What’s the difference between a large and a small company?
It’s generally a question of scale. Admittedly when something goes wrong the large company is more likely to hit the headlines, but regardless of company size the impact of a disaster on customers can be equally devastating.
It doesn’t really matter whether the problem has been caused by an internal breakdown such as the VW emissions scandal or externally such as the recent data hack at Talk Talk; what customers want to know when things go wrong is how they are affected and what is being done to mitigate any negative effects. Quite frankly, that means that the leadership have to be visible and have to ensure that leadership communication is robust and appropriate.
The value to an organisation of a leader who is a good communicator cannot be underestimated. Good communicators empower, they reassure and they generate enthusiasms in others. And because they understand the value of communication, good communicators will set the conditions for the organisation as a whole to communicate both internally and externally.
Show me an organisation which has folded in on itself when disaster has struck and the chances are that it is led by someone who doesn’t understand the value of communicating. It doesn’t matter whether the organisation is large or small; what does matter is that the business emphasises and reaches out to others.
