Hope for the Best. Plan for the Worst.
March 03, 2010 by Alan Taylor
As the newest member of our firm, I was excited about my move from Charlotte to the Nashville area. I planned to arrive in Brentwood on Friday. But, a major snowstorm derailed that plan and, thankfully, I made the drive a day early.
As it turned out, the minor inconveniences of being flexible on the front end ultimately saved me several headaches had I waited.
The same holds true for crisis communications: “Hope for the best. Plan for the worst.”
When you read your crisis communication plan – if you have one – is that the impression you get? Or, are you left with the sense that your hospital may not be able to respond to the fluidity of an ongoing crisis or change on the front-end if needed? Too often, companies are caught up in day-to-day operations and give little thought to dealing with a crisis.
A few thoughts on planning to be flexible:
- Know the audiences you must reach. In a crisis, everyone thinks about dealing with the media. But, what about your employees, your physicians, your Board, major donors, local elected officials, or stockholders? You need to get your message directly to them – unfiltered by the news media and usually before you give your first media statement.
- Don’t get caught in the emotions of the moment. A crisis is stressful. Emotions can run high. Step back occasionally to gauge the situation. Then, plan your next move.
- Don’t let a tough story about your organization trip you up. Hopefully, you’ve built a history of good will in the community. If something has gone wrong, the public will forgive you if you express empathy and a commitment to make sure the matter never happens again. Don’t be defensive.
- Lastly, get a plan on paper and practice it. The time to come up with a plan is now, while you are not in the middle of a crisis. Be sure the right people are in the know on it. Practice it with "tabletop drills." If you have to use the plan, do an evaluation afterwards to determine what worked and what aspects of the plan need to be tweaked.
