Crisis Communication Plans

How many times have you experienced an unforeseen situation at work mushrooms into something much larger than you ever imagined? While this happens routinely, and there are many examples large and small, there's nothing worse than waiting to an actual crisis to have your crisis communications plan tested.

As most probably know, crisis communication plans are created to help a business respond to a variety of unforeseen situations. Depending on the industry involved, they could be in response to everything from a power outage or a natural disaster to an actual crime. One thing's for certain: You don't want to have your procedure for dealing with the communications aspect of a situation until you're staring one in the face.

An effective crisis communications plan conveys to customers and employees alike that, in spite of whatever's happening around the business, there's someone at the helm executing a plan that underwent much deliberation and consideration. It also avoids the situation where an employee will be put in a situation where they'll say something incorrect or unwanted that could lead to a torrent of bad publicity.

As businesses in New Orleans are learning now and as those of us in the New York area learned on Sept. 11 and with the blackout, it's never too early to plan for a crisis, but once a crisis is upon you, it's almost always too late to properly react.