Creating a Crisis Communication Plan

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Crises take many forms, but there are shared communication strategies for dealing with them

When a crisis strikes, whether internal or external, how will your company address it? Shockingly, half of U.S. companies don’t have a crisis communication plan, which makes them more vulnerable to a variety of situations.

It’s important to understand the types of emergencies a company may face and prepare adequately. Let’s explore these risks and the key aspects of a crisis communication strategy that protects organizations, employees, and customers.

Common types of crises

In a global Deloitte survey of 300 organizational board members, the crisis areas that made them feel the most vulnerable are: corporate reputation (73%), cyber-crime (70%), and rumors (68%). These are just a few situations companies face that generally fall into the following categories:

  • Financial: A financial crisis occurs when a company suddenly loses value and can’t afford to pay off debt. It’s usually caused by a drop in demand, which can be spurred by personnel issues, product issues, broader economic factors, or a scandal.

  • Employee: when a staff member or associate of the company behaves unethically or engages in illegal activity.

  • Organizational: These crises arise when the company has done something to harm its customers and/or shareholders, such as fraud or exploitation. The Wells Fargo fake account scandal is a great example.

  • Technology: instances where proprietary or customer data is lost or exposed to potential hackers.

  • Natural: This includes natural disasters that can severely impact offices, supply chains, employees, and customers. Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and the COVID-19 pandemic fall into this category.

Crucial aspects of a crisis communication strategy

  • Anticipation and planning ahead: Fewer than half of companies have a playbook for potential crises. Conduct an audit to determine the organization’s biggest vulnerabilities. Identify the most likely scenarios you'll encounter and outline general talking points and action steps, so you're not caught flat-footed.

  • Choose your team and spokesperson: A crisis management team should include the heads of the departments affected and key company leadership. These individuals need to be aware of what crisis management efforts are in place and what their role is in mitigating the effects. The spokesperson should be someone with a calm demeanor who understands the balance between controlling the message and doing right by customers, employees, and shareholders. This role typically falls to someone in marketing or operations.

  • Create a notification system: The priority in a crisis is alerting leadership, employees, and shareholders if the latter is applicable. Establishing a multi-faceted notification system is critical, so everyone is informed as soon as possible and knows immediate action steps. Never announce anything to the media before sharing it with personnel. Everyone affected by the crisis should be prepared and know what to expect.

  • Craft direct and honest messaging: No matter the crisis, the spokesperson must communicate with honesty and a high degree of emotional intelligence. Stick to facts. Never assume or speculate. Messaging should center around the impact the crisis is having and the steps you are taking to deal with it.

Be ready with a crisis communication plan—and assess its success after implementation

Preparedness doesn’t end when a crisis is over. Crisis communication efforts should be analyzed after the storm recedes to learn what went wrong, what went right, what was unexpected, and how it can improve. If your organization doesn’t have a plan or it’s inadequate, now is always a good time to prepare one. From pandemics to hacks to natural disasters, an organization should be ready to react when crisis strikes.

Carrington Legal Search is celebrating 20 years in business: we were in the trenches with our clients during 9/11 and 2008. We partner with our clients to identify leaders and mission-critical talent to shore up and grow companies even during the most challenging times. We are here for you! To make our nationwide network work for you, get in touch at 512-627-7467 or email carrie@carringtonlegal.com.