Survival Tactics: No Project is Immune from Controversy

  PM Network  

No one wants to be at the center of a project controversy, but sometimes it’s just part of the job. That’s when a company’s reaction time can prevent a controversy from turning into a full-blown crisis. Unfortunately, proactive planning doesn’t seem to be the norm. v“Given the amount of media coverage on companies mired in controversy, it’s amazing that more do not prepare for it happening,” says Martin Barlebo, partner at Holm Kommunikation A/S, a communications consultancy in Copenhagen, Denmark. “It’s a bit like insurance policies. People think that crises only happen to others.”

Ah, if that were only the case. But any company that’s found itself in an unwanted spotlight knows differently. And it has also probably learned, albeit the hard way, that it helps to build firewalls and to include rigorous stakeholder analysis. Taking a deep dive into all the possible agendas of all the project players can help companies prepare for most controversies, Mr. Barlebo explains.

“Once you have identified potential opposition to the project, you need to engage with key stakeholders,” he says. “You make friends with experts and opinion leaders and present your project’s risks and safeguards. This helps to create informed allies to support your project when journalists are looking for …

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