What is your experience with crisis communication planning?

Having a clear framework and evaluation tool that is tied to the company values and key stakeholders is key to navigating these complex and often high stress, emotional situations. Create a crisis comms team, I recommend you identify a cross functional team that usually consists of comms, HR, legal, risk and IR that you pull in as needed. Consultation with the right people to think through each situation and impact quickly is key. Table top exercises are invaluable in preparing, gaining new perspective and building trust and relationships with the core crisis team.

Crafting a crisis communication plan isn't a mere formality; it's a shield against unpredictable storms that can hit any organization. It's more than just preparing for the worst; it's about positioning the organization to emerge from the tempest stronger than before. One key insight to underscore is that a crisis isn't solely a threat—it's also an opportunity. When handled skillfully, it can become a moment to showcase the organization's integrity, resilience, and commitment to stakeholders. It's a chance to prove that your brand is not just about products or services, but about principles and relationships. A crisis communication plan should continually evolve and improve. Just as crisis situations vary, so too should the response.

It is important to immediately set up a response team with the relevant staff. Let the right person with the needed information take control of communications and channels. Be open and transparent.

Future reputational issues may arise for your brand, but there are proactive best practices you can establish to best position your organization to tackle a crisis comms moment. In advance: Build a crisis comms plan naming the core team and the executive crisis team. Collect contact numbers, establish video links with up-to-date information to ensure your core crisis team knows where to go. Build a crisis matrix and establish the severity your organization may encounter. Next, establish an escalation process based on your matrix. Lastly, run through scenario exercised with the core crisis team at least once annually, this allows you to explore the potential crisis and how it might be handled.

Organizations should have an emergency management plan, as well as a crisis communications plan to ensure readiness and preparedness in the event of a difficult, dangerous, or even life-threatening situation. Activating the plan when situations arise can protect employees, clients, and communities from harm, whether the threat is a natural disaster, media relations issue, or other strategic variable.

First we perform a risk assessment: what are potential crisis that can impact your organization negatively? Cyber attacks? Product recalls? Next, develop a crisis response team with very clear roles and responsibilities. This team generally encompasses of members from brand executive leadership, PR and Comms, Legal and Operations. What communication protocol would you need? Designate and train a spokesman (media training) to avoid any impulsive reactions. Then comes the message. What will you communicate? The key messages should align with the brand values and address specific crisis scenarios. KEY: MEDIA RELATIONS: Establish positive relationships with the media beforehand. This will come in handy.

Drafting a robust crisis communication plan is like building a fortress. However, it's not just about having a fortress; it's about knowing how to protect it. It starts with understanding strengths and vulnerabilities and doing a thorough SWOT analysis. Knowing your audience well is rudimentary as they're the first line of defense. We need to remember that the plan is not static; it's a dynamic playbook that evolves with the organization and the world.

Rather than adapt a plan to fit scenarios, identify what those scenarios are likely to be and create procedures to monitor the threat, engage the core response team and finalize holding statements. An effective crisis, communication plan should include likely, possible, and unlikely, but still possible scenarios. Include potential threats specific to your business or industry, as well as threats that could happen to any business.

It can be very tempting to address a crisis with vocal communications and overexplanation - but this can at times add fuel to the controversy and make matters worse. Care for your employees and partners. Take a measured and transparent approach. And depending on the level of the crisis, don't be afraid to continue communicating on other topics with sensitivity and alignment with your values.

Don't let your company appear as if you are making excuses or downplaying something that went wrong. Own the mistakes, and instead of making excuses, use the opportunity to share how you're going to fix it and prevent it from happening in the future.

Transparency is the first step in crisis communication play. An organization cannot have it any other way. Navigating a crisis demands finesse, where the way we communicate can either salvage or sink our reputation. Denying or ignoring the crisis is like trying to hide an elephant in the room. Acknowledging it is the first step towards mitigation. In a crisis, being steadfast, honest, and consistent in communication not only preserves integrity but also showcases professionalism.

AVOID: Speculation Guesswork Blame Shifting Downplay Inconsistency in Messaging Overpromising Ignoring the Crisis Delaying the communication

I have found feedback the most important tool to help in improving a plan. Some other factors for evaluating the effectiveness of the plan are: 1. Conducting post-incident analysis 2. Staying updated 3. Media monitoring 4. Assessing the timelines of response 5. Checking legal and regulatory compliance 6. External audit to have an objective evaluation

While transparency when handling a crisis is very important, avoid oversharing unnecessary details. Always strive to strike a balance between openness and discretion.

To prepare for a crisis ... prevent it. Communicators are business advisors. Strong companies and communicators see it this way. A CEO may have a general idea of what he/she wants to accomplish, but they bring in the Communications leader when reputation risk (which can impact operations and financial risk) is a concern. Importantly, companies don't always see when these risks are present - but a Crisis Communications pro will. That noted, the best thing a Communicator can do is showcase the value they bring by advising on company goals using the lens of Communications to advise. Meanwhile, a CEO can go beyond simply inviting communicators in the room on occasion, but rather EXPECT them in the room, and listen as they advise.

In my experience, speed is the name of the game. While the Communications team owns the plan, it is equally important for other stakeholders to contribute to the plan. As Tara McDonagh rightly mentioned, Communication pro can foresee possible risks and advise accordingly.