How far should CEOs engage with the media?

Last week, two executives speaking at an event on leadership at London Business School disagreed on how business leaders should engage with public debates. Ian Davis, the former head of consultants McKinsey , argued that many do not speak up because of the media’s unrelenting cynicism towards business. But Jeff Immelt, chief executive of General Electric, said that in spite of this, leaders needed to communicate with the outside world as part of being good corporate citizens. Who is right? Should business leaders be vocal in pressing their case via the airwaves and newsprint or should they avoid the potentially negative exposure altogether?

THE ACADEMIC
Paul A. Argenti
After 30 years of teaching, research and consulting in the area of corporate communication, I am amazed that anyone could seriously question whether business leaders should engage with the public. It’s mission critical. The financial crisis has rocked the business world. The reputation of corporations and their leaders is at an all-time low. How much more evidence do business leaders need to recognise that communicating with the general public, as well as customers, employees and shareholders is mandatory? Like it or not, corporate citizenship today includes a broader accountability to society. As with any relationship, it takes time, consistency and authenticity to build trust and goodwill that will save you in a crisis. Corporations need to do the right thing but they also need to do a good job of talking about the right things they are doing to set the record straight and avoid misperceptions. Yes, the media will be ready to pounce at any misstep – so will any blogger or activist shareholder. Stay on the offensive by being transparent and strategic, and by keeping the lines of communication open through good times and bad.

The writer is professor of corporate communication at Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College

THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Stephen Martin
I plunged headlong into connecting with the outside world when I appeared in Undercover Boss, a television programme in which I worked surreptitiously as a site operative in my organisation. It was a one-off opportunity to look at the company in a new light and see what we could improve. Of course, there was the risk that our reputation could be damaged by cynical media – but it felt like a risk worth taking. The fact that we weren’t trying to put on a PR show is what really struck home with the public and engendered the most interest. My experience has convinced me that company leaders must take a few risks to engage with the public via the media to give a business perspective that is not solely based on The Apprentice or Dragons’ Den. If business leaders don’t engage directly with the public, someone else will. With the growth of social media, “citizen journalists” could be blogging and tweeting about your business. Surely it’s better to find a way of communicating directly with the public yourself?

The writer is chief executive of Clugston Group

THE MEDIA EXPERT
David Yelland
Jeff Immelt is right when he argues that chief executives must speak to the “outside world”. So is Ian Davis when he says that the media can be cynical. But here’s the thing: the media are from Venus and CEOs are from Mars. And Mr Davis’s point isn’t that there shouldn’t be interplanetary intermingling, more that it’s not easy. Business leaders must be more optimistic. After all, investment is an optimistic pastime because it requires a belief in a better future. I don’t know many wealthy pessimists. The media, on the other hand, peddle in pessimism. They live in the now. They are obsessed with a narrow band of time stretching from yesterday morning to tomorrow night at the latest. The best CEOs are focused about one year out, maybe two or three. So when the planets meet it can be a collision of time zones as well as world-views. CEOs such as Mr Immelt, who fight back, deserve the praise of their peers and their boards. They don’t always get it.

The writer is a partner at Brunswick Group and a former editor of The Sun newspaper

THE CONSULTANT
Tom Maddocks
It is not surprising that many chief executives and chairmen prefer to avoid media scrutiny. In my work coaching corporate spokespeople, senior executives sometimes tell me that putting their heads above the parapet will mean they have to answer for the sins of an entire industry – big banks or big oil, for instance. The result is that when there is a legitimate subject for debate, the company perspective usually goes unheard, while the hubbub of rent-a-quote consumer critics grows increasingly shrill. The answer to this conundrum? The CEO cannot do everything, so work hard to find and train the individuals one or two levels down, part of whose role should be to take more media opportunities – even when there are tough issues – and patiently put the organisation’s view across. They must not pretend their company always gets everything right, but come over as a sympathetic and reasonable presence to journalists and across the airwaves. Companies will then have the chance of building the public and political support on which they ultimately rely.

The writer is founder and course director of Media Training Associates