CRISIS MANAGEMENT TIPS -Mishti Khanna

8 Crisis management tips for when your business is falling apart.

• Have a plan ahead of time 

Having a plan in place allows you to:

>Hire key personnel before you need them, such as a crisis management specialist. If you don’t have the cash flow for dedicated personnel, you can appoint one of your existing team members (or even yourself) as the go-to or point of contact person for anyone handling crisis-related matters. 

>Anticipate potential accusations or crises for your company based on its industry, products, and interpretation.

>Come up with potential solutions or responses ahead of time. 

• Delegate, delegate, delegate

You need to delegate tasks to your crisis management or response team members, including PR spokespeople. By delegating tasks, you’ll ensure that vital work gets done on time and there isn’t a lot of back-and-forth or delay between your responses to the public.

 • Speak to the public

If word gets out that a crisis is coming your way, face it head on and immediately put out a public statement. All you have to do is acknowledge that you recognize the crisis and are working on solutions or potential work-arounds.

This does two major things to benefit your organization:

>It shows that you are taking charge of the situation.

>It can calm down or reassure clients or customers who haven’t experienced the same crisis factors before.

• Accept responsibility

You should also accept responsibility for any crisis and all future messages. Don’t try to shift blame or make it seem like a crisis is someone else’s fault. All this does is make your leadership look unprofessional and ineffective. Even if the crisis in question isn’t your fault, take responsibility anyway. 

• Develop practical solutions quickly

Once the initial PR response is under control, you need to quickly develop practical solutions for your customers or clients. 

Practical solutions can include:

>Refunds for any defective or potentially dangerous products.

>Improvements or patches for software products or subscriptions.

>Replacement products depending on your industry or niche.

• Keep to a simple message

>Acknowledges the crisis.

>Provides the public with an update on the crisis and potential solutions.

>Reinforces your dedication to handling the crisis, whatever it may be.

By focusing on a simple message, customers never forget that you are doing your best to solve their issues. 

• Be decisive with employees

In times of crisis, people respect leadership and decisiveness. Show you’re in charge by firing problematic employees and hiring new ones right away. Don’t allow sentiment to get in the way of doing what needs to be done. 

• Hire a legal team (if necessary)

From time to time, even small businesses may be sued by one or more clients or customers. Lawsuits can be scary, but they don’t have to be provided you have a skilled legal team on your side. You should never try to face a lawsuit by yourself, as even basic lawsuits can come with legal mines or potential missteps that can throw your business into chaos.