We believe that crisis management cannot be a formulaic process. Every crisis situation is unique and must be managed accordingly. Any set of rules or tools tailored too narrowly to the needs of a hypothetical crisis scenario would be too confining to be of practical value when a genuine crisis develops.
There are certain core principles beneath successful crisis management, however. Developing appropriate tactics on the basis of these principles enables an organization’s leadership to remain focused and effective as crises unfold, which they usually do with blistering speed.
Once your management is grounded in the core principles and methodologies, we can respond effectively to a wide range of distinct crises. Anticipating the types of crises that a company is likely to encounter can help develop useful frameworks. Further, the skills needed to implement a crisis response can be amplified and honed through simulations that put management through the paces of a realistic crisis situation.
From our experience in helping to manage and contain hundreds of crises, we have discerned certain basic principles, including the following:
Understand media interest in your story
The media is the prime driver of most crises with many journalists taking delight in the crisis environment in a way that executives do not. It is important to understand the media, much the way you understand your customers and competitors. Business can never rely exclusively on the media to deliver its message.
Define the real problem and determine strategy accordingly
An organization must first make certain that it is addressing the core problem, and not a vexing but ultimately tangential side issue. Once the problem has been defined, you can determine the goals of the crisis management process and the strategy to drive this process. This strategy must be flexible and tailored to the problem you are trying to solve rather than an artificially imposed standard of “good” or “bad” crisis management.
Manage the flow of information
The media often spreads misinformation, deliberately or not. Such misinformation can flow back unchecked to internal audiences and distort internal perceptions and proper corporate decision-making. Therefore, aggressively managing the full flow of information is critically important in a crisis situation.
Assume the situation will escalate and get worse
Start with the understanding that the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better. Be careful not to be overly optimistic or make categorical statements early on in a crisis.
Remember all your constituencies
Employ the best technology you have at your disposal to communicate directly and effectively to all constituencies. Caught in the pressure of a real crisis, companies often overlook direct communications to affected constituencies. This is a key area where advanced preparation will yield multiple benefits.
Measure results in real time
Crises evolve. It is imperative that you continually measure the effectiveness of your crisis management tactics to evaluate the overall effectiveness of your crisis management strategy. Omnibus surveys, select polling and focus groups can quickly generate useful data regarding the public perception of your problem within 48 hours of its unfolding.
But, of course, your first step in managing or preparing for a crisis is to call us.
