The best apology is changed behaviour - Unknown

How many of us think that recovering from a crisis is a near-impossible task? You’d be wrong though; but in all honesty, it is also not an easy task to achieve. Having watched many crises evolve over the past few years, and observing how the business responded and bounced back, for some, it can and will be an uphill battle. For others, a simple storm in a teacup.

Regardless, organisations should not become complacent; planning for times of crisis is extremely important, and often the difference between riding out a crisis and being swallowed up in the tidal wave of public opinion, simply boils down to effective planning.

Generally, it all depends how bad the crisis is. Samsung hit a major roadblock – first with its exploding mobile phones, and then with its washing machine issues. But, the crisis here played out differently than many expected. It hit hard financially. Recalling an entire product line, to the point of cancellation of the range cost mega-funds. Then, back to the drawing board. However, Samsung did some things right. And, its critics underestimated something very important – customer loyalty! Many Samsung customers affected by the problem did not turn their back on the brand. Years of positive brand building and developing affinity have helped insulate Samsung from potential customer loss. That didn’t help them financially, but it restrained the extent of the damage and offered light at the end of the tunnel.

Other actions from the company – quick acknowledgement of the issue, prompt action in recalling, replacing and refunding / substituting, along with the eventual ceasing of production helped position them as a caring company. Add to this the fact that they still paid down-the-line suppliers for all ordered and unused component parts – all builds a perspective of an ethical company that cares. Customers appreciate that.

Others have been less fortunate. Take the food and beverage establishment that had that one rat crawling around its shelves. OK, not nice at all, but not exactly end-of-the-world stuff. This forced a temporary closure, but resulted in a huge drop in customers upon reopening. It also opened other cans of worms (figuratively, not literally, fortunately). The brand, not only the single outlet, has experienced huge backlash, and suffered disproportionately in relation to the incident. What should have been a storm in a teacup became a rather large tornado. Yep, compared to two weeks prior where two rats were found in a supermarket display case – and virtually nothing. Perhaps customers have higher expectations of certain outlet categories, and this contributes to how the crisis unfolds. Or perhaps it has nothing at all to do with the event, but more so catalyst keyboard warriors who are out to prove a point?

So then, how do brands recover?

It is essential to recognise that recovery can take time. Unless the incident blows over with very little negative exposure (unlikely in the current digital-social age), be prepared to be in it for the long run. This may be several months to several years before previous levels of customer support are enjoyed again. 

It is essential to be transparent. Highlight all the changes that you have made as a result of the crisis incident. Show your customers that you take it seriously, and have learnt a valuable, and most likely humbling, lesson from the situation. Illustrate to your customers how this will translate into a better experience for them. Why? Because customers seek engagement. Customers ascribe ‘ownership’ of your business to themselves – they want to be part of the process – at least being kept informed. Honesty is always the best policy, and when sincere actions are recognised, this resonates well with loyal customers, and can help to turn the situation around from customers who are leaving.

Maintain existing levels of positivity and direction. Don’t drop everything to focus on the crisis. Assign resources to address and realign from the crisis, but continue along the same trajectory. It looks suspect when a brand suddenly stops all peripheral activities and focuses only on the issue at hand. Some communications, advertising, and other strategy may need to be adjusted – but don’t make the mistake of throwing the baby out with the bath water. This will raise additional red flags. Conversely though, be sensitive with what you do put out there – so ensure that everything is carefully vetted.

Continue to build on positive experiences and reinforce your digital fortress. You need to outweigh negativity with recent, positive experience, and social media gives you quick access to enabling this. It will help to sway undecided customers back to the fold, but will also signal that you are moving on in a positive manner. 

Whatever you do, do not try and sweep the crisis under the carpet internally either. It is a massive learning experience for the entire team, and it is now part of your organizational culture. Learn from it. Take it as an opportunity to reflect on how your customers, stakeholders, and general public reacted to the situation as well. Use these key learning’s in beefing up your existing (or newly found) crisis management planning. Use it as training case studies. Induct new employees by discussing it. Understand how it changed your organization, and what those positive changes became. When we learn from our mistakes, we make progress.

