Welcome to our first instalment of #FreeAdviceFriday where we’ll be speaking with PR professionals and industry leaders who kindly share their expertise and offer their own advice to support small businesses in building their own PR and communications programs.

Kicking off this series we speak with Patrick O’Berine, Director of Six O’Clock Advisory, specialists in corporate communications and reputation management.

Here’s what Pat had to say:

All roads lead to reputation and any number of matters can ruin your reputation overnight. There’s some guiding principles and approaches that work within any small business crisis or organisational issue. They include:

• Benchmark your operations to your values and expect more scrutiny on them.
• Remember that your operating decisions will inform your reputation. Make them good, ethical and sustainable.
• If you’re facing reputational risk, arrive at an optimal position based on sound judgement and operational reality. Establish appropriate tone, messages and posture.
• Transparency and authenticity usually win the day. If you get in strife, full-disclosure is usually your friend.
• Demonstrate a calm, strong and united front with your leaders and people, if you can.
• Respond quickly, consistently and clearly. Deploy all appropriate human resources and channels.
• Keep listening and invest in reputational rebound through sustained proactive stakeholder engagement and communication.

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