Crisis Management Plan Procedures

All businesses should have a plan of action to respond to a crisis situation. Disasters commence with little or no warning, and a good response plan may save lives and property and will reduce the possibility of post-disaster legal actions. (For our purposes a 'crisis situation' is an extraordinary, unpredictable event such as a dangerous intruder, death of an individual, criminal activity, fire, and so on.)

Initial Response

1. Contact police, fire, or rescue agencies. Turn decisions over to the appropriate government agency as soon as possible.
2. Conduct an emergency meeting of the management team. You should have already established a disaster-management team or crisis-management team as part of your overall business disaster planning.
3. Assign a liaison person to gather information and interface with government agencies.
4. Contact legal counsel.
5. Keep the organization's spokesperson advised of the situation.

During the Crisis

1. Disseminate information to the management team, preferably by meeting rather than by memo.

2. Supply the management team with written material to help with the dissemination of information to all employees.
3. Supply telephone operators with a brief statement to handle incoming telephone calls. Consider establishing a voice-mail information box to provide consistent information to all callers.
4. Maintain close contact with government agencies.
5. Have the spokesperson handle all media contacts.

Debriefing

1. Meet with the management team and allow each individual time to express him- or herself. This is useful for fact finding and psychological healing.
2. Meet with the management team. Reconstruct the team's response process and reevaluate the steps taken.

An important final consideration is the manner in which employees will respond to a disaster. Psychologists have identified some expected behavior responses, which can be broken down as follows:

1. Immediate survival behavior
2. Concerns for family safety, security, and survival
3. Co-worker concerns
4. Worry over property and possessions-facing the reality of loss
5. Concerns needed to secure finances and employment

Note that employment concerns are lower on the list. After the immediate impact of the disaster, the following emotions have been identified:

1. Denial and shock
2. Acceptance
3. Guilt
4. Recovery

Other than recognizing that these responses exist, there might not be much action to take. Arranging for rapid psychological assistance from qualified professionals is an important early step.

The management team should be aware that some employees will respond with courage and even perform heroic acts. Other employees will be disoriented and unable to function effectively for a number of days, or even weeks.