Mark Lunn is the Director of Corporate Communications at Dubai International Capital. mediaME.com is featuring this interview courtesy of IRR Middle East, the organizors of the Corporate Communications Conference.

Q. Everyone is preparing for a crisis but can you REALLY be prepared for a crisis or it is just learning from experiences?
Every crisis is always different and unexpected - accidents, death, fraud, data theft, official investigations, rogue traders, shareholder revolts, strikes, insolvency, bankruptcy (to name a few) - and it is very hard to prepare properly for the unexpected.

The fact that the whole world is now in a synchronised global downturn might suggest that we all know what’s coming and we should all be able to prepare for the most likely crisis facing us in 2009: tough trading conditions with limited access to capital that will erode the financial performance of our businesses; a vicious circle of falling demand, excess capacity, deflation, devaluation, lack of liquidity….leading to redundancies, corporate insolvencies a further fall in demand, and so on.

However, none of us has experienced the severity of these conditions before (as we weren’t working during the Great Depression ) and even those of us old enough to have lived through the recent recessions of the mid 70’s, or late 80’s and 90’s do not have an accurate frame of reference for the magnitude of this downturn. It will affect us all in different ways.

I submit therefore that we should be realistic about what we don’t know, and the extent to which we can really prepare. As I said, every crisis is different and it’s the speed with which people can react and adapt that determines survival
 

Q. What are the three most important things that every communications professional should know in times of crisis?

Firstly, we are human beings built to the same spec as non communications professionals: we have two ears, two eyes and just one mouth. Although we think we are paid to talk, it’s advisable to engage these other faculties - remember to listen and look before talking so we know what is really happening in the confusion of a crisis.

What can happen is mild panic and an uncontrolled drip-feed of bad news that exacerbates the uncertainty and serves only to prolong the story. Try to understand the full scope of the problem before deciding how to communicate it and as a general rule it’s better to take control of the newsflow, get all the bad news out and throw cold water on the story rather than let it fester and leak out gradually via multiple sources. Bear in mind it’s rare that your colleagues (or clients) will tell you everything in the first instance so use your judgment to find out what’s really going on so you can take control.

Secondly, I work on the basis that ‘the truth will out’ in some version or other and therefore it is preferable that you volunteer your version of the story first. Denial and prevarication might work in the short term but never underestimate the likelihood of a leak. The problem with a leak is that you lose control of the story and any inaccuracies are harder to correct. Better to get on the front foot.

Thirdly, get organised. A major crisis can be very demanding on the communications people if the world’s media has your mobile number and calls you 24/7. Don’t try to be a hero and solve everything single-handedly, you will need lots of support.

Q. Many say that in today’s volatile markets company’s reputations can be easily destroyed. Would you agree with this statement?

Yes. Market conditions are the worst in any of our careers. Unfortunately it’s more than company’s reputations that are at risk, some companies will be destroyed in certain sectors

Q. What are your expectations from this year’s Corporate Communications conference?

The topics, speakers and venue look good, I just hope the attendance holds up in this difficult year. I’m going to speak without any notes as a personal challenge having been inspired by the oratory genius of President Obama. Clearly, I have unrealistically high expectations of my public speaking ability but I want to try.
 
 

For this interview and others, visit the Corporate Communications Conference website.