Reputation Is an Inside Job: How Your Culture & People Shape What the World Sees

When people talk about how to build a positive reputation they'll referance a strong brand, good social media and media management or even having effective customer services—but the role of employees is often very low down on the list of what is important to reputation management.

Twenty years ago having internal communication or employee engagement as a specific role was unheard of. Now, that has changed and the impact of employee actions and how it relates to customers and service users is being recognized.

Employees can be valuable advocates for your company or they can damage your reputation. They may even be the source of your next crisis to manage.

In recent years the culture, behaviors and actions of both managers and frontline employees have brought reputational crises to many organizations.

From the Confederation of British Industry to the London Metropolitan Police, no workplace is immune from the possibility that someone will say or do something to become the next crisis to manage.

Putting reputational risks into the management processes is essential. If you know about it, you can do something to try and mitigate it and to be ready to respond to it.

This year has also been one where we have seen how the actions of CEOs can go viral and impact on the operation of the business. When video emerged from the Coldplay concert of the former CEO in a compromising position, it demonstrated how we are being filmed all the time, and any member of staff or CEO could become the next viral spectacle.

Most risk registers and crisis communication plans will not have considered such situations even though the damage can be significant.

There are many internal risks that can impact on creating and maintaining a good reputation. Staff who are disconnected from the purpose and values of the business can be problematic without accepted boundaries and clear expectations to guide them.

Silo working can lead to gaps in the operation of the business or duplicate conflicting work. Then there is the significant risk highlighted earlier from poor culture and even unethical practices that may be allowed to flourish.

In addition, a business or organization with a lack of purpose will also likely have ineffective leadership and weak governance which can all threaten reputation.

Effective reputation management must involve everyone in the business as well as how the business operates. It is no longer just the responsibility of communication and PR teams.

Beyond that there are many apps and platforms that allow employees to share their views and thoughts about where they work. These inside perspectives on the business have the ability to damage reputation.

It doesn’t need to be that views are shared through specific recruitment focused apps, as people have become broadcasters themselves and can share their feelings about the company, ups and downs ,through social media.

Reputation can lie in those social media posts, comments and shared views. Do I want to work at that business? Is the product something that I would buy and value? Am I getting the best value? Views and attitudes are shaped and framed by so many additional elements in this hyper-connected world.

We are living through a time when reputation is about much more than just telling a good story or sharing a positive narrative. Reputation is in the hands of everyone in the business or organization and this means ensuring they understand the role they play.

There are steps that we can take to change the way reputation is viewed and how communication professionals can be catalysts for change.

5 Steps to Change How Reputation is Viewed in Your Organization

#1. We need to attempt to become an organization or business with a product or service people want and value. This includes finding ways to stand above the competition we may have.

#2. The business needs to continue to invest in product/service development and innovation that is rooted in making things better for consumers, establishing excellent customer service, and ensuring a reliable product or service.

#3. Issues or problems need to be addressed at the earliest opportunity to prevent them escalating. It means ensuring there are effective risk management processes, and a strong crisis response plan and approach.

#4. Create the right culture through systems and processes, effective governance and appropriate reward and recognition.

#5. Invest to have PR, communication or marketing in place to support the business and listen to feedback both internally and externally.

But in a world where people will complain but still use Amazon, Uber, Ryanair and Tesla, is a focus on reputation still necessary? In short, yes.

The world is going through a volatile time where there are polycrises, polarized attitudes and conflict. People can share every thought they have online and can make allegations and accusations that attract significant attention.

Does this mean we can still carefully manage reputation? I see it more that we influence reputation rather than manage it, as there are so many factors that are way beyond our control.

What is within our control is the way organisationsoperate and how employees are treated. In addition, organizations can ensure employees are given the right training and support that will ensure they recognize the importance of what they do and how people feel about their employer.

When a crisis hits the reputation of an organization becomes a crucial factor that can either support the response or hinder it. Having a good reputation can often give the benefit of the doubt through what is known as the ‘halo effect’.

People will see the situation as an anomaly rather than the norm. On the flip side a poor reputation creates the Velcro effect where problems adhere closely to the business.

The challenge that we are left with is ensuring that reputation is not seen to have a bad reputation itself as it really is just about the trust and confidence people have in the brand, business or organization.

Supporting and encouraging employees needs to be at the heart of reputation, issues management and effective crisis communication.

* Amanda Coleman is a crisis communication specialist and the director and founder of crisis communication consultancy Amanda Coleman Communication Ltd. Based in the UK, she has more than 25 years’ experience in crisis and emergency communication.

She is the author of Crisis Communication Strategies published in May 2020 with a second edition published in March 2023 by Kogan Page. This has been translated into Chinese and Ukrainian. Her second book Everyday Communication Strategies was published in November 2022. Her third book about Strategic Reputation Management was published in November 2024.

Amanda led the law enforcement communication response to the Manchester Arena terrorist attack in 2017. Now, Amanda provides consultancy support to public and private sector organisations facing challenging times, as well as training individuals and teams to more effectively communicate in a crisis. She is licensed to use the Conducttr crisis simulation software and has extensive experience of crisis scenario development.

Amanda began her working life as a journalist. She is a Chartered PR practitioner as well as a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and the Public Relations and Communication Association. She is an advisor for the Resilience Advisors Network, a senior associate of the Centre for Crisis and Risk Communication and the Chair of the UK’s Emergency Planning Society Communication Professional Working Group. Amanda is also on the international advisory committee of the Emergency Management External Affairs Association.

In May 2025 Amanda was recognised as one of the top 50 independent communicators at the Impact50 Awards.

Twitter: @amandacomms Blog: Amandacomms's Blog | Communicating about crisis, reputation and more (wordpress.com)