Writing in Newsweek magazine (May 21) former US Secretary of State and retired US General Colin Powell reveals an astonishing fact. Senior officials at the Pentagon knew of the existence of highly damaging photographs of abuse, torture and humiliation of detainees by US soldiers at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad in 2003 - but didn't tell the White House. As Powell writes: "A fuse was burning, but no one made the senior leadership aware that a bomb was about to go off".
The eventual publication of the pictures damaged the reputation of the United States across the world and hugely increased hostility in Iraq, especially amongst the public, who the US were trying to win over. It was a PR disaster.
Powell reflects that after his deep shock at the photographs, he was astounded that the implications of the pictures becoming public did not set off alarm bells at the Pentagon and then the White House. "Nearly four months on", he writes in Newsweek, "no-one had elevated the material up the chain to the Secretary or the President. If that had happened, the problem would not have been magically solved, but the people at the top would have had time to decide how to deal with the disaster and get to the bottom of it. The President was not told early."
And he gives a lesson that should be part of every crisis rehearsal: "Leaders should train their staffs that whenever the question reaches the surfaces of their mind - 'Umm, you think we should call someone?' - the answer is almost always, 'Yes and five minutes ago'. "
His golden rule for his staff is the same as I was taught at the BBC many years ago by a senior executive: "I don't like surprises. Tell me everything. Especially when you think I won't like it." And I did.
It's an extremely wise CEO that adopts this approach. I've never in my career been ticked off by a boss for ringing him or her to say I'm worried about something, even when it seems on the face of it minor. Most frequently, you're thanked. The reputation of the CEO depends on the company being well managed. The PR teams are often the eyes and ears of the CEO. It's our job to brief the CEO, even when we fear the reaction of giving him or her very bad news about a mistake in the company.
Don't even wait till the morning if you think it's urgent. And in most companies, a daily call first thing in the morning between the CEO and the Director of Communications makes sure things don't slip through the net.
A crisis is always better managed when you know it's coming. Colin Powell's Newsweek article is a must-read for PR practitioners.
(Posted from Jakarta)
The eventual publication of the pictures damaged the reputation of the United States across the world and hugely increased hostility in Iraq, especially amongst the public, who the US were trying to win over. It was a PR disaster.
Powell reflects that after his deep shock at the photographs, he was astounded that the implications of the pictures becoming public did not set off alarm bells at the Pentagon and then the White House. "Nearly four months on", he writes in Newsweek, "no-one had elevated the material up the chain to the Secretary or the President. If that had happened, the problem would not have been magically solved, but the people at the top would have had time to decide how to deal with the disaster and get to the bottom of it. The President was not told early."
And he gives a lesson that should be part of every crisis rehearsal: "Leaders should train their staffs that whenever the question reaches the surfaces of their mind - 'Umm, you think we should call someone?' - the answer is almost always, 'Yes and five minutes ago'. "
His golden rule for his staff is the same as I was taught at the BBC many years ago by a senior executive: "I don't like surprises. Tell me everything. Especially when you think I won't like it." And I did.
It's an extremely wise CEO that adopts this approach. I've never in my career been ticked off by a boss for ringing him or her to say I'm worried about something, even when it seems on the face of it minor. Most frequently, you're thanked. The reputation of the CEO depends on the company being well managed. The PR teams are often the eyes and ears of the CEO. It's our job to brief the CEO, even when we fear the reaction of giving him or her very bad news about a mistake in the company.
Don't even wait till the morning if you think it's urgent. And in most companies, a daily call first thing in the morning between the CEO and the Director of Communications makes sure things don't slip through the net.
A crisis is always better managed when you know it's coming. Colin Powell's Newsweek article is a must-read for PR practitioners.
(Posted from Jakarta)