Image Source: 

(1) garyviray.com

(2) blenditwell.com

(3) niallcook.com

(4) legacyproject.human.cornell.edu

(5) shareyouressays.com

Craig J Selby | Craig is a long-time proponent of structured and measured change. His early career saw him teaching marketing and management at a variety of Universities and PTE’s in his native New Zealand, where he quickly climbed the management ladder to head several private sector institutes. Needing to do that little bit extra, Craig formed his own consultancy firm and was engaged by many in the sector as a trouble-shooter - responsible for internal auditing, restructuring and redevelopment of many departments and institutes in order to remain competitive in a highly contested market. This involvement motivated him to branch out and work with other industries - focussing on change and development as a core theme in business survival. When Craig moved to Malaysia, he went back into the Education sector to share his ideas with local private sector educational facilities. In 2009 Craig co-founded Orchan Consulting Asia, an award-winning Public Relations agency. His areas of specialisation are Crisis Management Communications and Change Management.

Old ways won't open new doors - Unknown

Clients are both a necessary and an evil. Whilst on the whole, most are great people, there are a few who fit into other categories. And, that’s ok! After all, we are there to do a job (we don’t have to be the best man or bridesmaid at their wedding), and as such, our level of professionalism towards the client must always be at its highest. What we say behind closed doors in our office however, well, I’ll let you leave that to the imagination.

Managing clients is a tough tightrope to walk. On one end of the spectrum, you can have a very free-and-easy client-supplier relationship, bordering towards friendship, in which the lines of professionalism can become blurred. This, although a positive client-supplier experience, can lead to problems, as deadlines shift when a favour is needed, a little extra work is done here or there and not adequately billed, or one does not know how to say ‘no’ to a request which is outside of the agreed scope. It also creates issues of expectation – the supplier will always be there, 24/7 for the clients, and conversely, as the client likes us, our role is safe. 

Countering this is the client from … lets just say, a difficult client. What makes a difficult client varies – it could simply be a language or communication issue, it could be personal (you just don’t gel, or you genuinely dislike each other), it could be a lack of understanding of respective roles and how they work in symbiosis, or it could be an indecisive or inept client who has bitten off far more than they can chew. Regardless, if your client is a difficult person, it is best to identify the cause of the friction as early as possible and address it. 

If its communication or language, find ways around the issue, and restructure how you communicate to suit that person. After all, we adjust our communication style for nearly everyone we meet anyway; this may just be a few more adjustments. If its personal, look at reassigning people on your team, or putting someone else as the face to the client. Often a change in personality or representative helps a lot, even though the person doing the work or pulling the strings has not really changed. If its ineptitude, and sadly, this happens far too often; educate your client. Help them to understand what you do, how it is done, and how the outcomes help them. Give them pointers to make them feel more empowered, even if they still don’t have a clue what’s going on. Occasionally, take one for the team, and let the clients superiors think they came up with an idea or a strategy, or at least were active participants in it.

But, there are other types of clients too. Clients who are unresponsive. Again, you need to look deeper at why. Is it their workload? Is it their prioritisation? Is it their understanding? Or are other factors at play?

Our job is to uncover these issues, and to work on smoothening the client-supplier relationship. At the end of the day, business is business, and if communication, expectations, and relationships are maintained on a professional level, the client-supplier dynamic should be relatively smooth sailing.

Taking this broad discussion a step further, we can all learn to understand our clients better. This will help build a better relationship between everyone. Clients on the whole are only interested in progress and timely outcomes. They are not so concerned with how or where you work, but that the tasks are done, on time, and to the standard benchmarked. 

In most cases when they ‘freak out’ about something, it is more likely to be about them, than it is you. Clients get frustrated for many reasons, and more often than not you are the straw the breaks the camels back, not the core of the problem. Focus on helping them feel heard, helping them to calm down, and figuring out how you can resolve things. When a client reaches out, this is the chance to be the knight in shining armour. 

Don’t let communication with clients go dark. There are times when the client may drop the ball, or go silent. Keep up the communication from your end. Create an “if we don’t hear from you plan” so that you can continue your work, even if the client is stretched beyond their capacity. Look into other channels of communication to help the client stay on top of things. Pick up that phone. And, if there is a more sinister reason behind their sudden silence, address that ASAP so that things can proceed. 

