Restoring Your Reputation After Crisis

In the information economy, reputation can be an organization's most valuable asset.

That's why I think the article, here, from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is so interesting (and not just because I'm quoted). The story deals with the fallout from the resignation of the President of West Virginia University (WVU) over allegations that the university improperly granted a masters degree to the Governor's daughter. It does a great job of analyzing the steps WVU must now take to restore its reputation.

The takeaway: to properly restore reputation, you need to (1) react with candor and transparency; (2) make the right moves to re-establish confidence; and (3) move quickly to put the matter behind you.

As I point out in the article, the public will generally accept occasional mistakes and errors from large organizations. It's how the organization responds that determines long-term damage to reputation -- and ultimately makes the difference between successful, and unsuccessful, crisis response.