What is a crisis
An unforeseen event that can cause many changes in an organization
A time of great difficulty or danger
Types of crisis
Natural disasters Technological Theft Health Vandalism Power outages Rumors Confrontational Work place violence Skewed management or misconduct
What to do in a crisis situation
Bring the situation under control, ensuring the safety and well being of all involved
Gather facts
Analyze situation as is- don’t blow things out of proportion
Protect the image of the business
Communicate with all stakeholders
Put a plan of action into place to get the crisis under control
What is crisis management
Bringing the crisis under control and minimizing the negative effects
Crisis management is essentially about decision making and making quick effective decisions under tense and difficult conditions
Aim of cris management
Set up steps, procedures and documentation in place which will prevent a crisis or help everyone deal with a crisis in the event that it occurs
Crisis management team
Main focus areas of crisis team when dealing with a crisis…
Knowledge - are employees and members knowledgeable and skilled
Focused vision- the team must have a unified vision and mission
Faith- the team must have strong faith in each other and the mission
Initiative- all members of the team must be made to feel important and contribute to the mission… this will ensure daily initiative
Training and development - ongoing training is essential to improve human performance
Steps for designing and implementing a crissi management plan
Define the possible crisis Investigate all possible effects Organize a team to design a workable detailed plan Clearly communicate the plan to all Test and practice the plan (DIOCT)
Stages in a crisis
1- before the crisis- little advance warning
2- warning- clear indications that an event may happen and cause harm to the business
3- crisis point- the crissi starts showing harmful effects on the business
4- recovery- the business is able to focus on a return to normal operations
5- Post crisis- assessing the damage caused by the event, start repairing what was damaged and considering a contingency plan to prevent or deal with a similar crisis in the future.
Dealing with a crisis
Anticipating a specific crisis is hard, but basic structures and plans can be put in place to help deal with crisis.
Examples to help deal with a crisis
Developing a crisis management team
Support resources
Developing and distributing emergency procedures
Developing a policy and procedure for communicating with media and stakeholders
Stimulate crisis situations to test procedures and plans
Dealing with specific business related crisis
3 types….
Tight deadlines
Loss of property
Illness of employees
Tight deadlines…
Dont panic
Prioritize by making sure that you identify what is really important
Break the whole task down into smaller deadlines
If the deadline is impossible to meet, negotiate a later deal
Loss of property…
Secure computers with cables
Back up data on computers
Provide employees with access codes to premise
Provide employees with a secure place to put their valuables
Take disciplinary action against employees guilty of theft
Illness of employees….
Ensure that an absence from work policy is in place
Record sick leave days taken by employees
Disciplinary procedures in place for workers taking leave without permission
Look for trends like employees taking off every Monday and Friday’s
Address these trends immediate with the relevant employees