All I Want for Christmas is a Crisis Communication Plan

Looking for that perfect holiday gift for a key executive or top-level manager? Look no further. Why not give that special person a well-thought-out crisis communication plan?

While a company always anticipates and hopes for smooth operations, there is always a need to plan for the possibility of an unanticipated incident that would require some level of emergency response. A comprehensive crisis communication program that meshes with an operational crisis response serves as a general company-wide plan in the event of a crisis with any project.

The purpose of the plan is to protect the reputation of your company and to demonstrate the company’s commitment to providing information, as well as quick, definitive operational response in a crisis. The plan also sets forth guidelines for how to communicate quickly, accurately and consistently with audiences of interest to the company, including the news media.

Any effective plan should include:

• General Guidelines for Dealing with the Media
• Specific Guidelines for Dealing with the Media in a Crisis
• List of Key Audiences/Individuals
• Communication Tree
• Assignment of Members of the Crisis Communication Team and Duties for Each
• Crisis Worksheet for Gathering Information in an Organized Fashion
• Fill-in-the-blank Form for Drafting Response Statements
• Crisis Communication Checklist
• Media Call Tracking Form
• Command Center Checklist
• Background Information on the Facility and Company
• Contact Information for Key Media

Crisis communication training should acquaint key members of your company’s crisis team with the basics of effective interaction with the media, as well as how to respond to a company-specific crisis scenario. On-camera practice and message development should be essential parts of a crisis communication training session.

All organizations should require such training for top level executive and managers. It’s the sort of thing you hope you never need, probably won’t -- but are glad you did if you do.

A thorough crisis communication plan is an extremely thoughtful executive holiday gift!