Managing clients and their expectations is really about open, direct, and regular communication. Get everyone on the same page from the beginning, and streamline the process. Everyone involved will appreciate the clarity. 

Each strategy is going to be different depending on the client, their level of seniority, experience, and involvement with the supplier. Regardless, keeping it professional at all times is the most important.

Personally, I have had clients on both ends of the spectrum. Some I have stayed friends with; others I have not. Inept clients are frustrating, but by maintaining very detailed communication records in black and white, you bases are always covered. By looping others into the experience, it can help shape behavior. And if all else fails, and you are in the position to do so, just agree to disagree, and acknowledge that the chemistry is not great. Sometimes the simple act of acknowledging the tension cuts through it like a knife, and the issue dissipates. 

Image Source: 

(1) cxmmarketinggroup.com

Craig J Selby | Craig is a long-time proponent of structured and measured change. His early career saw him teaching marketing and management at a variety of Universities and PTE’s in his native New Zealand, where he quickly climbed the management ladder to head several private sector institutes. Needing to do that little bit extra, Craig formed his own consultancy firm and was engaged by many in the sector as a trouble-shooter - responsible for internal auditing, restructuring and redevelopment of many departments and institutes in order to remain competitive in a highly contested market. This involvement motivated him to branch out and work with other industries - focussing on change and development as a core theme in business survival. When Craig moved to Malaysia, he went back into the Education sector to share his ideas with local private sector educational facilities. In 2009 Craig co-founded Orchan Consulting Asia, an award-winning Public Relations agency. His areas of specialisation are Crisis Management Communications and Change Management.

Design is thinking made visual - Saul Bass

Recently, I encountered a quote that said:

Our life experiences are massively built through the inspiration we gain from the places we visit, and the people we meet along the way. As a start-up entrepreneur, it is often only through reading books and articles from other successful individuals that help to foster personal growth regarding entrepreneurship. With a new year upon us, there is no better time to start reading. Try adding these 11 books for all first-time entrepreneurs recommended by Andrew Medal, a serial entrepreneur and digital strategist, into your list of must-read books for 2017:

1.    The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

This book is still a must read, even though the Lean Startup movement is not as radiant as it was from 2011 to 2013. Based in principles taught by Steve Blank in Four Steps to the Epiphany, Ries provides any entrepreneur (or intrapreneur) the framework and practical science behind testing ideas.

The whole premise of the book is to view startups as science experiments, by testing and analysing everything you do, to help you save money and time to ensure your idea has some sort of demand. Read it if you haven't. 

Pick It Up: The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Reis | Amazon| Audible | Barnes & Noble 

2.    Rework by Jason Fried

Jason Fried is a diabolical genius. In my mind, he’s like this mad scientist that sits up in a tower overlooking the world, and watches as the world does everything wrong, while he sits back and plays a game of chess. He’s the godfather of going against the grain and disrupting the status quo.

This book will help you unravel the societal norms engrained into us at an early age, and uplift you to become better entrepreneurs by thinking outside the box. 

Pick It Up: Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson | Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble 

3.    The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell attempts to uncover the “mysterious sociological behaviors” that shape everyday life. Gladwell explains a tipping point as “the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point,” and says “ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread like viruses do.”

He gives historical examples and substantiates his theories with facts, while breaking down his examples through invisible forces that only a world-renown sociologist can. He explains the reason that hush puppies became so popular in the mid 1990s and the reason behind steep decline in New York City’s crime rate after 1990.

To simply learn about how these invisible forces can create unintended results helped me to be more conscious about life and business. All of Gladwell’s books encourage me to think deeply, and empower me to see the world through a different lens, which results in new perspective. These new perspectives help me view my own entrepreneurial journey differently, which I greatly value.

Pick It Up: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Differenceby Malcolm Gladwell | Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble 

4. The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen

Disruption. We’ve all heard the term. Christensen was the one who brought it to life.

Here’s the synopsis: “First published in 1997, Christensen's book suggests that successful companies can put too much emphasis on customers' current needs, and fail to adopt new technology or business models that will meet their customers' unstated or future needs. He argues that such companies will eventually fall behind. Christensen calls the anticipation of future needs 'disruptive innovation,' and gives examples involving the personal computer industry, milkshakes, and steel minimills.”

