It’s far more likely you’ll have a crisis than winning the lotto.
Odds something good will happen to you? A long-shot. Odds something bad will? Far more likely.
It’s an important corollary to Murphy’s Law.
Consider: The chance you’ll strike it rich in the California lottery — 1 in 41 million. Chance you’ll be struck by lightning — 1 in 1 million in any given year and 1 in 10 thousand over an 80-year lifetime.
But it’s extremely likely you’ll be faced with a crisis that affects your business or reputation. (Sorry, no stats are available. Trust me on this.)
Crises aren’t always apocalyptic events. They’re commonplace and frequent. Litigation. Government investigations. Labor matters. Management turmoil. Product safety. If you’re running a business or nonprofit or if you’re high-profile, you will be thrust into the spotlight, often for reasons undeserved and unwanted.
Some organizations are more prone than others to be targets of such disputes.
Sometimes it’s unavoidable because of the nature of their business. Sometimes it has to do with poor business practices and could have been avoided. Whatever the reason, the situations must be dealt with — quickly and effectively.
That’s why there exists a small, highly specialized niche within the PR industry devoted solely to putting out media firestorms and protecting reputations.
But don’t despair. There’s a silver lining, of sorts. The odds that you’ll suffer a business crisis and be struck by lightning on the same day are infinitesimal.
Gillott Communications is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm that specializes in high-stakes Crisis & Reputation Management with more than 50 years of expertise in strategic communications, corporate public relations, and working with the media.
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