Crisis communication plan: seven steps for small firms

A crisis communication plan is a short written guide that says who speaks, to whom, and what is said first when something goes wrong. A small firm needs one just as much as a large one. This guide gives seven steps you can write down in an afternoon.

The seven steps are: name a crisis team, pick one spokesperson, list your audiences, write a holding statement, match your response to the crisis, update on a set schedule, and review afterwards.

Sources: Wikipedia, "Crisis communication" (plan contents and the value of a prepared team).

Steps 1 and 2: Name who decides and who speaks

Start with people, not paper. Choose a small crisis team of three to five people. Include the top leader, someone who knows operations, and someone who handles customers. Write down their mobile numbers and a backup for each person.

Next, pick one spokesperson and one backup. Everyone else sends questions to them. This keeps your message the same across email, phone calls and social media. Mixed messages cause more damage than a slow answer.

The spokesperson does not have to be the owner. Choose the calmest person who can speak plainly. Give that person the power to say the first words without waiting for a long approval chain. Decide this in advance. During a crisis there is no time to argue about it.

Sources: Wikipedia, "Crisis communication" (assigning decisions in advance, a chain of command and a rapid response team trained beforehand).

Step 3: List your audiences and how to reach them

A crisis is judged by the people who watch it. Coombs, a leading researcher in this field, defined a crisis in 2007 by what stakeholders perceive: an unexpected event that threatens what they expect from you. So start by listing those stakeholders.

For most small firms the list is short:

Staff and their families
Customers and clients
Suppliers and partners
Your bank, landlord or insurer
Regulators, if your sector has them
Journalists and the wider public

Beside each group, write the fastest way to reach them. It may be a staff chat group, a customer email list, a phone call to your top ten clients, or a notice on your website. Check that you really have the contact details, and keep a printed copy in case systems fail.

Sources: Wikipedia, "Crisis communication" (stakeholder perception, citing W. T. Coombs, 2007).

Step 4: Write a holding statement now

A holding statement is a short message you can send in the first hour, before you know everything. Write a draft today with blanks to fill in. It should say what happened in one plain sentence, what you are doing about it, who is affected, and when you will say more.

Here is a simple pattern: "We know that [what happened]. Our first concern is [people affected]. We are [action being taken]. We will share an update by [time]."

Be honest about what you do not know. Do not guess, and do not blame anyone. If your early information turns out to be wrong, correct it openly and quickly. Research cited in the public literature says a fast response only helps when the information in it is correct, and that a late or poor response can make a crisis worse.

Also keep a "dark" web page ready. This is an unpublished page with a template for updates. You switch it on when needed, so you are not building a page in the middle of a crisis.

Sources: Wikipedia, "Crisis communication" (prompt and decisive response, citing Kiambi and Shafer, 2016; delayed or inappropriate responses, citing Claeys and Cauberghe, 2012; pre-crisis preparation of a crisis web page).

Step 5: Match your response to the crisis

Not every crisis calls for the same tone. In 2007, Coombs proposed Situational Crisis Communication Theory. Its main idea is that your response should fit how much responsibility people think your organisation carries.

The theory sorts crises into three groups. In a victim crisis, such as a natural disaster or a rumour, the firm is seen as a victim. In an accidental crisis, such as a technical error or a recall, the firm is seen as responsible only in a small way. In an intentional crisis, such as management misconduct or deceiving stakeholders, the firm is seen as strongly responsible.

Its main advice is easy to use. For a victim crisis, informing people and telling them how to protect themselves may be enough. For a crisis that people can blame on you, such as a preventable failure, show that you take responsibility. Offer help or compensation, and say sorry where it is deserved. Stay consistent. Denying one day and apologising the next weakens trust.

Sources: Wikipedia, "Situational crisis communication theory" (the three clusters and the response strategies, citing W. T. Coombs, 2007).

Steps 6 and 7: Update on a schedule, then review

Silence invites rumours. Promise the next update time in every message, and keep it even if the news is only "no change." Staff should hear news before customers and the press when possible. They are your most visible voice. Give them a few clear lines to use, and ask them to pass media questions to the spokesperson.

When the worst is over, do not stop. Deliver any information you promised, and keep stakeholders updated on recovery. Then hold a review within a few weeks. Ask what worked, what failed, who was missed, and which contact details were wrong. Update the plan and share the changes with the team.

Test the plan at least once a year. A one-hour practice run with a made-up problem will show gaps that a document cannot.

Sources: Wikipedia, "Crisis communication" (updating stakeholders on recovery, analysing the response for lessons and testing the plan at least annually, citing Coombs, 2014).

A one-page checklist

Print this and keep it with your contact list.

Crisis team named, with backups and phone numbers
One spokesperson and one backup
Audience list with the fastest channel for each
Holding statement drafted, and the dark page ready
Rule for matching tone to the type of crisis
Update times promised in every message
Review date set, and a yearly practice run booked

None of this needs software or a consultant. It needs a few names, a few drafts and one honest conversation about who speaks when trouble comes. This article gives general information and is not legal advice.

Sources

Wikipedia, "Crisis communication", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_communication
Wikipedia, "Situational crisis communication theory", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situational_crisis_communication_theory
W. Timothy Coombs, "Protecting Organization Reputations During a Crisis: The Development and Application of Situational Crisis Communication Theory", Corporate Reputation Review, 2007