Question

General Motors CEO Mary Barra inherited a mess when she ascended to the top post in her beleaguered company. Several GM car models had exhibited problems with their ignition switches, which turned off engines at highway speeds, causing 124 deaths and 275 injuries. As early as 2001, company insiders knew about the problem, but ultimately took no action. Even as the scandal broke, GM first underreported the casualties. Mary Barra pulled no punches. In a town hall meeting, she unflinchingly addressed a global audience. Applying lessons learned in this chapter, what would you advise chief executive Mary Barra to do when she communicates with the public about the scandal

Answer 1

Ms. Mary Bara should study everything the media has already communicated to the public regarding the car faulty engines and the incidents they caused. Bara should not hesitate to address all of these known issues, as the audience will notice these overlooks otherwise and the company would continue to be accused of negligence as a result.

The speech must be delivered in a manner it appeals to the interests of customers and the incident victims alike. An apology must be issued, and there must be assurance that the problems at hand will be resolved with haste as of the end of the speech.