What are the steps to create a crisis management plan?

[Purvi Dalvi]

If your company is the one that says it does not have a crisis management strategy in place, now is the time to plan one. It could mean the difference between your company's survival and its demise. But where to start from? Building issue and crisis management plans may appear complex if you are new to the process. Fortunately, there are some fundamental steps for strategizing, and the process becomes easier once completed.  

Evaluate your risks 

This identifies potential difficulties and crises that interrupts your business operations and processes. Begin by making a list of important threats and vulnerabilities that potentially affect the organisation with leadership members, your crisis response team, and other key stakeholders. These are examples of public relations errors, cyberattacks, social media mistakes, workplace problems, and extreme weather events. 

Ascertain impact on business 

A business impact analysis qualifies the disrupting issue's potential impact. It is an essential step in ensuring that your company considers all threat aspects. It also assists in making a business case for the problem and crisis management plan to those who do not perceive their value. 

Identify contingencies 

Begin identifying measures that will assist your firm to respond effectively to each threat as you discover the hazards and how they affect your business. Consider the crisis training procedures necessary to solve the problem, the resources needed, and how employees can assist. 

Create the plan 

Work with key stakeholders to flush out plans once you have selected a contingency for each hazard. Department heads and other key personnel can provide insight into available resources and potential roadblocks. You may also require feedback from third parties, such as contractors and partners directly associated with your company. 

Familiarise users 

During a crisis, all employees must understand their roles. It is easy to forget your position in a crisis response when you are stressed or panicked. There are, however, two strategies to lessen the stress consequences. 

Make certain that your personnel have access to the information they require. Basic information accessibility is crucial. Consider using a crisis management app that offers real-time action to update documents, event reporting, contact lists, messaging capabilities, and collaboration tools to distribute a crisis playbook swiftly. 

Ensure to coach stakeholders on your issue and crisis management plan regularly. Frequent drills and rehearsals get held, making sure everyone is familiar with the plan, can respond confidently, is thorough of the information, and is aware of their responsibilities.