Unseen Risk: Troubleshooting a Crisis Plan

Travis Taylor

Let’s face it: your crisis communications plan is inadequate. Sure, you have a document gathering dust on a bookshelf or somewhere in a seldom-used file folder. Or maybe that plan follows a generic template you found online. Or maybe you don’t have one. You can still do something about it and you should … before the you-know-what hits the fan.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death, yet many CPR-trained bystanders forget what to do and panic when they could be providing life-saving support. Having a plan in place is the first step in preparing for a crisis, but it’s worthless if you don’t use it. Address the following issues to help ensure your crisis response safeguards your organization’s reputation.

This article is featured in O'Dwyer's Jan. '17 PR Buyer's Guide & Crisis Communications Magazine

“Trust fall” when no one’s there

The most important part of an effective crisis plan isn’t in the plan at all — it’s organizational buy-in. Everyone on your crisis response team should have a firm understanding of the plan, specifically including their individual roles and responsibilities. And don’t leave out board members; they might need to play a critical part in the response. No one can resolve a crisis by him- or herself. Teamwork is essential, and decisive leadership will keep you from losing those precious first moments of a crisis. If your team is not prepared now, you’ll regret it later.

Theory versus reality

Even if the crisis response team is aware of the plan and can access it, the plan can easily fall far short of what it should do. The main reason for this is a lack of rehearsal. At a minimum, the entire crisis response team should walk through crisis scenarios step-by-step to identify weaknesses and gaps in the plan. Crisis drills and simulations will familiarize crisis team members with the plan and keep potential scenarios top-of-mind.  

Cut the fluff

Many crisis plans, especially older ones, are more like textbooks than guides. No one will absorb it cover-to-cover, so include only the most critical information, forms, checklists and templates to allow team members to get what they need instantly, without hunting for it. Do you really need that introductory letter from the CEO on page 1? Cut the fluff.

Don’t wait for bad news to act

Every crisis has possible story extensions that keep the story alive through multiple news cycles. It’s critical to identify emerging story extensions early on and adjust your strategy and messaging to keep the story from being prolonged unnecessarily. If you don’t act, the situation will worsen and could affect your organization in unexpected ways. Anticipate the additional attention by considering other “soft spots” in your organization and work to address them.

One size does not fit all

Every crisis is different. Plan for the most likely scenarios you’re facing and keep building them out as you run through simulations. When crunch-time hits, it’s all but impossible to think creatively and state your position as gracefully as you can when not under fire. Do the hard work in advance, then tailor it to the specifics when the crisis rears its ugly head.

Don’t be a glutton for punishment

If you followed your plan and the crisis still clobbered you, would you follow that plan the same way next time? Of course not, but if you wait too long after a crisis to update the plan, you’ll lose a lot of the context and nuances. Meet with the entire team within days or weeks, not months, while the details are still fresh in everyone’s memory, lest you get clobbered again.

Conduct messaging tune-ups

In a crisis, it’s surprising how easily organizations can stray from the brand promise and reputation they have painstakingly built. Employee turnover, cutbacks, new vendors, market changes, organizational growth and lax enforcement and training can all create a disconnect between how your audiences view you and how you’re operating. Assess changes to your risk profile and make sure your communications — especially any claims you make about your products and services — are consistent, accurate and up-to-date.

Be ready to show, not just tell

The obvious is not always so obvious in a crisis. A high-profile crisis will immediately call your credibility into question, so you cannot assume people will see your point of view. Even if you were doing what you’ve always done when the crisis hit, and you have a strong record of safety, quality, etc., make sure you can explain how your approach is the right one — unless it’s not. You might need to show, not just tell, audiences, including media, why your actions had merit. You’ll likely have people come out of nowhere, speculating about what you should have done differently.

Track and adapt

Many organizations lack social media response guidelines for a crisis or the ability to recognize potential crisis scenario “triggers” on social media. However, even plans that cover social media may lack processes for listening and guidelines for adapting strategy and tactics as required by evolving conversations. Whether or not your crisis erupts on social media, tracking conversations about the crisis will help identify new developments and potential story extensions before they spike additional coverage. This will allow you to adjust course and limit damage.

Let your values be your compass

Unanticipated crises are more challenging to address. You may not have any messaging or templates developed to handle them, but it’s important to stay true to your mission and values and refer to a set of guidelines or principles on which to base decision-making in any crisis. Always remember that public welfare is the first priority.

Even experienced communicators can get rattled when the phones are ringing off the hook and social media is running amok. No crisis communications plan is foolproof, but if you treat it as an evolving document and gain the ongoing involvement of your crisis team, you will have a leg up when the crisis hits.

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Travis Taylor is Executive Vice President of Fineman PR in San Francisco.