The key asset in crisis management is information. Its effective management is crucial. At some point information should be processed into a form that can be used as a coherent basis for decision-making. This is called Situational Awareness (SA). SA is the concept of developing the ability to observe your environment, orientate to rapid changes,…
There are many definitions all of which explain what situational awareness is in a similar way. The term we use is as follows: Situational Awareness is “closely monitoring what is going on around you in a complex and dynamic environment”. Closely monitoring what’s going on around you will help you make better and quicker decisions…
Decision-making is the process of selecting a course of action from more than one alternative option, which is challenging to do when making high-stress decisions in crisis situations. In this short video clip from the Crisis Coordinator Webinar Series, Rob Burton explains organizations should have a process to help guide their decision making. Do you…
How your team manages issues throughout the lifecycle of an incident or crisis can prevent the situation from becoming worse. There will be challenges (issues) that raise their ugly heads during the event that need to be dealt with. Having a good IAP (Incident Action Plan) process will support the management of these issues. In…
During an incident it is imperative that the CMT (Crisis Management Team) has good overall Situational Awareness throughout the whole event. This will allow leaders to better understand the situation enabling them to make well informed and accurate decisions. In this short video clip from the Crisis Coordinator Webinar Series, Rob Burton defines Situational Awareness…
To ensure that your team is ready to respond in a crisis, you need an activation process. Some teams use emergency notifications like text or e-mail; others have systems like OnSolve’s advanced critical communication tool to activate members. No matter what process and technology you use, it is imperative that the team be activated in…
Crisis response strategies are purposeful actions taken to reduce the negative effects of a crisis on an organization and its stakeholders, and are critical resources for limiting negative effects on the organization’s reputation. The dynamic nature of crises make it difficult to plan for specific responses, so it important to be flexible. In this short…
Rule # 1 of Crisis Communications: Show Empathy — Be Human. They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Going in front of the media during a crisis is a double-edged sword. On the one hand it affords the organization’s spokesperson a crucial opportunity to deliver the messages that…
The communications professional should establish the organization as the most authoritative source of news about the crisis so the organization’s messages are more likely to be included in the coverage. Hiding from the media will always make matters worse. Engaging with the media will enable the organization to disseminate its messages about the crisis to…
The Crisis Communications Plan as an essential component of the overall Crisis Plan. Many times during crises, employees are the most neglected stakeholder group. Having a comprehensive stakeholder list is important during an incident and crisis. Create yours today and validate it during simulation exercises. In this short video clip from the Crisis Coordinator Webinar…