"It's time to update my dusty plan," said a company executive. "We learned the importance of meeting employees' emotional needs," offered another.

These were among the many lessons learned from the tragic events of September 11 cited by corporate executives, contingency planners and risk managers in
an informal survey conducted by Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide.

The opportunity to survey representatives from both small businesses and large corporations came about when Ogilvy PR was invited to participate in an emergency management seminar sponsored by the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA). 

At the seminar, I asked participants to write down what they viewed as the most important lessons learned from September 11. We also interviewed a number of our own clients about their experiences on September 11.

The findings from the NJBIA seminar and client interviews are summarized in these "Six Lessons Learned from September 11." In all, our survey reflects the insights and ideas of about 80 crisis managers and corporate executives from a range of industry sectors. 

Lesson #1 Get Ready...The Threat is Real
Companies in our survey identified the reality of the threat and the need to prepare as the primary lessons learned from September 11.  They said terrorism must be taken more seriously, that every business is vulnerable, and that companies need to act now to protect their operations and their people. 

"We learned we're not prepared for worst-case scenarios ... not as a family, a company, a state or a country."  (Manufacturer)

•Conduct a threat assessment.  Ask department heads, employees and even customers for their perspectives on threats to your business. Consider terrorism, natural disasters, fires, bomb threats, neighborhood emergencies, technology failures, security threats and reputation crises. Consider financial threats, investigations, employee morale and lawsuits.  For each threat, consider the likelihood of occurrence and the potential impact on the business. 

"We need to anticipate results beyond the realm of probability." (Manufacturer)

•Begin with employee safety.  The most important aspect of every business is the people.  Consider actions that can have an immediate impact on saving lives such as fire safety, evacuation planning, security and emergency information for employees and their families. 

"We had focused on fire and building disasters.  September 11 raised the bar in terms of the level of plan.  We need to cope with the unthinkable." (Shopping Mall)

• Develop a comprehensive crisis plan.  This one is obvious but the plan is a must.  Maximize resources by focusing on common consequences of disaster such as denied access to facilities, missing employees, disrupted supply lines and stressed communications systems.  For example, building redundant communications systems prepares you for all types of crises. 

"Emergency plans should be a living part of every business operation." (Consulting Engineer)