Prepare! Do you have a Crisis Communication Plan?
Crisis: Any situation that is threatening or could threaten to harm people or property, seriously interrupt business, significantly damage reputation and/or negatively impact the bottom line.
Every organization is vulnerable to crises. The days of playing ostrich – burying you head in the sand and hoping the problem goes away – are gone. You can try, but your stakeholders will not understand or forgive because they’ve watched what happened with Volkswagen, Chipotle, FIFA, and Lance Armstrong.
If you don’t prepare, you will incur more damage. In an audit, what is often found is a failure to address the many communications issues related to crisis or disaster response. Experience demonstrates that organizational leadership often does not understand that in the absence of adequate internal and external communications:
- Operational response will break down.
- Stakeholders will not know what is happening and quickly become confused, angry, and negatively reactive.
- The organization will be perceived as inept, at best, and criminally negligent, at worst.
- The length of time required to bring full resolution to the issue will be extended, often dramatically.
- The impact to the financial and reputational bottom line will be more severe.
We can help your writing your crisis communication plan. The basic steps of effective crisis communications are not difficult, but they require advance work in order to minimize damage. So if you’re serious about crisis preparedness and response implement these 10 steps of crisis communications, the first seven of which can and should be undertaken before any crisis occurs.
The 10 Steps of Crisis Communications
PRE-CRISIS
1. Anticipate Crises
2. Identify Your Crisis Communications Team
3. Identify and Train Spokespersons
4. Spokesperson Training
5. Establish Notification and Monitoring Systems
6. Identify and Know Your Stakeholders
7. Develop Holding Statements
POST-CRISIS
8. Assess the Crisis Situation
9. Finalize and Adapt Key Messages
10. Post-Crisis Analysis
“It Can’t Happen To Us….Choose to be part of the prepared minority. Your stakeholders will appreciate it!”
Contact
Ginette Soulieres, President
A recognized national recognized seasoned leader, expert with extensive advisory knowledge and experience.
1-613-371-0878
