‘It’s been a tough 24 hours’.
It would be hard to argue with that assessment from Uber boss Travis Kalanick.
The company has been plunged into full crisis media management mode this week after a scathing blog from a former employee, which included allegations of serious sexual harassment and incompetent HR practice, went viral.
The post by Susan Fowler has currently had more than 21,000 retweets and in excess of 29,000 likes and has additionally generated widespread media coverage.
I wrote something up this weekend about my year at Uber, and why I left: https://t.co/SyREtfLuZH
— Susan Fowler Rigetti (@susanthesquark) February 19, 2017
The American ride-hailing company has of course been no stranger to negative publicity, most recently because of Mr Kalanick’s links to Donald Trump.
But how has it managed this latest crisis?
Let’s start with the good points:
Leading from the front
There is little doubt who is leading Uber’s response to the crisis.
The company's press statement was attributed to CEO Travis Kalanick and he also took to his personal Twitter account to make similar points.
In both cases he described the behaviour detailed in the blog as ‘abhorrent’ and said it went ‘against everything we believe in’. He added that ‘anyone who behaves this way or thinks it is ok will be fired’.
His Twitter post also retweeted a link to Ms Fowler’s blog, which makes the response feel open and transparent.
1/ What's described here is abhorrent & against everything we believe in. Anyone who behaves this way or thinks this is OK will be fired. https://t.co/6q29N7AL6E
— travis kalanick (@travisk) February 20, 2017
2/ I've instructed our CHRO Liane to conduct an urgent investigation. There can be absolutely no place for this kind of behavior at Uber.
— travis kalanick (@travisk) February 20, 2017
Of course, the CEO is not always the right person to lead a crisis, but due to the seriousness of the allegations and the momentum they were gaining it was vital Mr Kalanick was seen to be leading this response.
Taking action
In a crisis, your messages need to show that decisive action is being undertaken to understand what has happened and how it can be prevented from happening again.
In his press statement Mr Kalanick said he had instructed new Chief Human Resources Officer Liane Hornsey to conduct an ‘urgent investigation’.
Uber board member Arianna Huffington – the founder of the Huffington Post – subsequently announced on Twitter that she would also be working on the investigation.
Just talked w/ Travis & as a representative of Uber's Board I will work w/Liane to conduct a full independent investigation starting now 1/2
— Arianna Huffington (@ariannahuff) February 20, 2017
And it was later revealed on Monday that the company had hired former US attorney general Eric Holder to help the lead investigation.
While it felt a little disjointed and piecemeal with different people being added to the investigation at different times, it showed the company was taking action with a high-level and high-profile response.
The language
In a crisis you need to show you care and the language you use is crucial. In the statements and Tweets issued by Mr Kalanick there is a sense of concern, compassion and honesty.
Also there was a clear desire expressed to make things better. He said: “We seek to make Uber a just workplace for everyone and there can be absolutely no place for this kind of behaviour – and anyone who behaves this way or thinks this is ok will be fired.”
You will note there is no apology. This is a shame, but my feeling is he would have been advised not to by legal representatives until the investigation has been carried out.
Remembered the staff
It is often the employees who are forgotten or who are the last to learn about a crisis media management situation and what the organisation is doing to tackle it, as the focus centres on external messages.
But it is vital they know what action is being taken and that they hear it from bosses rather than reading or seeing it in the media.
Visible leadership and honesty is key. Mr Kalanick sent a memo to his employees on Monday which outlined what action the company is taking. Importantly, considering the context of the crisis, the company wide email also promised staff the opportunity to become involved in the process through ‘group and one-on-one listening sessions’.
Quick
With both its external and internal messages its clear Uber has acted quickly to try to gain some control. Perhaps they have acted too hastily at times, mainly around the uncoordinated announcements on the make-up of the investigation team.
Clearly we are in the early stages, but it is crucial the company builds on this initial momentum and ensures customers and employees are kept up to date on the progress of the investigation and the outcomes.
But it has not all been good.
Social media
The approach on social media has been somewhat disjointed. Despite Mr Kalanick and Ms Huffington posting about the crisis on their personal accounts, there has been no mention of it on the company’s corporate accounts, which seems a glaring oversight.
With the bosses instead using their personal accounts, it’s harder for customers and journalists to know where to look for updates.
Also they need to ensure they are not posting on wider issues at this early stage as this could show their focus is not completely on the Uber crisis – something Ms Huffington has been doing.
Facts
The internal memo was I imagine not meant for the media when it was issued. But once it did reach journalists, the diversity figures included in it began to unravel and updates and corrections had to be issued, causing the Mashable website to report the company needs a ‘fact checker’. This further embarrassment could easily have been avoided and again shows why companies must be certain before they present information as fact, particularly during a crisis.
Overall, Uber’s initial response to this latest crisis has been pretty strong. But perhaps the biggest lesson here is how one social media post from a disgruntled former employee can force a high profile company into full crisis media management mode.
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