Calibrate crisis communication response to avoid under – or over – reaction

This 28 day review of organisations in crisis management mode has laid bare the sheer number and diversity of incidents, issues and crises affecting businesses every day of the year. Learning number one from this exercise is that organisations must prepare plans and people beforehand so that they can respond quickly and professionally to protect reputation.

The sheer quantity of crises occurring every day highlights the fact that these are not unusual events. But when the crisis affect you, it all becomes very personal, intense and pressurised. Maintaining perspective, objectivity and calibrating your crisis communication response accordingly is essential to avoid over (as well as under) reacting. Over-react and you can escalate the situation bringing it to the attention of stakeholders previously unaware of it. Under-reaction though is even more dangerous, creating an impression of an oragnisation that doesn’t care , is hiding the facts or has simply failed to get its act together.

Organisations calibrating their crisis and issues management response this weekend include:

Tesco: supermarket; fined after mouse droppings found in store

Severn Trent: utility; burst water main leaves 17,000 homes and businesses without water

LibDems: political party; website hacked