George Odenyo Litunya's

Thought Leadership
Listening, watching and or reading the news today, you won't miss one or two things going wrong. For instance, yesterday (10th November) a manager shot dead his colleague at Nakumatt stores. Absurd, right?
The Money Markets

Prior to that, we have had cases of Cabinet Secretaries, prominently, Ann Waiguru at the center of massive corruption cases. In fact, calls to have her ousted, and the deaf ears they fall on have resulted in her baptism from Ann Waiguru to Ann-Wa-Ikulu (Ann of the statehouse). Funny.

See, either way: guilty and or innocent once hit by a crisis, your image never remains the same. The Tyson like blow, will send you down. Getting up is one thing. Recovering from the blow is another. Unfortunately for us, we go ahead and re-elect people who are the most corrupt. Whose images are beyond repair. What a forgiving society.

For those of us in the professional realm, we never let it slide. We hold you ransom, for your conduct.
Then going forward, we ask ourselves, how do we best handle this situation. For deep down we know, failure to tackle the matter will result into devastating effects for anyone with close ties with the organization and or you. Bearing in mind that a crisis is a negative threat to operations, that can have negative consequences if not handled properly. (Institute for PR)

For us to clearly correct the situation we need to understand the threats posed by a crisis. These threats are categorized into three:
  • Public Safety
  • Financial Loss
  • Reputation Loss
Although interrelated, we need to understand each threat independently.

Public Safety
We are lucky that our country (Kenya) has never experienced chemical explosions or something of that magnitude. The only other time Kenya has witnessed a crisis that shook the fabric of her people is during the terror attacks. 

After years of peace and tranquility, the enemy saw us as sitting ducks. He struck mercilessly. Lives of Kenyans all over the country, from Mandera, to Mpeketoni to the 'famous' West Gate, were lost. It didn't take long before it dawned on us that our security apparatus were off. Measures to oust Security chiefs were put in place but still, the enemy didn't bow down. He kept coming. 

Today, we sit pretty. I wonder if the threat was eliminated or the terrorist are waiting for the right time to strike? This period proved hellish for the Jubilee government. Public Safety was under threat. People were scared. Knowing well, that the first responsibility of any government is to protect its people; the Kenyan government lost face. The damage was done.

Financial Loss
On July 31st, I read a daily nation article titled: 'Turbulent Times for Kenya Airways as it Records a 26 billion Loss.' This is big money, right? This was a few months after the media gave prominence to the failing Mumias Sugar Company. In one case: Kenya Airways, the thought of the national carrier making such huge losses was unpalatable.

After being dubbed as the highest loss making company in East Africa: we the public cast our suspicion to management. Could it be embezzlement. However the report alone was enough to make shareholders loose trust in the national carrier. For Mumias Sugar Company, it was outright embezzlement. Its near collapse, has made all shareholders watch from the periphery.

In both cases the corporate giants were linked to cases of corruption and or embezzlement. This triggered a ripple effect that led to their loss making. Which in turn led to shareholders losing trust in the corporate giants, and selling the shares. The hardest hit has been Mumias Sugar Company. Whose shares currently are trading at Kshs. 1.55. Whoa!

Reputation Loss
In the world we live in, Image is everything. This is why we are encouraged to always make a good first impression, as an individual or business.

Those who enjoy the limelight are the ones hardest hit when a crisis hits town. Scandals are usually the forces operating in the background when one losses his reputation. Pick an example that comes to mind and you a re right.

These three are the dark clouds that a crisis comes with. Knowing which one you are tackling makes it easier to devise a crisis communication plan to repair the damage caused. Regardless of how hard you are hit, we in the communication profession will always find a way of getting you out-Olivia Pope style.

However, of the three the most fragile is reputation. Security you can always build and put in place formidable apparatus. Money you can loose it and make it all. However, image takes time to build and once sullied, it takes time to restore. Image is everything, indeed. Perhaps this should guide you into answering Shakespeare's famous question: What's in a name? Answer: Everything.




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