Yamil,
It is always a plus to have people who will test a plan and theories. When this is the case the plan usually will pass the test of being a viable plan.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Yes, I believe it is not only possible but necessary to plan for a crisis situation. Although not all crises can be planned for, to have the basic structures in place to be proactive in emergency situations can not only save time, resources but lives.
In the case of the recent marathon tragedy, police and cities were well-prepared to act quickly and precisely because a plan was already in place. Although it did not stop the tragedy from happening, it stopped the people who caused the crimes, prevented more deaths and tragedy, and helped restore safety and calm to a very anxious and fearful public.
carolyn,
Having planning ahead of any crisis is a professional practice. We can't maybe have all situations covered but just having a plan in place will reduce the stress and get you moving in the right direction. Some crisis planning is obvious.
Dr. Gary Carlson
We recently had the opportunity to deal with an unforseen crisis when the town our school is in went into lockdown after the Marathon bombing. It was handled smoothly largely because we learned something from every smaller "crisis" in the past and conitually built and refined our proecess. The review part after a crisis is so essential. One take-away from this one which i will share........although we did a number of things to address the emotional fallout, what was most helpful was engaging everyone here in planning a volunteer event. It helped to have somewhere positive to channel all that leftover over fear and sadness.
Wendy,
I commend you on your courage in such a serious crisis. The value of your deliberate leadership and calmness to reassure people helps to do the right things in crisis. Follow/up is necessary to prepare again if necessary. No one thinks it can happen to them but it happened to you so we know there is always a possibility. Your volunteer event is a good release and a way of stepping back by helping others.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I agree, that it is possible to plan for a crisis situation. At the very least, having a group of varied, critical thinking staff members begin to evaluate potential situations that could result in crisis could influence many decisions along the way that could reduce the severity of the crisis if it should occur. Also, preparatory thinking can increase employees sense of confidence and leadership readiness that also is a valuable asset in negotiating a crisis.
The best way to plan is with the SWOT method.
Yes, I think is possible to plan for a crisis situation if there is enough information available to properly assess the potential for it. Some situations can obviously not be planned for, but having a handle on the players involved, the resources available, and proper training such as this one to provide a framework for responding to a crisis. In the middle of a crisis it can be chaotic and confusing so training is essential. I participated in several extended (10 day) wilderness first responder trainings over the years where we trained to be ready to handle injury, weather events, etc in a wilderness setting with very little resources--like being several days away from a hospital for example. The skills, way of thinking and triaging practice that I learned in that training has proven valuable in crisis situations on "dry land", so to speak. I learned that you can plan to a point and then the gut instinct, intuition and ethical decision making has to take over. I think with those essential building blocks a crisis can be planned for.
It is possible to plan for any specific crisis, or to plan for general crisis scenario. Even the plan to have the companies "think tank" respond in a predetermined pattern. The biggest and most obvious crisis should have detailed plans prepared as quickly as possible at the onset of developing a crisis management protocol, but also to have a generic plan that could fall in to place for any non-anticipated crisis.
**Edited: The assumption is that the Crisis Management team is given the authority to take the required steps.
Linda,
Great answer, we always need to be prepared with Plan A and Plan B.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Pearlina,
This is done often for teams. Just remember the action take should not be over reaction.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Meghan,
Certain crisis plans can plan for the obvious. Even this is not enough it will get you started and will allow for you to adapt to the crisis at hand.
Dr. Gary Carlson
David,
I am in totally agreement with your final statement. Many attempts have been stopped by to many cooks in the kitchen. You act fast people need to know their role and how to take action.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I agree - You absolutely can plan for a crisis situation. I do not believe you can plan for all before they happen, but by having a framework in place you can minimize and contain those that do arise.
Megan ,
You are so right. Crisis management becomes a proactive measure to not prevent crisis as much as it is to contend with crisis to lesson the effects.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I agree it is possible to plan for most crisis situations. As a leader in a small organization, we have the obligation to have contingency plans in place, identify potential threats or crises that may arise and work with our teams to execute these plans to ensure safe conditions for all staff and students as well as minimize business interruptions. For example, it is possible to have clear written plans delineating what to do in a weather emergency, or off-site IT that can log in remotely to minimize technological crises, as well as a crisis team organized in advance armed with resources and the company's mission and priorities are a good starting point to minimizing a crisis. It is also a good idea to invite local law enforcement into the business to provide emergency response training to the staff (i.e. what to do in an active shooter situation on campus) as well as provide a floor plan for law enforcement to have on file. It would be irresponsible to operate in today's market without some sort of plan for a crisis situation.
I believe it's possible to plan for a crisis situation. Several days ahead of SuperStorm Sandy striking, our school instituted a plan to protect critical assets as much as possible. Even though work/school days were lost due to flooding and power outages, the core assets remained intact due to that planning and allowed us to get up and running quickly.
Debra,
Very good comments. In short it is always good to plan ahead. It may not avert a crisis situation but it helps to be prepared for the worse.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Cathy,
Great planning makes some crisis easier to deal with when they are over. Storms can be devastating but you can prepare for the recovery. Your message is one all should hear.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Yes, it is possible and important to plan for a crisis situation. We (unfortunately) have many prior instances of crisis in different settings that allow us to learn from their experience what worked and what didn't. Specifically in school settings, it is critical to have the ability to communicate quickly to many people in order to keep everyone safe.
