The International Association of Business Communicators reports that few companies or businesspeople have spent adequate time investigating their vulnerabilities or gauging their ability to handle an unexpected crisis.
Little effort is made to prevent crises before they happen, and in most cases, preparations such as disaster response plans are nonexistent.
As a result, those in the centre of the crisis are forced into damage control in the midst of escalating chaos.
According to Lou D’Onofrio, emergency management co-coordinator with the Ontario agriculture ministry, crisis management can be split into three stages: prevention, preparedness and recovery.
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Stage 1: Prevention
Monitoring systems are used to identify potential trouble spots so emerging threats can be eliminated or managed before they escalate.
D’Onofrio suggests that producers monitor what is happening with respect to their commodity. Consumer attitudes should be gauged and management tools such as crisis simulations, educational workshops and crisis response videos should be used to raise awareness.
Stage 2: Preparedness
This includes the preparation of a documented, workable crisis response plan that lists the actions to be taken.
“In a crisis, you need something that will tell you what to do, when to do it and even how to do it,” D’Onofrio said.
“You let the plan think for you because that’s what it is designed to do.”
To develop a crisis plan, organizations or producers should conduct a thorough crisis audit. This involves a thorough examination of the operation, from the initial stages of production through to processing, marketing, distribution and consumption. The audit should identify all potential vulnerabilities as well as policies or legislative measures that affect the operation and crisis response resources at the local, provincial or federal levels.
Stage 3: Recovery
This involves assessing the damage and rebuilding. Damage assessment involves a complete written evaluation of how the crisis arose, whether the response plan was effective and how public perception was affected. Effective communication is a key element to rebuilding after a crisis. A frank, open rapport with consumers and the media is essential.
Source: Crisis Response & Communication Planning Manual, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food
