Unless you have been living under a rock, you are aware that we are going on day 58 of BP’s (British Petroleum) catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  With every failed attempt to cap this oozing mess along with the somewhat sincere comments made by BP’s CEO Tony Hayward in countless media appearances, the company sinks itself even deeper. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea deeper!

This blog post is not intended to continue the onslaught of broken pipe, I mean BP, its CEO, or its PR problem—that my friends is a whole other blog post! What I am interested in discussing is how companies, large and small, fail to prepare for best and worst case scenarios. 

I have heard many people question, that why in 2010 can we have an iPhone with a display better than your retina but we don’t have the technology to cap an oil spill. The technology doesn’t exist because no one ever anticipated the possibility of a gusher of this magnitude. Yes I know the leak is a mile below sea level, but if you can remotely drill from such depths, there should be a way to cap it right?

We haven’t had a need for new oil spill technology since Exxon Valdez in 1989. Is it really possible that no one from BP or any other oil company considered the prospect of another spill of this magnitude? It is not as if the oil companies lack the resources.
During good economic times and bad, there never seems to be enough money spent on research and development or public relations.  When crisis strikes, it’s your technical team that is typically on the front line trying to provide a resolution, right behind the PR team helping to appropriately communicate with your core constituents.

Regardless of your industry, it is imperative to keep pace with innovation and research and development, as well as the tools and techniques associated with public relations.

In a crisis or not, your business will depend on it.  Just ask BP.

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