What to do in the first 60 minutes of a reputational crisis?

The first hour of a reputational crisis rarely decides how the story ends, but it almost always decides how it is told. What an organisation does, and what it avoids doing, in those minutes sets the tone for everything that follows.

Establish what you actually know

Before anyone drafts a statement, separate facts from assumptions. What happened, when, who is affected and what is still unclear? Write it down in plain language. In the first minutes information arrives fragmented and often contradictory; a short, shared fact sheet prevents the team from building a response on rumour.

Bring the right people into the room

Assemble a small core group: the decision-maker, someone who understands the operational reality, legal counsel and the person responsible for communication. Keep it small enough to decide quickly. Agree on who has the final word and how the group will stay in contact over the hours ahead.

Decide who speaks — and who does not

One voice is better than many. Nominate a single spokesperson and make sure everyone else in the organisation knows where to direct questions from journalists, partners or the public. Inconsistent messages from different people are among the fastest ways to lose credibility.

Put out a holding statement

You do not need all the answers to communicate. A short holding statement acknowledges the situation, shows that it is being taken seriously, expresses concern for anyone affected and explains when more information will follow. It should contain nothing you might have to retract later.

Silence, in these minutes, is rarely neutral. If you do not say anything, others will speak for you, and they will not choose their words as carefully.

You do not need all the answers. You need to be clear about what you know, what you are doing and when you will say more.

Map your stakeholders

Journalists are only one audience. Employees, clients, regulators, partners and the communities around you all need to hear from you, ideally before they read about it elsewhere. List them, decide who needs to hear first and choose the channel that reaches each of them most directly.

Watch, listen and document

Monitor how the situation is developing in the media and online, and keep a simple log of decisions, statements and timings. It keeps the team aligned as the hours pass, and it becomes invaluable later, when the moment comes to review what happened and what should change.

What to avoid

Do not speculate, do not assign blame before the facts are clear and do not say “no comment”. Avoid technical or legal language that sounds evasive. And resist the urge to fill every silence: each statement should add clarity, not noise.

A crisis tests an organisation’s preparation more than its improvisation. The first sixty minutes go far more smoothly for teams that have already agreed on roles, processes and principles, long before they are needed.