The first 24 hours of a reputation challenge

Most organisations will face an operational challenge at some point. What shapes reputation is rarely the challenge itself, but how leadership responds once stakeholders begin paying attention.

In this article, Sana Maadad explores why the first 24 hours are often the most critical period in a reputation challenge, how organisations can communicate with credibility when facts are still emerging, and why preparation before a crisis remains one of the strongest protections for reputation when it matters most.

Operational challenges happen. Most businesses will face them at some point, whether through a supply chain disruption, a technology failure or an issue nobody saw coming.

What separates organisations is rarely the challenge itself. It is how they respond once stakeholders start paying attention.

The first 24 hours are often when that response takes shape.

Facts are still emerging, questions are multiplying, and pressure is building from every direction. Yet this is precisely when leadership, communication and decision-making become most visible, not because the organisation has solved the problem, but because people are beginning to judge how it is handling it.

Stakeholders understand that issues arise. What they are looking for is evidence that the organisation understands the situation, takes it seriously, and has a clear plan to address it.

This is where many organisations find themselves caught between two competing pressures. On one side is the need to communicate quickly, on the other, the reality is that complete information rarely exists in the early stages of a challenge.

Moving too slowly triggers speculation that fills the gap, moving too quickly risks creating confusion that becomes difficult to correct later.

“The objective is not to be first. The objective is to be credible.”

The objective is not to be first. The objective is to be credible by acknowledging the situation, communicating what is known and committing to provide further updates as more information becomes available.

In other words, saying enough without pretending to know everything.

When communication becomes part of the response

Many leaders still view communication as something that follows the operational response. In practice, communication becomes part of the response from the moment stakeholders start asking questions.

Employees want reassurance, customers want clarity. And investors want confidence that leadership understands the implications and is managing them appropriately.

This is one reason why leadership visibility matters so much during periods of disruption. Stakeholders are not simply assessing the issue itself. They are assessing accountability, ownership and preparedness. They want to know who is leading the response.

Most organisations will encounter challenges at some stage. Few will be remembered for the challenge itself. They will be remembered for how they handled it. KFC's supply chain disruption in the UK is still discussed years later. Not because the disruption happened, but because of how the company communicated about it.

Preparation creates confidence

That is why preparation matters.

The organisations that navigate reputation challenges most effectively rarely invent their response under pressure. Decision-making processes are clear. Crisis management protocols are in place, and responsibilities are well defined. Leaders know when to engage and how information will flow across the organisation.

Preparation does not prevent challenges from occurring; it makes them easier to manage.

A crisis communication plan on a shelf has limited value. What matters is whether leaders understand their role, whether information moves efficiently and whether the organisation can align quickly under crisis pressure. Because when a challenge becomes public, stakeholders do not see the plan. They see the response.

At Comms&, we often remind clients that reputation is rarely built during moments of calm. It is tested during moments of uncertainty.

The first 24 hours rarely determine whether a challenge occurs. They often determine how it is remembered.