Colleges were clearly caught off guard by recent political disruptions, and the second-guessing is nonstop. “Didn’t they see this coming? Hasn’t this sort of thing happened before? Why was the response often uncertain, tentative and even counterproductive?”
Time for businesses to look in the mirror. Many companies are unprepared to deal with much simpler issues than the brutalities of war, which suddenly beset our campuses, and the time to face that is now.
The answer is a crisis plan that is thought through, in place and with a red button every member of the C-Suite knows how to push. The defense against surprises from today’s trigger-happy social media and the hungry feed cycle of traditional media is anticipation. Every company eventually faces unexpected challenges, whether from a bad earnings report, a cyberattack, a product recall, a lawsuit or an employee strike.
Successful public relations means a fair and ready response. Here are the questions to ask ourselves while the cameras are pointed at somebody else:
- Do we have the right team members to manage a crisis? The security team, department leaders, internal and external IT teams must be prepped with talking points and an action plan.
- Is everyone in agreement on what steps are needed to manage through a crisis? If not, huddle up and get there. Who is speaking about what? What precisely do we say, remembering it must fit into our company’s core values?
- Have lawyers reviewed the crisis plan and confirmed it doesn’t violate any regulations from human resources and corporate reporting to the environment and community? Paying for lawyers in advance is considerably less expensive than in a crisis when around-the-clock fees easily add up to millions.
- What statements and messaging can be developed ahead of time? Holding statements are critical to preparedness. They can be adapted to the situation, but they’re best developed in advance when temperaments and responses will be less rash and lead to potential backlash.
- Is the digital team ready for whatever comes up? Alerts, notifications and constant communication through social media are critical and should be succinct and immediate.
A crisis plan is both offense and defense. It takes candor and work to design and implement. But it’s the only chart that can navigate the storm when it comes.
We’re ready to assist.
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