In the business world, every company, regardless of its size, can face a stormy moment: the collapse of profits, a mistake in production or logistics, a drop in image… any crack that in the age of social media risks quickly becoming a chasm if not properly covered. Internal crises, in particular, can be caused by internal factors such as inadequate strategies, commercial problems or communication distortions. Externalities can arise from events such as natural disasters or political and economic instability at national and global levels.
No company, however, is immune to the possibility of finding itself in an emergency situation; In fact, crisis is sometimes inherent and functional to the growth of the company itself. That is why every team and every organization should anticipate and prepare a crisis management plan. There is certainly no standard plan of action, as risks vary based on combinations of factors unique to each company. In any case, preparation is the best approach to mitigate the effects of negative events as effectively as possible.
Communicating a corporate crisis is a fundamental aspect of so-called Crisis Management, that is, in the management of emergencies within a company. We are doing reference to the strategies and tactics used for communication in a timely, accurate and consistent manner in times of difficulty or uncertainty. The main objective of corporate crisis communication is to mitigate negative effects on corporate reputation, brand image and relationships with stakeholders, including employees, customers, investors, suppliers and the general public.
It is essential that you have already prepared a crisis communication plan, which includes clear roles and responsibilities for the communications team, definitions of crisis situations and guidelines on how to respond. Communicating an emergency requires transparency and honesty. It is important to share relevant information with stakeholders and answer questions directly. Speed is decisive. Procrastination risks fueling the spread of unverified rumors and demonstrating that the company is actively addressing the situation. All messages must be consistent, both internally and externally. This avoids confusion and helps maintain image consistency.
Those involved in communications within the crisis management process must identify the key messages they want to convey and ensure they are understandable and relevant to the public, using a variety of communication channels, including press releases, social media, internal and external, to reach the public effectively. Explaining the current situation, ongoing efforts to resolve the crisis and what can be expected in the near future are moves that can help avoid negative speculation. It is equally important to listen carefully to stakeholders’ questions, comments and concerns and respond appropriately. We need to constantly evaluate the effectiveness of our messages and communication strategies. If necessary, adjust them as the situation develops.
The ability to communicate a corporate crisis in a transparent and strategic way is crucial to effectively deal with difficult situations and to maintain the company’s reputation and image. In practice 4 books you will find various readings devoted to these topics. Our experts have handpicked 5 books for you specifically to show you how to do it well-planned, transparent and coordinated communicationcan help better manage the impact of a crisis and maintain stakeholder confidence.
Crisis communications in a 24/7 social media world
In critical moments, a social media post, a comment, a hundred-character tweet is enough to sway the public and make partial and hasty judgments. Keeping calm in stressful situations is very difficult, but knowing how to curb your instincts reduces the risks and increases your chances of escaping. Bill Walker also reminds you that a crisis can be used to reaffirm a company’s goals, boost consumer confidence, and energize employees and investors. That’s why it’s important to arrive prepared.
The Agony of Decision
A crisis can happen suddenly, due to internal company mistakes or external factors. It manifests itself unpredictably, so it is not certain that a leader will be able to cope with it and overcome it. However, Helio Fred Garcia gives practical advice on how to manage a company’s sudden major difficulties. The author provides a conceptual map of how to support change starting with the qualities every leader should have, primarily intellectual readiness, understood as a combination of emotional discipline, deep knowledge and intellectual rigor.
Conquering catastrophic risk
Michael Useem and Howard Kunreuther show you how big companies have dealt with crises that might otherwise have put them at risk. In addition, they teach you that these experiences (“disruptions”) can provide useful information for any company to develop plans and prepare for worst-case scenarios. The issue is not “if” similar circumstances occur, but rather “when” they might occur and how best to deal with them, developing scenarios and methods of management and response.
Ready for a crisis
Do you know what CRP is? It represents the cost of responding to a crisis and is an equation that can be used to calculate the financial impact of an emergency on an organization, relative to the response given by the organization. The stronger and more timely the feedback, the lower the financial cost. Melissa Agnes, an authority on reputation protection and brand protection even in critical contexts, explains it to you. “When it comes to crisis communications, if you always focus on building a relationship with your customers, fans and followers, you will always find yourself communicating in the right direction.”
Lukaszewski on Crisis Communication
Natural disasters, operational accidents, activist attacks, human errors, scandals related to management or employees. Crises can be of a different nature, but they all have two aspects in common: they endanger the reputation and existence of a company and therefore need to be managed and resolved as soon as possible. Not all problems that arise in the company are crises, emphasizes author, speaker and consultant James E. Lukaszewski, but all crises are problems that need to be solved as soon as possible.
With these 5 books selected for you, you can have an overview of the various aspects to consider when talking about managing the communication of a company facing a crisis. Like all its expertly selected readings 4 books on the platform, you will be able to read or listen to the most important passages with just a few clicks, wherever you are and in less than 20 minutes.
Communication is a fundamental component of Crisis Management. Don’t be caught off guard. Sign up for 4 books and learn tricks, methods and strategies to take action and protect your company and its image. Make peace return after the storm!