Lessons I’Ve Learned In Crisis Management

LESSONS I’VE LEARNED IN CRISIS MANAGEMENT

By Janine Reid

I’ve become a loyal student in the school for crisis management planning. This school is different from any other educational institution because its exams are unforgiving. The all-too-frequent tests are delivered in real time and real dollars. One wrong decision can mean the difference between a positive outcome and the uncontrollable opposite.

After advising scores of companies on crises during the past 15 years, I’d like to share a few of the lessons that I’ve learned:

• It’s essential to have an up-to-date crisis management plan. It’s not a question of if, but when, your company will experience a crisis. I’ve worked with companies that have plans, as well as those who don’t. When a crisis occurs, the difference between the two becomes readily apparent. A written protocol affords a company the luxury of being proactive during a crisis rather than reactive — a disparity that can have a major impact on a firm’s reputation and bottom line.

• In the event of an employee injury or fatality, notify their family as soon as possible. I’ve worked with many companies that have chosen to hold off on notifying the family until the injured person arrives at a medical facility and a doctor has assessed their injuries. My experience has shown this to be a major error in judgment. In one case, for example, an employee was removed from a job site, classified as seriously injured, and died three hours later at the hospital. The family was not notified until after the employee was pronounced dead.

• Be aware that a variety of audiences will scrutinize how you handle a crisis. Most people think that the term 'audience' includes only current, past, and potential clients. Clearly, clients of any status are one of your most significant audiences. However, you’ll also need to consider the reaction of your employees, the news media, vendors, competing firms, financial institutions, your insurance company, and a host of others. If the crisis is getting media attention, it’s a sure bet that all of these audiences are watching and judging how you deal with it. In fact, your company will be judged more on how it handles the situation than on the actual situation itself. Thus, it’s critical that a top manager contacts your audiences to assure them that you’re in control of the situation. If you don’t act quickly, your bottom line could suffer.

• Your employees are one of your most important audiences. Employees can be a tremendous asset, or liability, during a crisis. Consistent communication is essential because your employees are a direct link to your other audiences. Be sure to keep them informed on the situation and counseled on what they can, and cannot, say. If you don’t, they’ll come up with something on their own that might not be in your best interest. The rumor mill will be in full production during a crisis, so there’s no need to make matters worse.

• Offer witnesses to an accident critical-incident stress counseling. Research has shown that individuals who witness an accident can experience substantial physiological and psychological effects that will linger for months, or longer, if not attended to. Provide counseling for the witnesses and the project team as quickly as possible. This should be done after the debriefing process or at a project meeting the next day. The goal is to return these people to work and a normal life as quickly as possible.

• Have field personnel trained on how to handle a crisis situation. If the crisis occurs in the field, your on-site personnel can set the stage for a proactive response or create so much negativity that it will be extremely difficult just to 'break even.' The senior person on site needs to be aware of their responsibilities in a crisis and receive the appropriate training. This training must be repeated periodically to reinforce its importance.

• Train company spokesperson(s) on how to work effectively with the media.

The key to effective crisis management is to have a written plan that’s been approved by upper management and understood by all crisis team members and salaried employees. Be sure to provide this training before an incident occurs.

Finally, use a healthy dose of common sense when a crisis strikes — but don’t fool yourself that common sense will come easily. Clear minds won’t necessarily prevail when 'it hits the fan.' Prepare now. Your reputation is too valuable to lose.