Plan ahead to protect yourself
When we sit down to discuss crisis management with clients, one of the first steps we take is to have them list what they see as their vulnerabilities. From internal problems like disgruntled employees and mechanical breakdowns, to external issues like supply line disruptions or lost shipments, the list of potential crises is significantly longer than most expect. Not only that, but it’s also constantly shifting as your company changes and grows. How, then, do you stay prepared to battle these crises?
The following quote, from an OpenView Labs blog post by David Calusidan, is an excellent piece of advice:
Constantly assess your primary risks
Forward-thinking companies take a strategic approach to crisis communications by continuously assessing the risks associated with their businesses. The key to this effort is to establish a risk-aware culture and a process whereby employees can funnel their ideas about potential risks through management to an appointed member of the crisis communications team. For each risk, the team should assign responsibility for continuous monitoring and assessment, taking actions to mitigate risk when possible.
Simply put, and extremely effective. By planning (and preparing) for risks before they become reality, removing the old school block in communication between average employee and executive suite to facilitate crisis spotting, and creating clear-cut roles and responsibilities within the crisis team, you create a well-oiled crisis management machine.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/