TOP TIPS: Four key crisis communication questions
Use these four questions to help you form an effective crisis communication plan.
Normal business processes fail in crisis situations, and communication is no exception. Crisis planning, training and process design should be treated as exceptional activities for extraordinary circumstances.
Good communication can only be part of your business response – it shouldn’t be confused with managing the situation. The communication team needs to work with operational and management teams as part of a co-ordinated effort to stabilise the crisis and minimise damage and loss of life.
Some essential activities – such as evacuation procedures, family notification and support and liaison with emergency services – require a fast, consistent response from all three teams and it’s important to clarify responsibilities before a crisis strikes.
1. What are your key objectives in a crisis?
Clarify your communication objectives at the
start of your plan. Typical objectives include:
- Assessment of a situation to decide whether a communication response is appropriate;
- Sharing information about the crisis with affected parties and core constituencies;
- Using facts to reduce speculation or panic;
- Rebuilding confidence in your company.
Your objectives should begin with
a clear
definition of what a crisis is in the context of
your business. Distinguish between a crisis
(requiring a public response and involving
outside agencies) and a serious internal issue,
as your response will vary accordingly.
2. Who should be on your crisis team?
A crisis communication team will preferably
always report to the CEO and seek approval for
its crisis plan from him or her. However, it’s
important to have contingency plans in place in
case that person cannot be contacted.
If your crisis communication team is to
provide consistent information to all constituencies, it should include
representatives
from across your communication, public affairs
and HR functions.
3. What should a response plan look like?
Obviously, different companies structure their
response plans with different priorities in mind,
but certain core activities are common to all.
Typically activities are structured into
immediate response (all actions in the first 72
hours), medium term (first week) and long-term
(ongoing support work). Essential immediate
responses include:
- Establish the known facts.
- Designate a spokesperson. Typically, the most effective person for this role will be the CEO or the senior manager who’s most capable of dealing with tough questions and inspiring confidence in his or her answers.
- Determine who needs to be informed and the order in which they should be contacted.
- Divide contact responsibilities across your team and begin informing people of the known facts.
While immediate responses should be designed to react and stay on top of a situation, medium and long-term activities aim to return your organisation back to normal and help people overcome trauma. Build a review process into your plan to ensure that these activities are continuously evaluated and improved.
Bear in mind that all contingency plans need a degree of flexibility. Their aim is to make sure that people are aware of the processes and decisions required in a crisis. However, even the most comprehensive plan will not enable you to fully automate your company’s reaction.
4. What resources will you need?
A fact sheet – containing all available
information and contact details for
spokespeople and relevant support agencies –
can form the core of your communication
response. For it to be effective, you’ll need
processes in place to ensure access for all
(remember that a crisis could disable your
communication network) and to enable version
control, so that the information is up-to-date on
all existing versions.
Other recommendations:
Using
a blog to communicate during Hurricane Katrina at State Farm