How do you share your organization's successes and failures with the public?

Sharing organizational successes and failures with the public requires a thoughtful approach. Establishing a process to distinguish public need-to-know from internal announcements is crucial. The key to effective communication lies in honesty—celebrate successes modestly, avoiding a boastful tone. In times of failure, acknowledge it, refrain from blame games, focus on lessons learned, and swiftly move forward. Balancing transparency and discretion ensures a constructive and truthful narrative for both internal and external audiences.

You always share your successes and failures the same way, transparently. Great Leaders understand that people appreciate hearing the truth, not some spin. It’s always important though to be positive as well and share an inspiring vision for the future.

No purpose emerges from a vacuum, so tell a story about how your purpose came to life. People will likely remember your purpose, vision product and services because they have identified with your story. Stories revealed the humanity of the executives. That behind the well polished exterior image is a inner passion born out of some form brokenness which expresses itself in many form and that people can relate with due to shared humanity. The stories could be personal, of a public personality or one of your clients. But the more personal, the better. So when you communicate in public, learn how to integrate applicable part of your stories. They have a long life span

Sharing success or failure amongst internal and external stakeholders must be uniform in its key messaging- while everyone loves success and it’s celebration, a failure may lead to a different response. It’s critical to perceive the impact and convey in ways that continue to emphasise the organisations’ values and ethos. That a success should be seen as a collective effort to push the frontier for more values and that a failure is seen as an opportunity to collectively pause and retrospect. AGM gives an overall platform to reflect and convey but depending on the scale and impact, calibrate strategies that are transparent and convey to all stakeholders, what worked or not, and it’s impact through transparent communication tools.

Tailor your communication channels based on purpose, audience, and message when sharing your organization's successes and failures. Opt for diverse platforms like websites, social media, newsletters, press releases, podcasts, or webinars to reach various segments of the public. Utilize formats such as stories, data, testimonials, or infographics to convey different aspects effectively. Ensure channels are relevant, accessible, and engaging for your target audience, maximizing impact and fostering meaningful engagement with your organization's narrative.

In my experience leading corporate communications, it's best to match communication channels with your intended audience(s). Who do you most want to communicate with and influence? Once you've identified your audiences, you can then identify which communication channels will be most effective, both for reaching them and creating community. For example, customers could be reached through multiple channels: the company website, the company social media channels, email lists, and even your own social media such as LinkedIn. Stories sprinkled with data points can be highly compelling for multiple audiences.

One solution does not fit all situations. Your unique situation will determine the optimal course of action. Today, once you hit the social media with a piece of news in a certain way, the sky will be the limit of your reach, therefore it's crucial to actually learn from both success and failure tales and use them as opportunities for growth and improvement.

Humility is a highly underrated aspect of highlighting your impact. As an executive leader, it's important to showcase the impact of the team you lead. Your job is to recognize their accomplishments and how they have improved people's lives. Talking about failure can humanize you as a leader. A watchout, however, is to consider how talking about failures might reflect on your organization or even the stock price. It can be wise to seek advice from a senior-level communications leader or other senior-level colleague to get feedback before sharing.

When sharing your organisation's successes and failures, spotlight the impact on customers, employees, partners, and society. Highlight how successes create value, solve problems, or enhance lives, and how failures drive innovation, learning, and positive change. Demonstrating impact underscores credibility, accountability, and social responsibility. It showcases your organisation's commitment to making a meaningful difference and reinforces trust and confidence among stakeholders.

Sharing an organization's successes and failures with the public involves a focus on the impact these experiences have had. It's crucial to demonstrate how our successes have added value and made a positive difference, and equally important to show how our failures have been learning opportunities that spurred innovation and led to beneficial changes. This approach not only showcases our accountability but also underlines our commitment to social responsibility and continuous growth.

Sharing your organization's impact isn't just about good news; it's a narrative of resilience and innovation in both success and failure. When sharing your organization's successes and failures with the public, emphasize the impact. Highlight how successes have positively influenced your stakeholders and the broader community. In cases of failure, focus on the lessons learned and how they have driven improvements and innovation within your organization. This approach showcases your commitment to transparency and continuous growth, building trust and credibility with your audience.

We demonstrate accountability and growth by showing how our actions impact customers, employees, partners, and society. We celebrate our successes with detailed case studies and openly analyze our failures to demonstrate our commitment to learning and improvement. This approach builds trust and keeps stakeholders informed and engaged.

As a Leader, you are expected to do three things, when it comes to sharing organization's story out in the open: 01. Take complete ownership of your losses. You are the Captain of the Ship. Accountability rests with you. 02. Give credit to your business teams and share your success runs with them. 03. Finally, don't exaggerate the numbers. Please just state the facts as is and stay humble. Great Leaders take full responsibility for their failures and give credit to their business teams when they are successful. This is a beautiful trait to imbibe and follow.

