Prepare your business for its ‘natural’ crises
You might expect a crisis to be unpredictable, but more often than not, they’re an entirely ‘natural’ fit, explains issue management expert Tony Jaques.
Companies which are not properly prepared to manage a crisis sometimes say “We are small and not likely to have a crisis” or “There are so many possible crises you can’t plan for everything.” Such excuses are dangerously wrong and can lead to costly reputational and operational damage.
There surely is no shortage of surprises when it comes to crisis management. And of course no company can develop a detailed crisis response for every possible eventuality.
One answer to this challenge is to focus initially on what I call your ‘natural’ crises. This doesn’t mean they result from natural disasters. They are natural to the organisation. They are the industry-specific or company-specific crises which are most likely, which are reasonably predictable, and should be clear priorities. They are the risks which keep mindful managers awake at night.
