Friday 28 April 2017

Proper Preparation For Organizational Crisis Communications

By Gary Ward


Crisis communication is the way an organization, individual or company defend the reputation they have which is being publicly challenged. These unpredictable events can impact seriously the performance of an organization. It could also jeopardize the expectations of stakeholder and can generate negative outcomes when not properly handled.

Preparation is important in minimizing the damage it will potentially have to let all people concerned know of what is happening. Failure to do so will make it harder and longer to achieve a resolution and may have more severe impact financially and on the reputation. Here are some steps for having a good organizational crisis communication in Washington city.

All potential crises which can occur must be anticipated by your team brainstorming for it or by knowing the possible outcome of a big decision. Doing this will make you realize they could be prevented through changing a few methods of currently existing operations. You would also have enough time to think for possible responses rather during an actual problem with lots of pressure.

Identify your team who will handle these situations which includes the heads of all the departments within. You can also have a consultant specializing in this and someone with the knowledge specifically related to the current crisis. Legal counsels are more concerned with the legal court rather than the public opinion which both are important.

Train some spokespersons in advanced authorized to give statements from the organizations so they would be ready and prepared when crises break. Some are better in written communication while some are better in public speaking so accordingly assigned the responsibilities. Good leaders does not necessarily mean good public speakers that is why spokespersons are used instead.

They must be properly trained in knowing the ways in giving information that are necessary for the interested parties to know. People tend to focus more on other things than those messages that are more important for the company. Having them trained helps in preparing them to minimize the possibilities of media and stakeholders misunderstanding it.

A notification system must be established allowing you to reach your stakeholders by using different methods. This is to assure you that they will receive the message because some of them do not always check their emails or text messages or even answer calls. There is a technology now that lets you contact them continuously until they confirm.

Monitoring systems should be established also in order to track down the things being said by other people regarding the crisis. There are technologies available which can help you in doing this that are for free or with payment which additional services included. Monitoring their feedback can help you accurately adapt strategies and tactics.

Develop holding statements which would be relayed to everyone involved whenever the crisis would happen after the possible ones have been anticipated. Clearly assess the situation when it happens before the prepared actions would be implemented. Then after it is finished, analyze the things you have learned and use them to prevent and prepare for another potential problem.




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