consistent in your behavior, you’re more likely to conduct yourself in the same way during a crisis. Taking a proactive and strategic approach to crisis management involves a number of core elements: • Identification: Conduct risk assessments to help identify potential crises before they occur. • Planning: Develop plans and procedures that specifically address various scenarios, including resource allocation and communication protocols. • Communication: Establish strong lines of communication. Without clear, transparent communication, no plan, no matter how good, will work. It’s been said that communication makes the world go round, and to that point, in a crisis, effective communication is vital to making it through difficult times successfully. Communication can make the difference between your business weathering the storm or suffering operational and/or reputational damage. • Response: Assign roles and responsibilities to implement your plan in the case of a crisis. This may involve taking immediate action to protect your people and property, as well as informing stakeholders. Leaders should be open to new approaches and willing to adjust strategies as the situation evolves. • Recovery: Assess your plan once normal operations are restored. What parts worked? What can be done better? Take this opportunity to learn and improve preparedness plans. However, it’s important to remember that even the best plan can fail if people are not prioritized, both employees and leaders alike. Strong leadership in action can help employees understand that a crisis does not have to lead to the destruction of the organization or the loss of their jobs. In fact, the ability of those in charge to be agile and make decisions may give employees hope as they realize that their leaders were prepared for the event and competent enough to get them through it safely. Equally as important is self-care, especially during times of crisis. Leaders should take time to eat healthy and make sleep a priority. When possible, try to find a moment to step back from the situation, refocus and find perspective. And, don’t try to do it all yourself. After all, you’ve spent time planning and preparing your team — give your plan and your employees the chance to make things work. Crises are bound to happen, but with a little planning and a lot of teamwork, you can successfully navigate the storm instead of bracing for impact. WVADA NEWS 15
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