The ongoing problems resulting from the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico are wide ranging and extremely significant, that is for sure. But what of the truth behind the incident? Who is right and who is wrong?
As with other events of this kind, the truth will certainly come out in the end and, until then, we are faced with conjecture, few facts and an array of opinions about what caused the problem in the first place. We’ve heard statements from BP, speeches from President Obama and now we’ve witnessed the congressional hearing where the assembled group attempted to uncover some facts, with limited success.
Even though the full facts are not yet clear, one thing is very clear – BP are being blamed for the entire episode and, in the court of public opinion, especially in the USA, they are already seen as guilty. Whether this is right or not, the way in which BP has managed it’s relationships with key stakeholders has had a significant impact on perceptions. These perceptions will be very difficult to change, even when the facts become clear and will that be all too late to repair the damage to the business? No matter what our views on BP, we can all learn some valuable lessons from this incident on how to manage stakeholder relationships.
Tim Edwards, Senior Consultant
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