You just got that call.
There has been a huge data leak discovered within your company. Or somebody stole all your emails and is ready to share the contents with the world. Or you just got named in a presidential tweet. Or your product is being accused of starting fires in airplanes. Or a blog was published by an ex-employee about your sexist and discriminatory culture.
But you’ve got a crisis plan ready for just this moment. Right?
So where is it?
When was it last updated?
Who owns it?
Who sits on the crisis team?
Are they ready and trained?
How do you contact them in a hurry?
Having an up-to-date crisis plan is like saving for retirement. Absolutely everyone agrees it’s a great idea. But very few people put it at the top of their "to do" lists.
Nearly half the families in America have no retirement savings at all according to a report by the Economic Policy Institute in September 2016.
I have not found figures for how many companies do not have an up-to-date crisis plan – but my experience would be that it would be a pretty similar percentage to those heading into the golden years without a dime in the bank.
In recent months I have talked to several well-known global companies.
In one instance, a new head of corporate communications went looking for the crisis plan and found the latest version – from 2008.
In another, the head of risk management found multiple versions of plans which he sent me for review. A quick Google check revealed the author of the most detailed plans had left the organization some five years before.
We live in an age of great uncertainty and increasing risk. Digital technology and social media has transformed the speed of how crises unfold and the nature of the threat.
Reassure yourself. Go looking for that crisis plan right now.
And if you don’t like what you find (or don’t find) – start work on a new crisis plan immediately.
Find out more about the author by visiting www.thehatcliffegroup.com
