A Crisis Response Strategy (CRS) outlines how an organization will prepare to manage disruptive events. It also defines who will lead, who will support, and what decisions can be made by whom. The ability of organizations to respond to crises effectively has to do with planning, coordination among teams, and defined lines of authority.
When unprepared, crisis situations develop at a very fast rate and disrupt operations, cause financial loss, and erode the trust that customers have in organizations. However, developing a CRS does not make all crises disappear; it develops the resilience of the organization so when crises occur they are less likely to have serious impacts and the time required to recover from them is reduced.
Identify Risks And Create Scenarios
Identifying potential risks is the first step in preparing for a crisis. Potential risks include operational failures, cyber incidents, supply chain disruptions, and reputation-based risks.
Creating scenarios shows how various types of events can affect stakeholders and operations. When proactive planning takes place, the time taken to respond to a crisis is reduced.
Establish Clearly Defined Lines Of Authority And Leadership
Clear lines of authority help to create a clearer sense of direction. In times of crisis, unclear lines of authority create confusion and slow down responses. An identified crisis management team helps to provide quicker responses to crises.
Clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of team members prior to a crisis occurring helps to ensure that there is no confusion about what each member is responsible for during a crisis. Clarity of purpose provides direction during periods of high stress.
Create Pre-Approved Communication Templates
Developing pre-approved communication templates saves time in emergency situations. Developing internal and external communication message guidelines helps to minimize inconsistencies in communications.
There should be multiple communication channels available to communicate even if one communication channel becomes unavailable due to a system failure. Having developed messages prior to a crisis occurring increases stakeholder confidence in the organization’s ability to communicate clearly.
Test The Plan Through Simulations And Post-Simulation Reviews
Crisis plans need to be tested periodically using simulations and drills. During simulations and drills weaknesses in the plan will become apparent. There will typically be many lessons learned after a simulation drill and these lessons will strengthen the overall plan.
Post-simulation reviews will identify areas where the organization has weaknesses and provide recommendations to address those weaknesses. Through simulations and drills the theory behind a plan is converted into actual readiness to respond to a crisis.
Conclusion
The development of a resilient crisis response strategy is based on a structured approach to understanding risks, establishing clear lines of authority and leadership, developing communication strategies in advance of a crisis occurring, and regularly testing the plan to ensure that it works properly. The ultimate goal of creating a resilient crisis response strategy is to establish the discipline needed to execute the plan effectively and to minimize the damage to the organization resulting from a crisis.
