In 1998, John Burnett proposed a crisis management model with three broad stages — identification, confrontation, and reconfiguration — which each consist of two steps. This model also follows a progression like the other lifecycle models
The Crisis Management Plan (CMP) is a document that describes the processes that an organization will use to respond to a critical situation that would negatively affect its profitability, reputation, or ability to operate. CMPs are used by teams of: business continuity, emergency management, crisis management and damage assessment to avoid or minimize breakdowns and provide guidance on personnel, resources and communications. Defining a crisis / type of crisis A crisis demands that decisions be made quickly to limit the damage to an organization, its stakeholders, and the public. By providing a well-documented set of responses to potential critical situations, a CMP enables an affected organization to act quickly in the event of a serious incident. Potential crises can include: Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes; Other serious climatic events such as floods, snowstorms and droughts; Biological risks such as foodborne diseases and pandemics; Accidental human-caused events such as fires, explosions, collapses of buildings or structures, and spills of hazardous materials; Intentional human-caused events such as muggings, violence, and fires; Y Technological issues such as interruptions and cyber attacks. What to include in the crisis management plan Crisis management planning includes preparation, process development, testing, and training
To build an effective CMP, you must follow these steps:
Identify the members of the crisis management team.
Document what criteria will be used to determine if a crisis occurred.
Establish monitoring systems and practices to detect early warning signs of any potential crisis situation.
Specify who will be the spokesperson in the event of a crisis.
Provide a list of the main emergency contacts.
Document who will need to be notified in the event of a crisis and how that notification will be made.
Identify a process for evaluating the incident, its potential severity, and how it will affect the building and officials.
Identify procedures to respond to the crisis and define safe points where officials can go in the event of an emergency.
Develop a strategy for posting and replying on social media.
Provide a process for testing the effectiveness of the crisis management plan and updating it regularly.
The importance of a crisis communication strategy
Communication is essential to overcome a crisis, as it keeps the necessary people informed, from a local action in a single office to a global response. As the crisis unfolds and evolves, the organization must update its communications.