It is possible to plan for a crisis situation. Even though something you may never had thought would happen in your industry could arise. Having a crisis management plan in place that is structured but can be adaptable to various situations can help lesson the impact of the crisis.
Sharon,
Using the crisis plan is important. You need to revisit the plan regularly to familiarize the plan with your people and to make changes where ever necessary.
Dr. Gary Carlson
"Plan for the worst, hope for the best" is a motto I learned early in my career(s). I find that planning to stay one step ahead of a possible situation/crisis will always allow anyone to act and react appropriately when something arises. This also allows an opportunity for growth and change when new challenges arise as well.
Andrea,
We can plan for the for the seen possibilities but maybe not for the unforeseen. When we have a plan it sensitizes us for crisis when it happens. We need to adapt as the needs arise. All plans should be visited regularly. Plan A and Plan B should be in place with knowledge they will have to be adjusted.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Being prepared with a series of procedures to put into effect if an emergency occurs, will insure that the organization will be better able to manage most crisis situations.
Effective contingency planning allows a business to take steps to minimize the potential impact of a disaster - and ideally prevent it from happening in the first place.
I do believe it is possible to plan for a crisis situation under certain circumstances. I believe there are certain crises you can prepare for but others that you just cannot predict you have to deal with when it comes to you as a crises. Of course you can plan for what may happen in a natural crises dealing with your local weather etc but I am sure that there will be some unnatural situation that occurs that you couldn't predict and therefore could not plan for and must deal with when it comes to you.
Earl,
Plans get put some comfort in your proactive technique. Plans should be revisited on a regular basis for adjustments that may be needed. When that day comes hopefully never you will be prepared to adapt and move forward.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Michelle,
You are absolutely correct. With a plan you can become aware and adapt to crisis as they occur. Your plan should be revisited on a regular basis and know that it will never be 100%. It lends itself to comfort know you may have a plan that can deal with some of the issues but probably not all of them. You will adapt as necessary.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I aree if the crisis is one of nature, if it is internal, then there to are signs that something is not running smoothly. If that were the case then I would address it in a non-judgemental way. Open communacation is key to any situtions.
I agree if it is one of nature,you have time to prepare. Other crisis depending on what they might be, might not be able to plan. But you should have some plan of action in place it one should occur. A "what if team".
linda,
Having consistent and fair policies on handling internal crisis is the way to communicate to your people. When the time comes they will view you as a leader and can trust your consistency and honesty to a situation.
Dr. Gary Carlson
linda,
It is good to have a plan and use what parts of it that may be appropriate. We all know we will have to create plan "B" when it comes to pass for action. This is our ability to be adaptive but you are ahead of the game when you have been proactive.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I am a firm believer in being proactive as opposed to reactive. As a manager, I strive to be aware of possible crisis issues, thus being able to begin taking necessary steps to avoid or decrease the impact. I have been a part of many crisis situations and oftentimes ask myself the "what-if" or "why" questions. "ONe of my favorite is "Why didn't anyone plan for this type of crisis? It is so obvious in the field we are in something like this could occur easily." Hind sight is always better, but more managers need to learn to use forsight for prevention and management.
Kathryn,
You are very wise to have this type of attitude about these potential challenges. We try to have the best possible plan when a crisis occurs, Beyond the current plan we need to re-visit our plan on a regular basis. I recommend the team brainstorm the current plan and make adjustments as needed, There always an opportunity to improve on our plans when we rethink situations.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I agree. Anticipation and preparation will help you manage a crisis situation for the best outcome possible. Anticipating what is the worst situation and create a plan.
Linda,
To plan is great and will help you to be better prepared. Secondly follow/up is important for us to revisit our plan. Adjustments may be needed and new employees need to see the plan.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I agree to a point.
I do think that it is a best practice to try and prepare for a crisis, and I think you can develop SOP’s for certain generalities, and there will always be things that exceed your preparations.
One does have to question though, if you have fully planned for a crisis, and you have contingencies set up and you are prepared for the event with proper follow ups and backup plans that minimize the impact of the situation, intrinsically, would it cease to be a crisis?
Matt,
Crisis planning is for the purpose of protection of lives and property. I have experienced good crisis planning that reduced the impact of the crisis. We all know crisis may not be avoided but imp t may be reduced. Colleges and universities have learned the most expensive way with losing of lives. Lock downs and student awareness has been implemented through efficient plans. Crisis plans should be revisited on a regular basis. New employees and adjustment mDe where needed.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I believe a contingency can be created for the most common of crisis. However, they are definitely going to be situations that require quick judgment and will not have an action plan in place. All you can do in those situation is learn from the crisis and adjust accordingly.
andrew,
There are those things you can control in a crisis and those you can't. It is always good to recognize those actions we can take where we can control. Often this is the actions that can save lives in a large crisis. A plan in place is essential to success. Reviewing the plan with new employees and revising on a regular basis makes the plan viable in time of need.
Dr. Gary Carlson
