The best managed crisis is the one you never hear about. Our research has demonstrated that the majority of organizational crisis are both predictable and preventable. Here are some tips to help you plan for and better prepare to stay out of the news.
1. Evaluate organizational risks and their potential impact
Even if you have a plan, it is good to reevaluate vulnerabilities periodically. Best practice is to start with a risk assessment: identify possible crisis types (ICM typically looks at 16 crisis categories for assessing crisis risks), estimate the likelihood of each and its potential operational, financial, reputational and regulatory consequences.
2. Build a crisis plan with scenario-specific strategies and tasks
Form a dedicated crisis management team with clear roles and responsibilities for each member, including at least one trained spokesperson. Identify backup personnel for each team role. Use an incident impact assessment template to define activation thresholds, i.e., when the plan is activated and who does what.
Document procedures and all actions taken, outline communication strategies and protocols, update key stakeholder contact lists, create prewritten templates and a “dark page” for quick website activation. Ensure you integrate social media monitoring and risk communication strategies to reach diverse stakeholders, including vulnerable groups.
3. Exercise Regularly
Practice, practice, practice! Run simulations at least annually, or quarterly if the company is complex or high risk, to build crisis team skills and muscle memory, improve proficiency, reveal plan gaps, and strengthen team coordination. An outside facilitator can help with these exercises. ICM can help to develop, deliver and facilitate an exercise.
Start with tabletop exercises for low-stress scenario walkthroughs; progress over time to functional or full-scale simulations that involve multiple teams and realistic pressure.
Once the team has become a cohesive unit, incorporate immersive or high-pressure simulations (e.g. using role-play, mock media interviews, VR, or realistic audio/video stimuli) so decision-makers experience stress akin to real crises.
4. Debrief, Learn and Repeat
After each exercise, conduct a structured debriefing to identify both plan and team strengths, weaknesses, and “unconscious decision-making traps” exposed under pressure. Incorporate the learnings into your crisis plan, update risk assessments at least annually, when business conditions change or a crisis occurs.
