Plan for the Worst

There is one thing that organizations should always prepare for but never want it to come: Crisis.

Researches tend to show that organizations that get themselves ready for potential crisis will lessen the damage of a crisis. On the other hand, when organizations only passively respond to crises, potential opportunities may be over-shadowed by damage of the crisis. (Nudell and Antokol,  1988)

Proactive planning may include mechanisms for determining possible crises and analyzing situation, procedures to follow (checklist) during a crisis, appointment of a crisis management team, development of a communication plan, and policies for evaluating and revising the plan.

Communication strategy to deliver accurate information available in time is top priority in a crisis. To prepare,key steps include developing a communication policy, assigning and training spokespersons, identifying key audiences and key messages, and agreeing on appropriate communication methods before a crisis occurs. Pre-draft and approved messages and templates including statements by top management, news releases, etc. are also strongly recommended to save time, which is extremely scarce in crises.

One thing to note is that not all problems deserve equal attentions. In crisis planning, it is important to have a alert state and triggering response system to assess different level of threats to mobilize managers at different levels accordingly to focus on things most relevant to them. Do not mobilize resources that far exceed a requirement, as this will quickly fatigue the crisis management responses. Burnett’s Crisis Classification Matrix is a tool to improve decision making by revealing and prioritizing various crisis situations that an organization may need to confront, allowing for the proper allocation of resources.

To have a look at a sample communication plan: 

http://www.instituteforpr.org/topics/crisis-management-and-communications/

Reference:

Nudell,M., and Antokol,N.1988,The Handbook for Effective Emergency and Crisis Management, Toronto: Lexington Books.

Penrose,J. 2000, The role of perception in crisis planning, Public Relations Review.