As COVID-19 proved, crises come without any warning. But you must not be caught off guard by any unexpected and unprecedented situation; that is where crisis communication planning comes in. Hubspot has published an article that sheds some light on the areas of crisis communication that will come in handy to create a crisis communication plan.
What is crisis communication?
Crisis communication simply means the dissemination of information in an organization in the face of a crisis. The said crisis often carries varying degrees and levels of negative impacts for the whole organization. Crisis communication also involves all the inputs and narratives regarding all the aspects of the crisis. This, in turn, paves a way to redress the crisis.
What is a crisis communication plan?
Just like any other plan, a crisis communication plan is an outline prepared for a business to face any emergency or unanticipated events. A crisis communication plan has the following core factors:
- Guidelines on steps to take to address an emerging crisis
- Public communication
- Prevention of the issue from recurring
What are examples of crises that affect business?
Anything can manifest as a crisis that affects your organization that calls for crisis communication. They are, but not limited to:
- Financial loss/deficiency/downturn
- Workforce furlough/strike/changes
- Institutional practices/policies/rules
- Technological pitfalls/failure
- Natural disasters
The core of readying a crisis communication plan is the ability to foresee and being prepared with proactive damage control. Remember, this does not equate you as being a pessimist; this is you building a higher bunk before the flood hits. A crisis communication plan that you devise must be able to atone the outcomes of a crisis, immaterial of the crisis’ scale and duration. Experience plays a key role in identifying potential threats and risks that can morph into full-blown crises. A crisis communication plan is all about para-crisis, that is, nipping it in the bud.
Learn how to craft an effective crisis communication plan for your organization by taking the eCornell PR Strategy program; it will help you sniff the smoke before the inferno and standby before the situation festers.
eCornell courses are approved by SkillsFuture Singapore for SkillsFuture Credit as well as by HRDF Malaysia under its SBL Scheme.