reputation management
"Think of public relations as a mirror on the wall in your home – it reflects what you are. Think of reputation management as the foundation of your house – if it is unsound, your house will tumble to the ground, mirror and all.”
Davis Young, author
Building Your Company’s Good Name
According to “Reputation Management”, a bi-monthly trade journal, Reputation Management is a counseling discipline that “recognizes the importance of reputation as an organizational asset, and seeks to insure that management decisions are taken in an environment in which reputational implications are fully understood, evaluated and considered.
It is further defined as “a results oriented management function that seeks to leverage reputation as an asset, enlisting important stake-holder groups -- most important of which are employees and the media -- to assist the organization in the achievement of management objectives and minimize their resistance.”
The most valuable asset possessed by any organization – particularly those with a Christian foundation or mission – is its reputation. Unfortunately, it is often ignored until there is trouble and the organization finds its good reputation in jeopardy. Then damage control takes center stage, demanding the attention of the top management team and communications department and prompting a response to the media and public that is all too often defensive and focused entirely on bringing the crisis to a quick end.
A good reputation in earned. The good name of a ministry, church, or organization is based on the development of and adherence to good policies and effective outreach over time, not reactive crisis communications for bad policies or ineffective programs.
Reputations of religious organizations, like corporations in the business arena, are determined by a consensus of internal and external stakeholders (employees, supporters, public, media). But, there is one important difference. Christian organizations or secular companies managed on Christian principles have a primary constituency of One. ALRC has consulted with a number of Christian organizations to create a culture in which long-term reputation enhancement outweighs short-term expediency.
As a “third party” with extensive experience in observing changing public and media perceptions, ALRC is uniquely positioned to advise ministry management on how decisions may affect public opinion – particularly as they may be postured in the media.
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