Siobhan Meaker from Better Strategic Consultancy considers when is the right time to prepare your communications for a crisis.
Hands up if you work for a charity or business and your heart sinks when the fire safety training module comes around again. It might feel a bit of a chore going through the extinguisher types, but you know it makes sense to be prepared. If the flames are lapping at your desk, you’ve probably cut it a bit fine to start googling the fire triangle. You’re in “Get out and hope for the best” waters.
But you don’t want to leave your organisation’s reputation to chance. Which is why being prepared for a crisis and having a regularly reviewed communications plan in place is vital.
Do you have a live and working policy for communications in your charity or business? Is your designated comms lead media trained or experienced in crisis? Would your board or trustees know what to do if approached by the media? How would you handle an online attack from a disgruntled service user or customer? Would you feel confident that your people, your staff, your volunteers, know what to say and know when to hold their boundary.
I used to joke that some of my best stories never made it to print – and my clients were delighted! But the fact is acting with integrity, being clear about your messaging and staying true to who you are will really help when word does get out. And in these situations, it can be incredibly helpful to have someone who knows the ropes on hand to guide you through.
Don’t wait until it’s gone wrong and you’re wishing you handled it differently. At Better, we can audit your internal and external communications and give you tailored, clear and workable actions. We can help you embed a brilliant comms approach into your organisation that connects your people to your purpose - which in turn will help you when things go wrong.
And if you are right in the middle of it, please don’t panic. If it’s a fire, it’s 999. But if it’s an organisational crisis, reach out to Claire and Siobhan at Better. You can email Claire and Siobhan at Better info@betterconsult.co.uk visit them at www.betterconsult.co.uk or connect with them on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/betterstrategicconsultancyltd
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