pretend to have insights into the organizational atmosphere and culture established by Secretary Rumsfeld. There are some executives who practice the old "shoot the messenger" policy. I hope most of us recognize this is very counter-productive . If people in your organization are afraid to bring bad news to the boss, then one day the boss is going to look foolish, uninformed and/or incompetent.

If it is true that President Bush did not know about the brewing scandal until the photographs appeared in the media, this was a monumental disservice to him.

Playing Catch-Up in a Crisis is Never as Effective as Getting Ahead of the Curve

Even when so many things failed, allowing this crisis to build the way it did for months, there was still a time when either Secretary Rumsfeld or President Bush could have been more proactive in the way they handled the crisis. If either of them had been the one to reveal that abuse, they could have used that opportunity to present their case. They could have announced that (1) this type of action was NOT the way American guards were to conduct themselves; (2) that a full investigation was being undertaken; and (3) that those who had allowed this to occur would be discovered and appropriate action taken to punish them to make it clear that these actions would not be tolerated. This scenario would have played a lot better. Instead, others published the photos and both Secretary Rumsfeld and President Bush were thrown on the defensive, forced to respond to the media salivating at the scandal and deal with an outraged Congress and public. They actually did say these things eventually, but by not taking the initiative, their messages rang less sincere.

In your organizations, make sure people understand the corporate standards of ethics and performance. Let them know that you need to know if something is happening that runs counter to those standards. Surround yourself with people who are sensitive to how your major audiences will view your actions and who are brave enough to bring it to your attention without fear of being punished. Then take action quickly before your corporate reputation is placed at risk.

Note on the Third Edition: My thanks to all of you who have shared the first two editions with friends and colleagues you thought might be interested. Please do feel free to do so. I value any feedback you might care to provide -- comments on this article, suggestions for future topics, questions you may have... Please send these things and requests for additions or deletions to the subscriber list to info@judyhoffman.com.

My promise: I will never provide your e-mail address to anyone without your permission.

Special Offer: If you would like a free copy of my self-published report, "Preparing for a Media Interview (Even if you only have 15 minutes)," please let me know. This article is NOT meant to be a substitute for a good media training workshop! However, it can be useful as a refresher of some major points prior to your going on camera.

'Til next month...KEEP COOL! And enjoy the Memorial Day weekend while taking some time to remember our veterans and our men and women in uniform today throughout the globe.

Copyright (C) 2004 JCH Enterprises

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