Preparing for a crisis can seem daunting, especially if you are unsure where to begin. If you read our first blog in the Peritus Trainings Guide crisis series, you understand why crisis preparation is important, yet you may still not know how to begin your process of preparation.

Whether navigating a company-wide reposition or a global pandemic, our clients rely on us to lead crisis response when their reputation is at risk and the stakes are high. While not everyone has the capacity or resources to develop an in-depth crisis plan, there are several proactive measures you can take to begin moving in the right direction regardless of your resources or team size.

Here are five concrete steps to help your organization begin building a strong crisis foundation.

STEP 1: FORM YOUR CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM (CRT)

Having clearly defined roles and a proper chain of command can make or break your response in a crisis. Start by identifying key individuals who should be on your Crisis Response Team. Consider these questions while assembling your dream team:

Who will need to be immediately notified should something happen?
Who will be the ultimate decision maker in a crisis?
Who is responsible for alerting others and gathering the team?
Who possesses specialized knowledge relevant to the potential crisis?
Who else needs immediate involvement if an issue arises?

Once you assemble your team, create a cheat sheet of everyone’s names, roles and responsibilities and contact information to quickly reference in a crisis.

STEP 2: CREATE A THREAT MATRIX

Brainstorming potential worst-case scenarios with your CRT is essential because it will serve as the foundation for your crisis preparation. To get started, gather team members from all areas of your company to provide a diverse mix of situations and perspectives.

Use a whiteboard or poster sheets to draw your matrix with labels for high/low impact and high/low probability. Next, begin plotting each scenario on the matrix by its likelihood to occur and the potential impact it could have on your organization. This will help you prioritize which incidents are most pressing and will require your utmost attention, planning and preparation. Fair warning: this activity will likely be a buzzkill for your team, but for good reason.

Download our threat matrix template here to get started.

STEP 3: OUTLINE YOUR ACTIVATION PLAN

Next, you need a game plan, outlining how your team should sound the alarm and gather the CRT. Your activation plan should include clear directions on putting your crisis preparation in motion. This includes detailed steps from determining if a situation is a crisis to evaluating your team’s response. Consider the following questions while developing your plan:

Who should someone call if an incident occurs?
How should someone activate the CRT?
Where will the CRT meet, or how will they connect virtually?
Who outside the CRT needs immediate communication?
Who will handle media inquiries and social media monitoring?
What should gatekeepers, like phone operators or first-line workers, do or say?

STEP 4: CRAFT YOUR SITUATIONAL MESSAGING

The key to successful crisis communication is acting quickly. Preparing key messaging in advance will help you gain first mover advantage, giving you the opportunity to speak first and ultimately control the narrative. Draft 3-5 statements and key talking points for the most likely scenarios on your threat matrix and work with the CRT to pre-approve this messaging.

Don’t forget to incorporate your organization’s core values into your messaging to ensure it feels authentic to your brand and aligns with the company’s mission. Having this pre-approved core messaging to pull off the shelf will save you critical time during a crisis, even if you have to tailor it to the particular situation.

STEP 5: PRACTICE REGULARLY

Practice makes perfect. A strong crisis plan is only beneficial if your team knows how to implement it. The best way to practice is through crisis simulations and drills. Create realistic scenarios to test your team on how they should respond.

Outside of hands-on exercises, the best way to learn proper crisis response is to become a student of crisis communications. Keep an eye on industry trends and analyze current events to determine how others successfully (or unsuccessfully) navigated crises. Follow crisis thought leaders on LinkedIn, subscribe to newsletters or listen to podcasts. Learning from others is crucial, so you can avoid making the same mistakes.

IS YOUR ORGANIZATION PREPARED?

These five tangible steps will help your organization build a stronger foundation for crisis communications, but you can further evaluate your crisis preparedness with our downloadable checklist here. Be sure to join us next week as we share crisis insights from communicators across the globe.

More Trainings Resources

How to Build a Crisis Plan Foundation in Five Steps