At some point in time, every organization will have to deal with a major crisis, whether it’s the result of economic fallout, poor product performance, a scandal, a natural disaster, workplace violence, product recalls, the sudden loss of an integral employee—the list goes on.
In reality, a crisis can strike without warning. If the leadership isn’t prepared to handle it quickly and effectively, it can threaten the very survival of the organization. That’s why advance preparation is needed to ensure you are well equipped when an unforeseen calamity arises.
As an organization, you need to make sure you have a crisis-management strategy in place that sets a standard protocol for any issues, even if the precise details are not known until it occurs. This includes defining response scenarios, developing a comprehensive and well-rehearsed contingency plan that addresses the various scenarios, and establishing clear guidelines for the various individuals responsible for executing contingency plans.
As a side benefit, the development of contingency plan and identification of possible crisis scenarios may help an organization mitigate the initial risk of a preventable crisis.
Join us on December 1 to learn the tools to both prepare your executives to lead the organization through a crisis and assure your company can weather any imminent storm. Our presenter, Denice Hinden, a skilled crisis management specialist, will deliver a practical perspective on crisis leadership can impact your organization’s success and tactical strategies to help you ensure the ongoing viability of the business.
As a preview for this event, Hinden has supplied some frequently asked questions—and answers—to this HR topic.
Q—What is the main reason preparing for a crisis is a challenging business practice?
A—Among the primary reasons, is that we have a tendency to think crises will not occur and push planning to the back burner because so many other business activities take priority. There is also a financial impact of preparing for crisis intervention and often a sense that the investment may not be worth it if there is a sense that there is a low risk of the crisis occurring.
Q—What are two easy ways I can take to help my team prepare for a crisis?
A—One way is to make it a priority discussion at a leadership team meeting where you assess key areas of vulnerability for the organization and agree to develop an action plan. Another way is to set up a task force with a cross section of staff who have an interest in tackling this topic.
Q—Once we have our crisis management plan in place, how do we keep it fresh and present for executive leaders?
A—Strengthening executive strategies and performance during crises takes some practice. Through executive coaching, engage your leaders to think about who they are as leaders, the mindset they bring that helps them to respond in a crisis, and the language and strategies they use to build trust to recover in a crisis.
Join Denice Hinden for the live webinar, “Leading Through Crisis: How to Define Response Scenarios and Develop Comprehensive Contingency Plans” on Thursday December 1, 2016 . Register today!