1. Prepare the organisation before the storm: who are the relevant stakeholders? Who is the designated spokesperson? Are you prepared to deal with the media? Who makes up the crisis committee? Who keeps a record of requests and actions taken? Not having an answer to these questions when the crisis has broken out can be very dangerous.
2. Recognise a real crisis: Not every problem is a crisis. Equipping yourself with tools to detect and distinguish serious problems from normal unforeseen daily events allows you to act quickly when needed, so you can stop crying wolf. Are there any examples? Implement a social media listening system, have a clear and shared process to report potential problems, create short checklists to assess if you are facing a crisis, etc.
3. Plan: define what to do without forgetting relevant stakeholders. Identify priorities, both in terms of actions and messages. Setting course is critical, even in the heart of the storm.
4. Act: with objectives, roles and contents defined, it’s time to act, with the head and the heart, but not with the gut.
During a crisis everything happens very quickly. Reacting promptly is essential, but the right steps must be taken to avoid later regret.
