Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

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When a company faces a crisis, there’s often a temptation to hide it, in the hope that no one will notice.

o Research shows this is always a bad approach. Attempts to sweep incriminating information under the rug will attract extra attention if and when the crisis surfaces, further damaging your company’s reputation.

o It’s far better to get out in front of a crisis and do what’s called “stealing thunder”: self-disclosing the problem before the media gets hold of the story. This is not just more ethical; it’s more sensible, as well.

o Here’s why: Self-disclosing increases the credibility of your spokespeople and your organization. When a company breaks the news about its negative event, the problem can appear less severe. Consumers perceive any subsequent media attention about the crisis as a follow-up — they think, “I’ve already heard all about this” — and therefore pay less attention to it.

Adapted from “Companies Fare Worse When the Press Exposes Their Problems Before They Do,” by An-Sofie Claeys, Verolien Cauberghe, and Mario Pandelaere.

This Tip was adapted from

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Also, you may wish to check out an anthology, Management Tips from Harvard Business Review, by clicking here.