The word “crisis” is thrown around daily in newsrooms and boardrooms, and while the crushing uncertainty about what will happen next affects organizations across the spectrum, the reality is that not every fire drill – or fire, for that matter – is a true PR crisis.
If your team has not taken the time to discuss and agree upon what constitutes a PR crisis for your organization, you’ve missed a vital first step.
There’s still time. Now. Before an event occurs.
Because when it does, time is precious, teams are stressed, and the natural impulse can be to assemble the full crisis management team to deal with the situation (or worse, your full executive team, if your company doesn’t have a CMT).
And while every company’s crisis management needs are different, one thing is certain: When facing an urgent event, the last thing your company needs is the upheaval of your key strategic leadership abandoning their regular responsibilities. The only thing you need even less? For decisions about how to navigate the situation to be made in a whirlwind of reactive chaos.
This not only leads to weaker decisions at a pivotal moment where every move matters and increases your risk to vulnerabilities but also costs your regular operations and internal team dearly.
This is entirely avoidable if there is clarity on what a true crisis is and what is merely an operational interruption, and when to act in full emergency mode and when to deal with matters as difficult but not devastating.
Where to start?
Together with leadership, identify the factors that determine whether to activate your CMT. These may include:
- Risk to life, health, safety or the environment
- Potential for damage to the company’s brand and reputation
- A threat of business interruption
- Sustained negative media attention
- Staff uncertainty and challenge
Instead of pulling a dusty crisis playbook off the shelf and consulting the list of most likely scenarios, a practiced approach equips the team to think critically about the impact of events and enact a system for fast-track, structured decision-making and prudent communication during what for your organization is a genuine a crisis. To not only “get through” a crisis, but to navigate the situation with confidence and clarity so that the company’s reputation gets through it with fortitude.
The PR crisis framework follows the EPIC formula:
Evaluate – Assess the breadth and depth of the situation. It may ugly and painful, but not a crisis in the true sense. Detailed information is key;
Prepare – Have your team exercise the protocols you will follow, refine procudes and then mobilize in a way that is true to your pre-determined plan;
Initiate – Activate your strategy. Mobilize your team in clearly defined roles. Issue and sustain communication in a structured process. Take time to evaluate status at key moments to ensure you remain on track and on plan.
Chronicle – At a point where the contingency moderates to a level of operational control, document everything so an “after-action” assessment can be made and key lessons learned can inform refinements for the next time around.
Additional components within each element ensure a comprehensive, well-conceived and tested approach that allows you to address the circumstance with confidence while ensuring business continuity.