Pairing this book with The Lean Startup helped me realise how important testing and validating assumptions is for not just startups, but for established companies as well. The innovator’s "dilemma" comes from the concept that companies will dismiss new market innovation based on the fact that customers do not currently use them, which then leaves the market ripe for disruption. Clayton gives historical examples that makes the concept easily digestible and helps drive home the lessons.

Pick It Up: The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail by Clayton M. Christensen | Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble 

5.    Crossing the Chasm by Geoffery A. Moore

Immediately after reading this book I thought I understood everything about building a company. This book teaches you why you may have had early “traction,” but how and why that traction does not guarantee mass market success. He does this by breaking down early adoption cycles, and shows the difference in your product lifecycle.

The chasm he refers to is between early adopters and the mass market. Simply looking at the cover will help you understand the concept. This book helped me understand the hockey stick curve growth model and other vital startup lessons. If you read the Lean Startup beforehand, Moore’s lessons will help you understand “product-market fit” as Ries discusses so frequently in his book.

Pick It Up: Crossing the Chasm, 3rd Edition by Geoffery A. Moore | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble

6. Launch! by Scott Duffy

This book acts as a practical manual for breathing life into your idea. Duffy walks through examples and entertaining stories along the way, as well as provides a basic framework to follow through his years of business (which includes selling his last company to Richard Branson and the Virgin Group). Entertaining and useful, this book lives up to its allure, and displays the value and expertise of Duffy as a businessman, mentor and human.

Pick It Up: Launch! The Critical 90 Days from Idea to Market by Scott Duffy | Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble 

7.    Hackers & Painters: Big Ideas From the Computer Age by Paul Graham

Paul Graham is the man behind Y Combinator, the Harvard of tech accelerators, and Graham has an uncanny ability to see into the future. This book gives a glimpse into Paul’s unique thinking and draws on historical examples. He takes us on a journey of what he calls "an intellectual Wild West,” where anyone with an idea can take a shot.

Pick It Up: Hackers & Painters: Big Ideas From the Computer Age by Paul Graham | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble 

8.    The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

This book is highly effective for helping anyone to prioritise and stay organised and on task. My big takeaway from this book was the Urgent/Important prioritisation matrix. As entrepreneurs, being able to intelligently prioritise becomes a vital skill. You can learn this skill and many more through Covey’s classic.

Pick It Up: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey | Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble 

9.    The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss

The 4-Hour Workweek has become an instant classic for any entrepreneur. Tim Ferriss treats his life as a big experiment. In this book, he teaches us how to live the life we want now, through real world case studies and practical examples. He explains that the "New Rich" figure out how to outsource, delegate and eliminate half of your work and other cool life/work hacks.

Pick It Up: The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss | Amazon | Audible | Indigo.ca 

10.    The 50th Law by 50 Cent and Robert Greene

Robert Greene is the man behind the 33 Strategies of War, The 48 Laws of Power and other classics. Teaming up with 50 Cent, they have written the manuscript for business and life success, which can be summed up as one mantra: “Fear nothing.” The book walks us through real life examples of 50 Cent’s life, and how he overcame personal and business adversity. It provides a message of hope and encouragement.

Pick It Up: The 50th Law by 50 Cent and Robert Greene | Amazon | Audible | eBooks.com 

11. Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art & Science of Remembering Everything by

Joshua Foer

This is not a 'business' book. However, it's one of my favorites that I’ve read in the past five years. Joshua Foer is a journalist who started covering memory competitions. He got so enthralled by his work, that he took on the challenge of becoming a memory athlete himself.

Filled with rich journalism, he provides us deep insight into the tricks and strategies used by these “mental athletes,” while he walks us through his personal journey of preparation for the United States Memory Championship. The book is riveting and entertaining beyond belief, and as Foer says, “in every way that matters, we are the sum of our memories.”

Pick It Up: Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art & Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer | Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble 

Inspiration: 11 Vital Books for First-Time Entrepreneurs

Image Source: weheartit.com

Chia Yi Jing | Bubbling with enthusiasm, bright ideas, and confidence, Yi Jing set foot in the PR world with Orchan Consulting, where she was offered permanent employment after a successful internship. She is determined to make her mark in the industry, and her bosses know that she will.