Managing a crisis

Crisis management may be defined as a process of disruption when a few unplanned and unexpected elements work against the interests of an entity or organisation.

Crisis management is the existence of exponential forces which are mostly negative in nature cause potential harm to an organisation irrespective of its size or stature. Most entities have a solid plan in place to combat any crisis of whatsoever magnitude, while some have to face the repercussions with no back-up plan or strategy.

Some are at an advantage to face threats: while the rest look for bits and pieces to combat the crisis.

Crisis is an eventuality, a negative element which impacts peoples, organisations big or small by disturbing its very core of existence. To exemplify, a crisis can be any negative incident such as natural calamities, fire, death, destruction of property, which very hugely costs the company at large or an individual in his/her capacity. A plan which covers various dimensions be it strategy, combat plan, crisis aversion plan, may be defined as a crisis management plan.

Plans can be existent or non-existent. How do those with a contingency plan handle a crisis from those who don't have an eventual plan in place? There are a few advantages with a preventive plan which is all inclusive with unforeseen elements which include handling a crisis of any magnitude, preventive measures, combating measures, even before a crisis emerges.

With no plan, there's bound to be only confusion and the inability to handle any crisis. Assessment of a crisis by taking risk evaluation measures to prevent any untoward incident by putting to practice the best interests of an organisation. With a crisis resolution plan in order, an organisation can prepare to face uncalled developments.

Businesses of any magnitude may face an eventuality or threat with an array of negative elements. Crisis management is a back-up strategy of dealing with incidents of such stature. It's more viable to have exponential plans taking care of the business proposition values which will prevent any untoward adverse effects incase of an incident or loss or death. Crisis can be internal or external in nature.

Examples of external happenings include death, loss of property, disasters such as fire, natural calamities, security threat or instigating a negative image about an organisation and its leadership. Internal elements may be misconduct, poor customer service, lack of harmony in relations.

A few others to mention are financial crisis, personal crisis, organisational crisis, & natural crisis

Crisis management can be divided into three phases: pre-crisis phase which involves hands on approach with planning & preparation; crisis stage is the phase where the cis is takngf place; & post-crisis is the afterath of a crisis and how the company survived.

An effective crisis management plan includes a contingency risk evaluation analysis & implementation plan with a strong focus on internal and external communication strategies. Messaging is a crucial ingredient in crisis communications which has both its key stakeholders viz. internal - employees & families & external - customers, clients.

Steps to crisis management

♦    Predictive analysis

♦    Planning & Implementation

♦    Identify effective teams

♦    Goal setting

♦    Stakeholder engagement

♦    Open Communication

♦    Information dissemination

♦    Interests of people & organisation

♦    Building trust

With the world being hit hard with Covid 19, people across the globe are facing an eventual threat to life because of this pandemic. With uncertainty, huge loss of lives, several practical & preventable measures have been formulated for a safe covid free world.

Covid has shook the world around us left, right and centre. It's indeed a wake up call to practice certain norms for a healthy living. A crisis of this magnitude was handled well by all nations with stringent disciplinary measurability for a no covid world as the death loss was huge.

It's a sigh of relief however with the vaccine out for experimentation after an initial phase of confusion, threat, & fear of life. However, covid has taught us all some bitter lessons as to not take life for granted but to live the holistic way through wholesomeness in a more congenial and cordial atmosphere in communion with one another.

Effective approach

♦    Good teams & professionals

♦    Open communication

♦    Being transparent

♦    Be part of the solution

♦    Protect the credibility

♦    Enhance image building

We need to anticipate the difficult approach head-on, by focussing only on facts & avoiding the blame game.

With effective planning and implementation plans in handy, any crisis can be combated by an organisation. With lessons learnt in every rise and fall during a crisis, we need to chalk ways that build us up way through insight and practicality, with greater connect to a problem in finding the right amicable solutions.

Being part of the solution to many problem factors is more viable rather than being problem areas. As rightly stated, in the middle of the crisis lies opportunity, so with leadership. True leaders flourish only in times of crisis. Managing a crisis thereby is not an impediment but an exponential growth component.