What to do in a Crisis – Part II
This is the second blog of a series that will help in preparing for a crisis. To recap, the first blog talked about the need for quick, accurate, honest and complete response. Plain and simple, there are no short cuts. We also talked about the need to have a plan in place before a crisis happens because there is no simple solution or plan that covers everything.
But the suggestions in this series will get you moving toward dealing with a crisis that could happen in your business. We suggest working with your public relations professionals and attorneys to develop the most complete crisis plan for your organization.
Part II - Before Something Happens
1. Prepare a thorough crisis communications plan with all the information you will need in one data base. Names with all contact information, etc., will be essential to successfully begin the communication process during a crisis. This plan should include all legal requirements your company or organization must adhere to.
2. Establish a core team as part of your plan including your CEO, lead public relations officer, lead attorney and one, two, or three other senior executives like your COO and CFO. This is critical to the plan.
3. Create a website that can be downloaded with information and activated at the appropriate time. Be ready to communicate by email and social communications options including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. immediately and often.
4. Make a list of the events that could happen in your organization that could become a crisis. Be totally and completely open and honest with yourselves. Include who might be a spokesperson in various situations.
5. Make a list of the important audiences that you will need to communicate with, begin the list with your employees followed by your customers. Include other audiences as appropriate - share holders, suppliers, the community, your board of directors, analysts, etc. And, all of these audiences will need to be communicated with immediately. How will you communicate? The answer is lots of ways, but one will be through the media including social media as mentioned above. (NOTE: If you don’t understand the meaning of the words honest and immediate, look them up.)
This is your start. Stay tuned for the third in part of our series on Communicating in a Crisis, “Communicating After Something Happens.”
