Make reputation risk a regular board discussion

01

Define what the board needs to know

Connect reputational concerns to underlying issues such as customer treatment, data handling, product reliability or misleading claims. Avoid a report consisting only of social mentions and a sentiment score. For a hypothetical recurring service failure, directors need to know its cause, affected groups, unresolved exposure and corrective ownership. The OECD corporate governance principles provide a framework for oversight, risk and disclosure, not a single mandated dashboard for every organization.

02

Establish reporting and escalation rules

Agree on regular reporting and triggers for earlier notice. Include verified facts, uncertainty, action status and decisions required from the board. Distinguish the frequency of complaints from their severity; one serious incident can matter more than many minor comments. Protect confidential and legally sensitive material through appropriate governance channels rather than distributing unrestricted customer records with a public-relations presentation.

• Identify the executive owner and operational owner for each material concern.
• Show overdue corrective actions and evidence that controls are working.
• Separate communications progress from resolution of the underlying issue.

03

Test the response and review accountability

Use a realistic scenario to check who escalates, who verifies facts and who can authorize a commitment. Review whether incentives encourage honest reporting or concealment of unfavorable information. After an incident, assess both the operational response and the quality of board information. Your Reputation Agency can support clear evidence and communication, while governance responsibilities and specialist legal or financial judgments remain with the appropriate decision-makers.

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