Step up and speak out when crisis strikes

Organizations with tens of thousands of employees aren’t typically known for speed and agility when it comes to making decisions.

Corporate bureaucracy often bogs down a company’s ability to react swiftly and decisively to an issue that requires immediate attention.

Unfortunately, when an issue has the potential to erupt into a full-blown crisis, speed is of the utmost importance.

That’s exactly what happened after an employee of Sonoco, a U.S.-based packaging company, was accused of racially profiling a black woman at a private community pool. The Sonoco employee approached the woman, asked for her ID and eventually called the police. The incident was filmed by the woman, the video was uploaded to YouTube, and it quickly garnered millions of views.

The ugly footage immediately drew widespread condemnation and sparked calls for the man’s employer to respond. Sonoco did so by quickly firing the employee, but it didn’t stop there.