Creative thinking makes for stronger crisis planning
Some crises, natural disasters for instance, are almost a given. There is no way someone is going to overlook the fact that California is known for earthquakes, or that their company headquarters is located smack dab in the middle of Tornado Alley. Others are far less likely, and require thinking to go outside the box in order to be prepared for crisis management. In a recent blog post, the Burns & McDonnell World team spoke on this issue:
When developing a plan for potential crises, the staff working on the project must develop a creative thought process. They must anticipate a variety of problems that may arise, whether financial, structural or environmental, and brainstorm potential solutions to avert or respond to each type of crisis. Of course, the employees working on the plans have to work within the letter of the law, but they must address the multiple aspects of a crisis that need to be handled, such as public relations, containment and, perhaps, cleanup.
Of course, crises rarely ever happen according to the book (it wouldn’t be a crisis if it did), so a business needs its employees to be prepared for whatever comes their way. When a staff is accustomed to thinking outside of the box for crisis planning, employees are likely dynamic enough to adapt to any challenge the company faces. They become equally strong during periods of healthy growth and times of crisis.
The constant evolution of communication and, in recent years, technology, has made flexibility a necessity, not an option. Even with thorough planning, circumstances will come up that you were unprepared for. In those cases you can start with a standard crisis response plan, but it’s the brains inside the organization that will see you through.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/