Crisis Guru

In his Crisis Guru Commentaries, Jim Lukaszewski provides real answers to real questions about your most critical communications problems and issues.

To submit a question, please direct it by e-mail to crisisguru@e911.com. Be sure to include your full name, affiliation, address, and telephone number. All published questions will be identified by title and industry only. Your confidentiality will be protected.

Question:

Dear Crisis Guru:

Do crisis plans differ from industry to industry? For example, should a healthcare company respond differently to a crisis than a media company?

Vice President
Full-Service International Consumer Firm

Answer:

Dear VP:

All successful crisis response plans are similar in the general order of response:

Stop the production of victims (which can be people, animals, and living systems)
Manage the victim dimension
Communicate with employees and your base
Notify the indirectly affected, regulators and relevant agencies
Deal with the self appointed . . . like the media, critics, bloviators.
Those in charge lead with moral force and ethically applied expertise
Sensible, simple, positive, constructive actions along with random acts of leadership will carry the day

The major response differences relate to the crisis scenario types possible in different industries and organizations. In just about every case those crises that are operating in nature are more easily handled than those that are non-operational, e.g., terrorism, workplace violence, criminal behavior, products, people, or actions that hurt, maim, or kill.

In every case, responses are generally based on preempting the negative event patterns we can expect, and working through the crisis scenarios as they apply to a specific business or organizational circumstance.

Cordially,

Jim Lukaszewski




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CRISIS GURU #10 Real Time Answers to Real Time Questions In his Crisis Guru Commentaries, Jim Lukaszewski provides real answers to real questions about your most critical communications problems and issues. To submit a question, please direct it by e-mail to crisisguru@e911.com. Be sure to include your full name, affiliation, address, and telephone number. All published questions will be identified by title and industry only. Your confidentiality will be protected. TODAY’S TOPIC: CRISIS PLANS Question: Dear Crisis Guru: Do crisis plans differ from industry to industry? For example, should a healthcare company respond differently to a crisis than a media company? Vice President Full-Service International Consumer Firm Answer: Dear VP: All successful crisis response plans are similar in the general order of response: Stop the production of victims (which can be people, animals, and living systems) Manage the victim dimension Communicate with employees and your base Notify the indirectly affected, regulators and relevant agencies Deal with the self appointed . . . like the media, critics, bloviators. Those in charge lead with moral force and ethically applied expertise Sensible, simple, positive, constructive actions along with random acts of leadership will carry the day The major response differences relate to the crisis scenario types possible in different industries and organizations. In just about every case those crises that are operating in nature are more easily handled than those that are non-operational, e.g., terrorism, workplace violence, criminal behavior, products, people, or actions that hurt, maim, or kill. In every case, responses are generally based on preempting the negative event patterns we can expect, and working through the crisis scenarios as they apply to a specific business or organizational circumstance. Cordially, Jim Lukaszewski
The Lukaszewski Group Inc. 100 South Bedford Road, Suite 340, Mount Kisco, NY 10549 U.S.A., 914.681.0000-Office 914.681.0047-Facsimile 203.948.7029-24/7 Copyright © 2009, James E. Lukaszewski. All rights reserved. Permission to print one copy for personal use is hereby granted by the copyright holder. Reproduction of additional copies without written permission of the copyright holder is strictly prohibited.