The practice
Preparation, simulation and command through the worst week. The determining factor in how a crisis resolves is almost never the quality of the statement. It is whether the decision structure existed before the phone rang.
The first four hours set the frame for the entire story. Organisations that respond well in those hours have pre-approved holding statements and a named decision owner. Organisations that do not spend those hours convening a call.
Crisis by committee produces delay and contradiction. One named person decides, with legal and operations advising. That structure has to be agreed while everyone is calm.
Tabletop exercises that involve only the communications team test the wrong thing. The failure point is usually senior decision making under pressure, and that is what needs rehearsing.
The news cycle moves on long before your standing does. Rebuilding takes quarters of consistent behaviour and evidence, and it is a distinct piece of work from incident response.
How the work runs
Scenario library, holding statements, escalation tree and spokesperson set.
Live drills with the board and executive team under time pressure.
Twenty four hour command, monitoring, stakeholder sequencing and statements.
Standing rebuild programme, evidence of change and long term measurement.
Services
Scenario library, holding statements and escalation trees.
Crisis & Issues ManagementLive drills that test the board, not just the comms team.
Crisis & Issues ManagementTwenty four hour command with a single decision owner.
Crisis & Issues ManagementRebuilding standing after the news cycle moves on.
Crisis & Issues ManagementFrequently asked
Anything that threatens licence to operate, safety, financial standing or senior leadership. Operational problems that stay operational are issues, not crises, and they get a different response.
Retained clients get a number answered around the clock. That is the point of a retainer in this area.
No. Sometimes commenting extends a story that would otherwise close. That judgement is the value, and it should be made against a prepared framework rather than in the moment.
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