Is your crisis prevention plan ready?
There are many analogies that can apply to crisis management, but we particularly liked a recent post by Rachel Hedstrom, APR The Gentry Agency. on the LiveProcess blog that compared the process to a workout plan.
WARM UP Getting your ducks in a row before a crisis hits is crucial on so many fronts. How is your communications program? How often do you plan to communicate with employees and with what kind of messaging? What kind of ongoing relationship does your facility have with the media? How informed and involved is your top leadership? Do you work well with your PIO and/or do you know how to serve effectively as one? Give yourself a grade for each of these areas and identify specific ways in which your program can improve. Prioritize three areas for communications improvement this year and tackle those first.
We chose the “Warm Up” section because it’s the most important step in both disciplines. If you aren’t properly prepared, which in this case means knowing the answers to the questions posed and then some, you’re far more likely to take damage from minor mishaps. While in workouts this can mean sprains and strains, in crisis management you’re looking at reputation damage, drops in productivity, and loss of income.
When all of this can be prevented with some solid crisis preparation, why are most businesses still not ready?
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/