If your organisation ever has to face a crisis it will be challenging, and you will need to respond positively to come out the other side with your personal and organisational reputation intact. 

 

Divine Clark PR held a number of workshops with Positive Impact, a crisis PR training company. 

 

The following guide includes a number of principles that, if followed, will help you deal with disaster. 

 

Whilst every crisis is different in some way, there are common themes. People will be effected and the more people and the more adversely affected they are, the bigger the crisis will be. If news is something that hits you in the head, the heart or the pocket, then a crisis gets you with all of these. 

 

at the time of a crisis people need leaders and need to know someone has taken charge, that there is a plan and a response is organised. They need to know that someone is telling them what to do and directing everyone’s efforts. Leaders can offer direction and reassurance and people who feel vulnerable, confused or threatened because of a crisis need that. During a crisis leaders come into their own. 

 

with a workable plan in place: every organisation, whatever size, whatever sector should have a business continuity plan. Many don’t. The good news is that the plan doesn’t have to be massively complex. It needs to identify the primary threats/risks an organisation faces, not all of them, say around half a dozen more likely threats. Then for each of those scenarios work up a response plan; what actions do we carry out, what resources do we need (people and kit) and where do we go? Operational actions and communications are integral to each other so alongside each scenario create a series of template communications for internal and external audiences and get them signed off ready. 

 

a crisis is no time to form a steering group and a series of sub-committees, it is a time for action. You need to get on and do things. Your actions should be the ones that are going to make a meaningful difference and sort out the situation. Those actions also need to be visible so that people can see the evidence of action with their own eyes. This is no time for shuffling the deckchairs of the Titanic! 

 

with all that might be happening during your crisis it would be easy to forget to share what is happening with others. Don’t forget – you must communicate. The earlier you start, the better and once started don’t stop. The speed of your communication is key to driving the news agenda rather than reacting to it. Communication is not a one off. 

 

leaving arguably the most important until last, crises are about people. So whatever your response, you must very clearly address the needs of those most directly affected and you must make sure people know you care. People as your priority should be clear both within your operational response and within your communications. 

 

I sincerely hope you never have to experience a crisis, however should the worst happen, by following these principles at every level you have a good chance of coming through.