First Response Strategies

Successful crisis communication management planning and response is based on common sense response priorities and fundamentally sound decision making and action. Ignoring these priorities is what can turn a relatively minor incident into a major, long-term, uncontrollable, reputation-defining series of events.

Response Priorities

Problem Identification and Response Prioritization

Manage the Victim Dimension

Employee Communications

Contact Those Indirectly Affected

Deal With the Self-Appointed, Self-Anointed, and the Media




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FIRST RESPONSE STRATEGIES Successful crisis communication management planning and response is based on common sense response priorities and fundamentally sound decision making and action. Ignoring these priorities is what can turn a relatively minor incident into a major, long-term, uncontrollable, reputation-defining series of events. Response Priorities Problem Identification and Response Prioritization Resolve the problem promptly; begin addressing key issues. If it’s leaking, foaming, smoking, burning, creating victims, deal with the underlying problem first. Manage the Victim Dimension It is victims and others who are directly affected that cause incidents to become crises. Be prepared to understand the dynamics of victims and anticipate those dynamics as the response process proceeds. Employee Communications Every employee is a communicator when something happens. Whether there are 10 employees or 10,000 employees, when questionable activity or crisis occurs, everyone affected becomes a communicator. Inform, educate, and script employees promptly. Contact Those Indirectly Affected (neighbors, regulators, governments, friends, allies, families, relatives) Every crisis causes damage, injury, or fear in a large number of individuals who are indirectly affected: your Agency infringes on another Agency or your problems taint your relationship with an ally, allied organization or interest group. Inform them. Deal With the Self-Appointed, Self-Anointed, and the Media Almost every crisis brings out individuals and organizations with their own agendas. Your crisis presents the opportunity to activate those agendas. Then there is the news media that can bring substantial attention to your crisis and you. The key concept to remember here is that each of these five steps must be activated in the first hour, or first two hours, of any crisis. Those not activated will cause additional victims, questions, and misunderstandings, which the Agency will have to deal with as the crisis is resolved.
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 © , 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.