As a communications leader, you are charged with figuring out how to quickly, determine what your crisis communications messaging will be when things go wrong and trouble is brewing. A well-executed crisis communications plan can make all the difference between getting a crisis contained and a crisis getting way out of control. It needs to be current, clear, and practical enough to use when pressure is high, and decisions need to be made swiftly and strategically, and it should prepare you with the fundamentals to respond when the unexpected happens,
Deciding who is in charge while in a crisis is a sure-fire recipe for disaster! A crisis team should be established ahead of time, and everyone on the team should know their communications role, operational role, legal role, and final approval role. When developing crisis communications, write down the name and the title of the people that need to be involved and the people that are their backups, in the event they are unavailable at the moment the crisis occurs.
Your plan should answer these questions: Who needs to know? Who speaks for us? What can we say? Who approves the message? How quickly do we respond? Who responds when a reporter calls? Who communicates with employees? Who handles social media? Who briefs leadership? Your spokesperson may change depending on the situation, but your process should not. You may have different audiences to communicate to depending on the scenario: employees, customers, families, board members, donors, partners, the public. You may need to communicate to them in a certain order. For example, you don't want your employees learning about a major issue from social media or rumors. You want the board of trustees to learn about an issue from you and not the press. It's important to know your stakeholders and how you intend to communicate to them quickly.
You can't plan for everything, and attempting to do so is a futile effort. Don't attempt to write a statement for every scenario that may happen because every scenario will be nuanced. Create versatile templates for holding statements, internal communications, media communications, and leadership communications that can be easily modified. Remember, timing is everything! Being quick to respond is important, but being accurate is more important. Sometimes your first communication may just be: We're aware. We're assessing the situation. This is what we know. This is what we anticipate will happen next.
Okay, so you've released that first statement. Now what? Your crisis communications strategy should have an answer for that. You have to always be thinking beyond that first statement. As questions shift and information changes, your audience will need updates. A press release isn't the end of your communications. You have to be ready to communicate with employees, respond to the press, and monitor social conversations, as these variables can take on a life of their own if they are not thoughtfully and timely addressed. That first statement is only the beginning.
Have you pressure-tested your plan? A crisis plan that hasn't been tested is theoretical. Let's take this test scenario, for example: A serious incident happens at 8:30 AM, and a claim is made to the press by a former employee that could potentially damage your reputation. According to the plan you have developed, who gets the first call? Who collects the intel? Who prepares the responses? Who approves the responses? How do you communicate with your employees? Running a test of your scenario against your leadership team can help identify things that can be fixed prior to a real crisis.
Finally, keep in mind that your crisis communications plan is a living document and not something you hang up on a shelf and never think about again. It has to evolve with your organization for it to be useful. Update contact sheets and vendor lists every quarter, and conduct in-depth real-life scenario exercises every year to pressure-test the details to ensure it still makes sense based on business operations. Don't wait until a crisis to make adjustments to your plan. Make the time to sit down and plan a meeting with your team to tackle any loopholes that you may have identified. Remember, the goal of crisis communication isn't to have the perfect response to everything, it is to help the communications staff to be well positioned so they are not starting from a deficit when a situation does occur. As the popular saying goes, “If you stay ready, you won’t have to get ready!”
Is your organization crisis communications ready? The last thing you want to do is discover gaps in your crisis communications plan when you are actually in a crisis. Take the time to review your processes and ensure that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. Help your team be prepared to respond to a crisis with confidence.
Looking for assistance with developing, updating, or pressure-testing your crisis communications plan? Let's chat. I can help you develop a practical and actionable crisis communications plan to protect your organization's reputation and ensure your leadership team is ready
