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Don’t Just Plan for a Crisis – Practice for One

By: Julie Steininger | 11/11/2008

These days, the word "crisis" is found in practically every front page headline. Properly preparing for a crisis and executing a strategic communications plan in the time of crisis are imperative to protecting a company's or organization's reputation. Planning is key - monitoring for issues specific to your industry and organization, building supportive third-party coalitions and developing a strategic crisis communications plan are crucial to maintaining the trust companies have earned with their stakeholders.

But once the planning is done, organizations can't just sit around waiting for a crisis to happen. Practicing for a crisis is a necessary part of the equation. We work closely with our clients to execute "tabletop exercises" - annual (or even more frequent) events conducted with members of the crisis communications team that focus on walking through a crisis scenario step by step to learn which strategies and tactics work well and which ones need to be improved. Not only do tabletop exercises help crisis team members gain a thorough understanding of their roles during a crisis situation, they also give the team a chance to constantly improve upon the crisis communications process, ensuring their organization's crisis plan isn't just a binder sitting on a shelf.

Posted in Issues and Crisis Management