For businesses in the path of Dorian, recent weeks have been difficult. Damages are in the billions from the Bahamas to Nova Scotia, with loss of life, infrastructure destruction and business interruption.
A natural disaster is just one of many calamities that can disrupt business operations or affect the corporate image. Data breaches, employee sabotage, damaging social media attention, or executive impropriety can send a business into crisis. How prepared are you to handle even the lowest level predicament?
Communication priorities should be enacted: employees first, clients next and then media. Read below for helpful tips to be well prepared for what can happen in the blink of an eye.
Crisis Management Planning
1. Select a spokesperson who performs under pressure and knows the company well. The president isn’t always the best choice.
2. Appoint a liaison for your employees – someone who has the ability to be clear and reassuring when communicating.
3. Communicate honestly and frequently – employees deserve to know the real situation.
4. Client communications may require a team effort. Be sure that messaging is consistent and honest. Reassure stakeholders that you remain vigilant with your responsibilities for them.
5. Identify a local business reporter that you trust when a crisis occurs. Having a key media contact will assure your external message will be reported accurately – keeping misinformation to a minimum.
Bottomline: You can’t predict when a crisis will happen, but you can be prepared for it. The pathway to survival is to prepare ahead of time so you can act fast to address the crisis before it spirals out of control.
