The apology. Or at least the acknowledgement of what's occurred and how it's impacted your stakeholders.
It's been five years since British Petroleum's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded and sunk in the Gulf of Mexico. The disaster killed 11 people, spilled 4.9 million barrels of crude, and threatens to ultimately cost BP tens of billions of dollars.
"I'd like my life back," said BP CEO, Tony Hayward, in the midst of the catastrophe. The quote remains in the public consciousness, buy valtrex internet shadowing BP's brand.
The first rule of crisis response: Show you care. Had care been effectively communicated, how much better off would BP be today?
While your organization's risk scale might differ from that of an oil company, your brand is just as vital to you. So when a crisis, or even a stakeholder inconvenience arises, acknowledge it. If liability concerns prevent you from apologizing for the incident; at least apologize for the impact. You won't get a second chance.