Is Your Organization Ready For A Crisis?

Early preparation can help manage crises better

It still surprises me as I work with various clients on how unprepared or underprepared many organizations are in managing crises.

Some of the most common issues I encounter (and there are many) include not having an up-to-date crisis management plan (I've seen one that was written 12 years ago, where the senior management has already seen two whole cycles of changes, so almost every listed critical contact person in the plan is no longer with the company) or if there is one, it was written by one department (often the communications or operations team) without the participation of the other departments. Or each department has its own crisis management process/es that does not sync with any other department. Can you imagine the confusion of trying to implement those disparate plans in a crisis?

Another common mistake especially for traditional (read: out-of-date) comms practitioners, is the almost exclusive focus on engaging with traditional news media to get their messages out, almost ignoring the need to be active on social media (critical for consumer brands), forgetting the need to engage with the board of directors and business partners, and neglecting the organization's staff who all could serve as amazing key message conduits if properly engaged.

Finally, too many organizations draft crisis plans and then put them up on a shelf to collect layers of dust, never actually taking them to be tested or practiced, or even kept close at hand in case of an actual emergency. If you're reading this, when was the last time you saw your organization's crisis plan?

While it's true you can't plan for every possible crisis that could happen in the organization, having a plan with a crisis management structure will still help as oftentimes, many of the basic processes will be similar. If each team member knows their role and has practiced the process, it could not only save valuable time in a crisis and reduce confusion and stress, but it could also be that difference in how well the brand survives the crisis.