CRISIS: Yours, Mine, and Ours

How do you define a crisis? A crisis, according to some, is an unstable situation in political, social, economic, or military affairs, particularly one with an anticipated dramatic shift. The definition varies depending on the audience. For example, for some, a crisis might be an atomic bomb wiping out the entire east coast, yet for a group of stay-at-home parents, a crisis would be every shop within a 50-mile radius running out of diapers. What are the similarities? In both cases, events occurred that had a significant impact on a specific group. Understandably, most will view the bombing as a state of emergency; however, we must understand that crises are based on personal connections.

Let’s talk communication in a crisis…

THE WHAT

Crisis communication is the “dialog between the organization and its public(s) prior to, during, and after the negative occurrence. There are 3 phases in this chain of communication: the pre-crisis, crisis, and post-crisis. According to the CDC, the pre-crisis phase, which happens before the commencement of the emergency, is the optimum time for a communicator to prepare by developing a crisis communication plan, writing messages, identifying potential audiences, and forecasting communication needs. When a new disaster strikes, these ready tools can assist communicators in responding quickly. Once you are in the thick of it, regarding the actual crisis, you are able to measure its effects. This also allows you to make adjustments to you crisis management plans. The organization is returning to normal operations in the post-crisis phase. The issue is no longer the center of management's focus, but it still demands some attention. There is an important follow-up communication that is required. The organization must provide updates on the recovery process, corrective actions, and crisis investigations. The amount of follow-up communication necessary is determined by the amount of information promised during the crisis and the time required to finish the recovery process.

THE WHO

Identifying stakeholders, or the individuals and public or private groups with whom your organization interacts, is critical during a crisis. Employees, volunteers, and members of the board of directors are examples of internal stakeholders. Customers, suppliers, service providers, vendors, governmental and regulatory authorities, and the media are all examples of external stakeholders. Consider what information each group would require from you during a crisis, as well as what you would require from them.

THE HOW

When it comes to how a person or organization should respond to a crisis, “The limit does not exist.” (Mean Girls Quote) It is crucial to highlight that the best method to crisis communication varies significantly depending on the business; nonetheless, via study, I was able to identify some general recommendations that can be useful. First and foremost, communication should take place in real time. As the event unfolds, this guarantees that employees and other stakeholders have access to the most up-to-date information. Next, information should be accessible anywhere. When staff are away from their desks, emails and manual phone trees are useless for crisis communication. During a power outage, both are rendered ineffective. It is more efficient to communicate via mobile technology, which follows the user wherever he or she travels. Finally, messaging must be relevant to the target audience. During an emergency, not every employee should hear every message. If team members are bombarded with irrelevant information, response time will suffer. Ideally, your system should be able to target certain persons and departments in order to ensure that the most important information reaches those who require it the most.

Real Life

Going back to a previous example regarding diplomacy, the European Union has pledged a one-billion-euro ($1.15bn) aid package for Afghanistan, “to avert a major humanitarian and socioeconomic collapse.” There is a current governmental takeover occurring in Afghanistan by the force of the Taliban. To some this is seen as an isolated crisis, however, there are some global stakeholders that would be adversely affected by this takeover. The EU saw this crisis and recognized an opportunity to flex their diplomatic muscle. The greatest takeaway of this lesson is a quote I found.

“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger--but recognize the opportunity.”

― John F. Kennedy

The threat is not the only component of a crisis. Opportunity also lives within a crisis. This opportunity, political gain, can only be fulfilled if a proper crisis plan is executed.