Crisis Communication

Have a Plan

What type of crisis might impact a particular organization? While one can only hope that a crisis will never occur, it is important to be prepared. That is exactly where a crisis communication plan comes into play. No matter how large or small the organization, it should always have a crisis communication plan in place. The plan should include everything from key internal and external people to contact, to emergency and evacuation plans, to details regarding off-site operations if the situation warrants. While the plan should be thorough, it also needs to be tested to ensure its success.

Select a Spokesperson

In addition to having a crisis plan ready to activate at any moment, an organization must also determine who should serve as the organization's spokesperson. Depending upon the crisis, there are times when the spokesperson is someone whose regular job duties include public relations or public communication. However, depending upon the magnitude of the crisis, some public relations specialists argue that a top official or someone with appropriate authority or visibility should act as the key contact or spokesperson. If there are issues the spokesperson cannot answer, the organization may choose a team of spokespersons. Whether it is one individual or a team, the spokesperson must be selected very carefully and their role understood. Who speaks can be just as important as what he or she says. Nonetheless, it is critical that the spoken and written positions be consistent.

Rules to Follow

The organization must also be aware that once a crisis occurs, the media will be there. In fact, the media's presence should be thought of as an opportunity to get the organization's message out to the public. Appropriate crisis communication training should not happen when a crisis occurs, but rather beforehand. Key personnel in any organization should be prepared to handle the spokesperson's role, if necessary, when dealing with the media.

When crises do occur, the media want information instantly and around the clock. Oftentimes, the media will become aware of an incident before internal publics do. One should not be surprised if the media show up to a crisis before key company personnel.

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