The word that everyone wants to avoid, be it an organisation, a government or an individual is CRISIS. Everyone, by all means, wants to prevent a crisis to arise. This goes without saying. The question we may ask ourselves is if we can avoid it and if not, what we can do to soften its consequences.
The answer to the first question is complicated as there are times when crisis can be prevented or predicted but, others, when there is nothing we can do to stop them happening. This last case is for example in the event of natural disasters. Under these circumstances, there is nothing one can do to elude the crisis but if we are prepared, we can minimise its effects. For this reason, it is very important to always be prepared to face a crisis, either to prevent it from happening or to attenuate the consequences.
Here is a list with some tips to guarantee a good recovery from a crisis. They are mostly applicable for a company but they can also be extended to any public institution and even an individual.
- Be prepared for the worst. Companies should plan in advance what should be done in times of crisis. They should establish guidelines that can help them operate in bad situations and determine who has to be in charge (preferably a PR professional) and the tasks everyone should carry out.
- Respond immediately. There is no point in waiting too much to inform the company's stakeholders. This makes the matter grow bigger and can even generate worse consequences, especially if someone else spreads rummors or gives false information about thecompany.
- ALWAYS tell the truth. In times of crisis companies tend to be economical with the truth because they are afraid of more adverse effects if they are transparent. However, telling the truth is the best way to make your customers and other stakeholders trust you.
- Communicate directly and continuously. These days social media lets companies engage into conversation with its stakeholders, which makes it one of the best channels through which to communicate during a crisis. Not only it reaches many people in a matter of seconds but it also allows a continuous conversation between the company and its stakeholders.
- Build a good reputation. Reputation is essential to diminish the effects of a crisis. It takes years to build it and it can be destroyed immediately. However, if the company owns a good reputation, the company may still be able to cope with the crisis and overcome it. Of course, later on the PR department will have to work on rebuilding the reputation to the state it was before the crisis.
These are examples of the most important actions to be implemented before, during and after a crisis. The way a crisis should be handled depends on the type of crisis, the company and other factors including the company's environment and its position in the market.
- ALWAYS tell the truth. In times of crisis companies tend to be economical with the truth because they are afraid of more adverse effects if they are transparent. However, telling the truth is the best way to make your customers and other stakeholders trust you.
- Communicate directly and continuously. These days social media lets companies engage into conversation with its stakeholders, which makes it one of the best channels through which to communicate during a crisis. Not only it reaches many people in a matter of seconds but it also allows a continuous conversation between the company and its stakeholders.
- Build a good reputation. Reputation is essential to diminish the effects of a crisis. It takes years to build it and it can be destroyed immediately. However, if the company owns a good reputation, the company may still be able to cope with the crisis and overcome it. Of course, later on the PR department will have to work on rebuilding the reputation to the state it was before the crisis.
These are examples of the most important actions to be implemented before, during and after a crisis. The way a crisis should be handled depends on the type of crisis, the company and other factors including the company's environment and its position in the market.
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