Yes, I agree. You must be honest and humble in communication but that doesn't mean that you need to be an open book. As executive leaders there is information that doesn't lead to progress or, really, anything productive. Yes, be honest and humble but make sure that you aren't oversharing or communicating in a way that is counterproductive to your organization or teams mission or goals.

Successes and failures are part of the life experience for each of us and the same goes for organizations. The cornerstone of this communication has to be operational transparency because that leads to credibility. The public is very sensitive to any hints of secrecy and can easily sense when something is hidden in the shadows of the organizational hierarchy. With that in mind, it is best to be honest and transparent, especially in times of crises and failures as those are the real tests of the organization’s integrity.

In my decade and a half experience in Executive Communications, I have witnessed the power of honesty and humility in building meaningful connections, both internally and externally. Leadership is like parenting and hence, leadership voice must always exhibit genuinity.

I've found when sharing your organization's successes and failures in public you should explicitly ask for comments or feedback through a call-to-action in the post itself. This could be a comment section, a survey link, a forum discussion page, or even including contact information of key personnel people can reach out to with their input. Additionally, taking the time to personally respond to any comments or feedback you receive is an important step in encouraging further dialogue and ensuring that people feel heard.

Engaging Non-Executive Directors in Communication: NEDs, with their diverse experiences and independent perspectives, can be invaluable in framing communication. They ensure that our public messages are not only in line with our organisation's goals but also resonate with a broader audience, providing a balanced and holistic view. Governing with Integrity: Before communicating externally, the boardroom must be a space of candid reflection. Non-executive directors play a pivotal role in ensuring that both triumphs and setbacks are evaluated with equal rigor. This foundational honesty shapes our public messages.

Inviting feedback and dialogue turns your organization's story into a two-way conversation, deepening public engagement and trust. Sharing your organization's successes and failures should include inviting feedback and dialogue from the public. This openness demonstrates your willingness to listen and engage with your audience, fostering a sense of community and partnership. It allows stakeholders to feel connected and involved in your organization's journey, enhancing their understanding and support. This interactive approach can provide valuable insights and foster stronger relationships with your audience.

Communication shouldn't be a one-way street, especially in the social media age. Leave room for comments, questions, and even criticism on your platforms. Respond thoughtfully, even to the tough feedback – this shows you're listening and demonstrates accountability. If the situation warrants it, consider hosting a town hall or Q&A session for stakeholders to air their views.

Inviting feedback and dialogue when sharing your organization's successes and failures is crucial for fostering a culture of openness, trust and continuous improvement. Create channels for two-way communication, allowing stakeholders to engage, inquire and express their perspectives. This not only enriches the understanding of shared information but also strengthens stakeholder relationships. By actively inviting feedback and dialogue, you transform the sharing of your organization's successes and failures into an interactive, engaging process that not only informs but also connects, learns and adapts. This approach underlines a leadership style that values inclusivity, responsiveness and a genuine commitment to stakeholder engagement.

Sharing your organization's wins and setbacks fosters transparency that builds trust. Start by clearly stating your intent, whether it’s to inform, reflect, or improve. Choose platforms that suit your message and audience—perhaps a blog for in-depth analysis or social media for more immediate engagement. Focus on the lessons learned and how they propel you forward. A touch of humility shows you’re real, and inviting dialogue turns passive readers into active participants. In your final thoughts, stress the value of openness as a catalyst for collective advancement.

Here's a 4 point framework that I used in my public communication: 1)Establish reliable channels such as press releases, social media platforms, newsletters, and dedicated sections on the company website to disseminate information. 2)Share updates promptly to maintain credibility and trust. Whether it's a success or failure, timely communication shows accountability and sincerity. 3)Provide context around successes and failures to help the public understand the situation better. Explain the factors contributing to each outcome without oversimplification. 4)Visual Representation: Utilise visuals like graphs, charts, or info graphics to make complex information more digestible. Visual representations can enhance understanding and engagement.

One huge aspect missing from this article is the TIMING of the sharing of the news, particularly if it is a failure. There is a well researched and documented curve that shows that, the longer a company waits to publicly disclose a failure and the mitigation steps they have taken, the more damaging that is for the company. Each day and hour counts depending on the severity of the issue. It has also been well documented that more and more companies tend to disclose negative news after the markets are closed, and traders have caught up with that trend. Last thing to remember is: companies are made of humans, and to err is human. Stakeholders understand mistakes as long there is confidence that management can turn it around.

Partnering with the organization's Corporate Communications team is a great way of sharing an organization's successes and failures with the public. You can tap into the overall communications strategy, amplify company messages, and be a strong brand ambassador as an executive leader. Establishing a vibrant collaborative relationship with the chief communications officer or other senior-level communicator will benefit you as a leader AND your organization, a win for everyone.