Articles

Crisis Communication- All you need to know

by Purvi Dalvi Writer

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“When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters. One represents danger, and the other represents an opportunity.” 

These golden words were uttered by John F Kennedy. The crisis is a situation that can occur not only on an individual or a nation but also on a commercial organisation. However, a crisis does not mean that hell has broken loose. A situation that might otherwise seem sinister can be used as an opportunity if it is tackled with skilled oratory strategies, in other words, honest yet ingenious communication. If you are the head of an organisation and it is going through a crisis, you might have to lay yourself bare to make people internalise your problems. Here is where crisis communication planning is required.

How to deal with a crisis

If you detect that your organisation is going to face an imminent meltdown, arm yourself with a Crisis communication strategy. The foremost step is mostly about knowing your audience. You would require different sets of defences to cater to different audiences. A single answer might not work for both your stakeholders and your employees. Prepare a script to face each situation. Winning this hurdle is undoubtedly difficult but making yourself convincing enough could cut you some slack from the already palpitating circumstance.

Your employees are your utmost asset. A crisis communication planning should lay focus on reassuring your employees. You should be prepared for the worst. Plan a program in advance wherewith your employees are provided with some anchorage even after the organisation suffers a crisis. You need to communicate to them the answers of some of the most frequently asked questions; the leading one being whether their future is going to be left hanging.  A bad name sticks to a company even after the turbulence has passed. Your communication and the preceding strategy should lend some breathing room to your employees. An all-time account manager could prove to be of great help while handling such situations.        

A crisis communication strategy needs a good spokesperson. You should engage legal advisors, your company PR executives and even the senior employees of the company to address a crisis. You might also need to communicate to the media or the government. You should be frank and confident with the way you reach out to them.

Finally, your stakeholders should receive a clarified message. Look for influencers who can act as great cushions during a crisis.

Conclusion

Form a crisis management team from the very beginning to act as a buffer during a breakdown and maintain a good reputation.


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About Purvi Dalvi Advanced   Writer

81 connections, 0 recommendations, 248 honor points.
Joined APSense since, May 24th, 2017, From Mumbai, India.

Created on Mar 21st 2018 02:49. Viewed 561 times.

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