Crisis Communications

Causes and Characteristics of Crisis
Their are many different types of crisis that can occur in the business world. Some of these crisis are unavoidable and brought on by some natural disaster such as a hurricane, earthquake etc. However certain types of crisis are brought on by negligence or other forms of human error. Human related crisis cannot all be put into the same category. This is because there are situations were the company is clearly at fault such as if negligence is involved and and on the other end there are situations were the company becomes the victim of online information and media. Whatever crisis the company faces they all have some characteristics in common. These include the element of surprise, insufficient information, fast pace of events and eventually intense scrutiny. This is why is so essential to have some sort of plan in place within the company for crisis communications. For many companies it takes a major crisis to occur before they realize the risk of not being prepared for a crisis situation.

Preparing for a Crisis
The most important step for a company in putting together a strategy to be prepared for a crisis is in realizing what can happen if their is a crisis and they have no plan in place. The biggest factor is knowing how crucial it is to take the proper steps in recognizing the crisis and dealing with it accordingly. Some of the factors to look at when designing a crisis communication plan include assessing risk, considering effects on constituents, set ting objectives, analyzing the channel selected to convey the message. Every company should have a formal plan in place in the event that a crisis may occur. If a crisis does occur the company needs to respond quickly and effectively after gathering as much information as possible to avoid speculation.

Related Links
ICM-Essence of Crisis Management-Management Vs. Communication
www.crisisexperts.com/management.htm
Small Business: Developing an Effective Crisis Communications Plan
www.detroitchamber.com/detroiter/articles.asp?cid=103&detcid=431