There is a reason we take out insurance – car, home, life, asset, health, pet – because we know at some stage in life, things will go pear-shaped. Who wants to be caught with their pants down, unprepared, nowhere to turn when it does? Not I, said the fly… and neither should you, writes Annette Densham.
But we have been caught with our pants down. COVID-19 has caused damage across the world and so many are standing there gobsmacked, and have no idea what to do (besides buy toilet paper and sanitiser)
As a business owner, you have worked hard to build your reputation and marketplace street cred. That can disappear in an instant if the worst happens and you have no idea how to handle a crisis, what to say or do. Or what about things out of your control? Bad things happen and having a plan in p[alce means you can respond quickly and with certainty, instead of stress and panic.
It is not too late to put a plan into action or have a media holding statement on stand by just in case.
Crisis management planning, incorporating a media management strategy, is essential for all businesses – large and small. Covering all bases and scenarios could mean the difference between surviving a crisis or shutting up shop.
Working in corporate communications for a not for profit organisation was an eye-opener for me. The majority had no plans in place if a crisis happened. One learnt the hard way after surviving a major crisis and hustled to put strategies into place to cover their rear end.
One organisation said they would cross that bridge IF something happened. BA BAH. Wrong answer. One day there was a crisis… no one was prepared (except for me), panic prevailed and dramatic activity unfolded. If things had not been so stressful and volatile, I would have dropped in an ‘I told you so.’ Even after the crisis hit, no one took any time to debrief or forward plan.
Don’t leave it..even now. Once the crisis hits, there is no time to be methodical and strategic about response, you are in catch up land.
When a crisis unfolds, the media plays a role in sharing with the community what is going on..and they do it well especially if it is a big story. I am sure you have watched enough TV news to know a juicy crisis can keep the media well fed for weeks.
With the COVID-19, we are all playing catch up. Never in our wildest dreams did we expect something of this scale or magnitude. People are losing jobs, our economy is in strife and for those working with people especially those who are vulnerable, you have to be extra careful.
It is not too late to plan for what may happen in the coming weeks, plan with a level head and an open mind.
A crisis management plan is like having insurance for your business – reputation insurance. Normally, you’d take the time to workshop all potential crisis situations and how you will respond will help you take much of the stress out of dealing with the media and all parties involved. You know what you will say (your key messages are locked in), you have media release templates ready to go and everyone knows what is expected of them.
But the time for that has passed. The crisis is here. For now, it is worth brainstorming from the worst possible outcome to the least.
- How will you handle it?
- If the media get involved, who is your spokesperson, what will they say?
- What about other stakeholders, what do they need to know?
- How will you recover? Think about what needs to be in place to get through the crisis.
Tips On Managing A Crisis
- PPPPP – be prepared. Plan for all possible scenarios in advance. Practice your crisis management plan
- Be clear on what your key messages are – manage your messages and do not forget social media is a great tool to communicate with
- Lock in who your spokesperson will be and get them media trained
- Determine what PR tools you will use during a crisis – media relations, social media, media conferences, media alerts
- Don’t try to be slippery or avoid questions. Work with a professional to help you cover your rear end legally and reputation-wise. Ban the words ‘no comment’
- Know your topic – practice your key statements
- Stay calm – if you have planned in advance, you will have most bases covered
- Only speak the truth – if you do not know, do not guess the answer. Reply honestly that you do not know and you will find out the answer
- Acknowledge the crisis – do not hide from it. Have your statement ready to go to the media
- Show empathy and concern – while you should not admit guilt or culpability until you have checked with legal, you can still be a human being
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