Just like an insurance policy, no one hopes that a crisis plan will ever have to be used. But when the need arises, you will be relieved that it is there and available.
Crisis management expert and author Edward Segal says there are 10 reasons why companies and organizations need a crisis management plan and why they need one now. That's because when a crisis strikes they should know:
- What to do
- Who should do it
- When to do it
- Where to do it
- Why to do it
- How to do it
He notes they also need a crisis plan in order to:
- Help protect their employees, assets, credibility, image, and reputation
- Provide confidence to senior staff, employees, and stakeholders
- Lessen the impact of the crisis
- Help put the matter behind them as quickly as possible
Segal recommends that companies and organizations that already have a crisis plan in place should review and update it on a regular basis and hold practice sessions to ensure the plan will work when needed.
He is the author of the forthcoming book on crisis management -- Crisis Ready: 101 Ways to Preapre for and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals, and Other Emergencies (Nicholas Brealey/Hachette).
Learn more at GetCrisisReady.com.