Five ways to plan for a crisis

Cathy Yeomans, Imagine Public Relations, White Rock, BC, imaginepr@shaw.ca

A crisis can be managed by anticipating the future and planning. Consider these points:

1. Think about the internal risks (health, staff, etc.) for your business as well as your external risks (natural disasters, competition, etc.). Write them down and then provide solutions on how to handle them should they arise.
2. Research a crisis case study in your particular industry and explore how it was handled. Read what worked, what didn’t, and what you can learn from the example.
3. Identify and define issues (social, financial, cultural or otherwise), that could affect your organization and the way it operates. A simple issue, if not dealt with properly, can easily become a crisis.
4. Create and install formal procedures to address issues and risks before they potentially wreak havoc in your organization.
5. Monitor and modify the procedures regularly to ensure outcomes are always to your advantage.

A good management plan in action can save an organization in crisis. It can keep you from gaining a bad reputation, or worse, having to close down your business. Make the effort and plan ahead!