Crisis communications planning shouldn't be an afterthought

Too often crisis planning is left until the last minute. It's understandable that nobody wants to think that anything could go wrong - it's wrong to bury your head in the sand though.

Companies of any size should be prepared to communicate with their key audiences in the event of an emergency. By key audiences, I don't just mean your customers or clients. There's a wide network of people that you'll need to get information to if 'IT' hits the fan.

• Employees and their families
  
• Shareholders
• Suppliers
• Customers
• etc.

Do you have a crisis plan in a binder that simply has to be pulled off the shelf when a crisis situation arises? You should. Maple Leaf Foods was able to react quickly and communicate with their audiences in the event of last year's listeriosis outbreak. It's the reason they're still in business today.

Responding to a crisis should never be done on the fly, in the midst of the situation. A plan must be developed in advance and shelved for future use. Employees should be aware of it and made familiar with it. You should hope you never have to use it - but if you do your company will survive with minimal damage to its reputation and brand.