American soldiers may be dying in Iraq, while bankrupt sub-prime mortgages kill the dream of home ownership for many Americans…but, what is the hot news item people are talking about over the infamous office watercooler? It is Don Imus, the New York based radio “personality” who has been a fixture of morning New York radio (and stations across the U.S.–as well as daily on MSNBC) who has been suspended for two weeks after making sexiest and racist remarks about the Rutgers women’s basketball team.

Imus, who was a “shock jock” way before anyone knew who Howard Stern was, has apologized, but lots of people are still after his head and want him fired.

But, you don’t have to be a big, important radio or television network to be faced with a media and public relations disaster similar to what CBS radio and NBC are now going through with Don Imus.

Are there lessons YOU can learn in your own company or business from the way CBS/NBC are handling–or not, as the case may be–the “Imus Crisis?” You bet there are!

Let’s say you are running a non-profit organization…maybe a professional association or educational institute or think tank..and you find out that a fairly high level employee was overheard at a very chic restaurant saying some things that everyone present interpreted as being racist or sexist…Maybe some other employees who were there come to tell you how disturbed they are about what had been said, and, what’s more, they are pretty sure others in the dining area heard the offending comments and knew what association the speaker was connected to.

POA — Plan Of Action

What both NBC and CBS did wrong in the Imus case is they initially took a back seat, letting Imus take the heat and go about doing his apology routine…It took literally days before they decided on the two week suspension.

Don’t you make the same mistake. It is vital that as head of your company or small business that you be seen at all times as being ahead of the curve…as the person steering and not the person being steered!

If you think your employee’s comments are going to quickly circulate in local media–or worse yet, the Internet–then you must act quickly.

1. Issue a news release to local newspapers and television news stations announcing what happened yourself–before a reporter calls you asking what happened. This way , by beating the media to the punch, you get to frame the issue the way you want to and on your terms.
2. Announce that you take your employee’s overheard and objectionable comments seriously and intend to get to the bottom of this…and, that in the meantime, you have asked the allegedly offending employee to take a brief, paid “vacation” at home for a few days while you do some fact-finding.
3. Depending upon the size of your town or community, either hold a news conference, or invite the print and electronic press to your office to talk about what is being done to repair any damage done by your employee’s insulting remarks .
4. Time is crucial! DO NOT WAIT days as NBC and CBS did to finally announce a POA to deal with their “Imus Crisis”–Time is NOT on your side…it is your enemy and you need to always keep that in mind .