Do you have a crisis management plan?

No matter how small or large your business is, the importance of having a crisis management plan is tremendous.

Here are a few things to think about in order to plan for a crisis: 

Who: Select your crisis management team. This group is responsible for creating, communicating, maintaining and executing your crisis communication plan.

What: Create your crisis management documents including:

• Statements from the CEO
• E-mail drafts
• Press releases
• Contact lists (stake holders, employees, media)
• Non-traditional lists (social media groups and lists of key influencers)

When: React as soon as possible. To ensure a speedy reaction time, schedule ongoing meetings with your crisis management team to update the plan, contact lists and communities. Outline the timeline of events and appropriate steps so all employees are well-versed in the process.

Where: Save your plan in a secure place where all employees can access it from any location. It is important that everyone knows where to direct outside questions.

Why: A poor crisis response can send your business crashing down. However, a successful crisis plan execution can potentially create a better position for your organization afterward.

How have you handled a crisis in your organization? Did you have a plan?