As Julie Andrews would sing, “Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start.”
What is a crisis? Cambridge Dictionary says, “a situation that is extremely difficult or dangerous when there are many problems.”
When there are many problems, doesn’t that just sum it up perfectly?
Crises are typically significant and unexpected. It can be an event or a series of events. In an organization (or individual) context, a crisis threatens to harm the organization’s (or individual’s) people, reputation, operations, and even the bottom line. A crisis requires an urgent and strategic response.
Typically, these events pose a real risk to public trust, brand equity, or organizational (individual) viability, and often attract scrutiny from the media, social media, stakeholders, or regulators.
There is a whole lot of uncertainty that comes with a crisis. Many times decisions are made with incomplete information, and in the thick of it, the outcome is unclear.
So, what is crisis communication?
It is the strategic process of managing the flow of information during a crisis to protect an organization’s (or individual’s) reputation, maintain public trust, and minimize harm. On a basic level, it is:
• what you say,
• how you say it,
• when you say it, and
• who you say it to.
All under intense pressure.
It is easy to think, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” But in a real crisis, trying to wing it can lead to chaos, slow decisions, and lasting damage to your reputation. Crisis communication is not just reactive; it is proactive.
With a clear, ready-to-use Crisis Response Plan (CRP) complete with how you will communicate, a simple decision-making flow, and who does what. It’s not about fear. It is about being smart and ready.
Because the best crisis is the one you’re prepared for.
