10 Steps to successful crisis management

Crises affect the best run companies and organizations. They also spring up with great frequency in the less well-managed companies and organizations. Generally crises are the result of intelligent people do stupid things. Sometimes they are the result of poor quality, greed, corruption or worse. Regardless of the reason for the crisis, must be handled with great care, speed and professionalism. The ten points listed below identify the key elements for successful management of crises.

1. Identify the problem

What is the crisis? Define it. Not the one that caused or who is to blame, but rather what is in clear terms. This may also be referred to as educational problem.

2. Create a team

Now that the crisis is defined, which areas not to touch it? Assemble a team with the owners of subject matter experts in each of these areas. For a company that usually means: an executive management, sales representative / product management, operations, legal, human resources, information technology, financial relations, PR or media sales and research and development. If any of these functions are not necessary, do not include them in the team just to fill a seat. For other organizations such as non-profit which may include: executive leadership, development, IT, member relations, financial relations, PR or media, human resources and marketing.

3. Establish a command center.

Find a place where all team members can meet and updates on the crisis can be controlled and monitored. The command center must be manned 7x45 by a representative from each key functional area, until the crisis was resolved.

4. Communicate outside.

The first thing the team needs to do once the problem has been identified is to communicate the problems and what has been done on it quickly and clearly to all outlets through appropriate media relations and public relations average. Generally, more information is better. The older the person providing the updates is the best also. Ideally this should be the CEO of the company or organization or person directly involved with the older crisis. Also update customers, investors, employees, customers, citizens, and members - anyone with an interest in the company or organization.

5. Allocation problem

Divide the problem with crisis management team. Identify what the problem is, what are the possible solutions are and what courses are most vital action. Bring in other experts if necessary, but not take the responsible owners of functional areas out of the loop or out of trouble. They have a successful resolution of their area.

6. Receive inches

The concerns of customers, employees, shareholders and constituents must be addressed. Set telephone hotline and e-mail folders on the crisis. Having competent people take calls. If they can not have a mechanism by which each call is returned with a response in 24 hours. The same is true with e-mail.

7. Solve the problem.

Nothing is more important than solving the problem or crisis, because it is a disruption to daily work. It could ruin the reputation of the company or organization. For a company that can destroy shareholder value. For other organizations that may affect the membership, the causes, careers, lives and worse. The crisis team needs to commit their time, money and energy and also take the best and the brightest inside or outside your company or organization to solve the problem or crisis quickly.

8. Provide updates and resolution.

Communicate updates through all outlets and communicate final resolution of the crisis at the highest level available. Communicate frequently. Communicate in a timely manner. They contain no information back. Make managers, owners and functional experts available to questions from the media (all forms). They monitored all communications through the command center that is centrally.

9. Investigate (post mortem).
After the crisis was resolved to establish a team to investigate what happened, why, who was responsible and what action should be taken to ensure that does not happen again (or minimized). Ensure the team has full access so much more time and budget they need to perform their jobs effectively.

10. Incorporate improvements

Integrating the results of the team in business as usual. Take the lessons learned from crisis to change the company or organization for which there is a minimal chance of crisis that repeats itself. Make these changes out to all of the company or organization concerned.

Crises happen - no matter how careful, conscientious quality and integrity focused any business or organization is considered. And when they do, it is for the leadership team to set up a crisis command center in a hurry. By following these 10 steps, the better will be made from any bad situation .......