Article by: Sara Pantaleo
The best way to minimise the damage caused by a crisis is by taking steps before, during and after one has occurred. This includes doing your due diligence with security practices and preparing an emergency plan that can be used in emergencies like data breaches or other situations where you may have been compromised. Preparation and vigilance are required to navigate crises and reduce any negative impacts on the organisation. You can never be too careful.
Every company will have its defining moment of crisis. Whether a start-up or an established enterprise, there is always the risk that your brand could be damaged in some way and lose customers’ and investors’ confidence if you don’t handle issues like these properly.
It can happen at any time – when things seem brightest! A crisis management process will ensure the best possible outcome in an emergency.
It’s essential to know your response options and have them outlined on paper so they can be executed quickly when needed!
There are three crucial crisis management phases:
1) Planning (before a crisis)
Identify the variables and unknowns in your plan so that you can be prepared for anything. As it turns out – even if things go according to schedule- there might still need some flexibility when they don’t!
Train your team members to understand what is expected from them in the different situations they may find themselves in and ensure they are across the entire plan you have put together. This includes fire drill-style training and identifying a situation room where all available tools can be used for this purpose.
The importance here would be providing clear expectations about how things should go down when anything goes wrong at work so everyone knows their role inside out and can be prepared to go at any moment!
1) During a crisis
When crisis strikes, it’s important to gather everyone who is part of the crisis activation plan. Process the information and ensure everyone understands their responsibilities so your organisation is streamlined in their response. Your team needs to be ready for anything, so you should exercise caution when it comes time. A crisis may last much longer than a day or two, so it’s essential that you rest during a crisis and maintain emergency strength because, if not, more mistakes than usual are likely to happen. It is easy during a crisis for people not to rest, thinking this will help, but it will have the opposite effect, ensuring everyone is taking time out to recoup; this will ensure you stay at the top of your game responding to any crisis unfolding to lead to the best outcome.
2) After a crisis
Now is not the time to relax your standards. You’ve been through a lot, but that doesn’t mean you can take it easy on yourself! The crisis will impact how people see and treat your brand in some way–either negatively or positively depending again on what kind of response was used during this challenging period. Once the crisis is over, it is time to review your reply and update your plan to reflect any improvements that could’ve taken place.
Be sure to compile learnings and recognise the stakeholders who supported your brand during this time.
