Many companies face problems while shaping and maintaining their reputation. It is very precious for them to keep all their resources intact and use them wisely. After all, the kind of treatment they give to their stakeholders, employees and clients makes a lot of difference. They ensure not to lose their trust and confidence in them as they are the symbols of public perception and reputation. The reviews and opinions that they give matters a lot to firms and are one of the many factors responsible for their success in the market.
Whenever a company faces a crisis, it tends to lose all its employees, clients, and reputation. They have to learn to take control of the situation before things worsen. Hence, they design a crisis management plan to help fight all the issues from the press and the people. Those who are new to it may find it challenging and difficult. Following are some steps to create a successful plan for tackling the organisational crisis:
- Risk assessment:
It identifies the potential crises that would destroy or disrupt the functions of a business or process. Work with members of the leadership and crisis response team along with stakeholders to list relevant threats and vulnerabilities that could impact the company. They may include social media blunders, cyberattacks, data breaches, product recalls, PR blunders, and more.
- Determine the impact on the business:
A business impact analysis is a method of identifying and dealing with the potential impact of a business disruption crisis. The kinds of threats include customer dissatisfaction, damaged public reputation, delayed or lost sales and income, increased expenses, regulatory fines, etc.
- Identify contingencies:
Identify which actions will help the organisation to respond effectively to each scenario. Think about the steps for resolving the crisis, the resources, and consider how employees can help.
For example, a plan for a social media blunder might include the digital team issuing statements across all social media platforms. The customer service team gets a briefing on what to say on incoming calls. Meanwhile, a product recall may require help from IT and logistics to determine how to fix the problem. At the same time, customer service, sales, and public relations work together to answer customer questions and maintain the company’s good standing.
- Familiarise users:
While setting rules for preparedness planning, ensure all the stakeholders have the necessary information. Use an app to update documents, incident reporting, contact lists, messaging capabilities, etc. Train them to test their familiarity and confidence with the plan, along with an understanding of the roles.
- Build the plan:
Try to select plans with relevant stakeholders. Key employees, such as department heads, can help in providing insight into available resources and potential hurdles. For specific scenarios, consider taking input from outside parties, such as contractors and partners that work closely with the business. Keep in mind any relevant regulatory requirements, and determine how to continue to meet them, even amid a crisis.