Preparing for the UNEXPECTED 

         Every journalist wants a scoop. Scoops could threaten the business of a country or an organization.  

         I once asked an editor of a major newspaper:  “What makes a good story? “ He replied “A disaster!”  Disasters make good stories.”        

Countries and organizations must be prepared for a sudden disaster, accident, or emergency.  

         Unless an emergency is handled with speed and accuracy, the reputation of a country or an organization could be badly damaged.

        A handful of tips to help you prepare for an unexpected crisis before it happens

* Be prepared

         It pays to expect the unexpected – prepare for an unexpected crisis.

         It can be a sound investment to set up a rapid response team.

         Consult team leaders about all possible emergency situations.

         Get them to list all the possible disasters that could possibly occur to lives, property, and the environment that could possibly be associated with your business.

          Consider fire, recalls of products, accidents to employees, theft and accounting errors etc.

“What should we do if……..?”

* Devise procedures

         Document procedures to follow after a sudden crisis situation.

          Have a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) in place; this is a proactive plan to help ensure a business’ operations can continue during an emergency or a disaster.

         All employees must be informed of their responsibilities and understand what they should do in each type of emergency.

*  Train staff

         Carry out simulated exercises periodically. (Carry them out unexpectedly from time to time.)

* Keep directories updated 

         Make someone responsible for keeping crisis directories updated at all times with the latest names and contact numbers of who to contact in an emergency and what action must be taken.

  * Create a crisis communication plan         

Communication is vital. Train communication teams well. They must be honest and open with the media and make full use of social media.

         They must keep the staff, clients and the public fully informed as soon as possible.     Keep the staff informed first; they must know whose job it is to do what in an emergency.

         Appoint one media spokesperson to avoid confusing messages.

         You can cease speculation by being honest and only presenting the facts of an emergency

After a crisis don’t look for scapegoats – look for ways to improve systems.”

Geoffreyg Moss (mossassociated.co.nz)

“By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.”

Source: “Revitalise YOUR Business” first published by Moss Associates Ltd, New Zealand, the Singapore Institute of Management, Ane Books India and McGraw-Hill Australia.