Crisis Management Consulting

I am often asked for a good strategy for Crisis Management –
what is a good Crisis Management Plan

Here is my standard answer:

When a Crisis happens, your strategy is to:

1. Know what is happening (facts, data and situational information)
2. Know what “what is happening” means  (understanding)
3. Know what to do about it (response plan)
4. Know who does what when you do something about  it (designated team)
5. Know how to do what you are to do about it  (process and procedures)
6. Know how to manage all that is being done or  should be done about it (management)
7. Have sufficient resources to accomplish what is  being done(supplies, authority, tools and access to unds/resources/outside  services)
8. Be able to communicate and see what is being  done by you and others – interactive real time communication
9. Be able to make decisions and send instructions  and receive feedback while it is all happening – be able to manage
10. Be  able to delegate and control or manage without having to do everything, say  everything or check on everything yourself – (a system, a team, a process and  an infrastructure)
11. Record,  post, map, collate, analyze and document data and actions – (a system)
12. Be  able to show that you did what you did and when you did it and how you did it  and who did what (documentation)
13. Be  able to review/assess/analyze what you did so that the next time you are able  to do it better and that you can defend what you did to those who may critique  you in the aftermath

Jan Decker – jan.decker@comcast.net