Crisis Management 101: How To Tackle Issues Before They Become A Problem
Published April 10, 2017
When talking of a potential crisis, many managers and entrepreneurs believe their firm is untouchable and usually think ‘What’s the worse that can happen?’ According to an independent study that revealed hard stats on crisis management, did you know only 54% firms have a crisis management plan in place? As an entrepreneur, it is important to understand that no crisis is ‘too small’ to hurt your firm or ‘too big’ to be completely out of your control.
It’s true nothing ever goes as planned, especially when you’re running a business but it’s good to have a game plan if things go awry. Here are some tips and tricks that can help you develop a crisis management plan for your business.
Assess The Situation
Before anything else, start at the bottom. Spend time on identifying the vulnerable spots and threats that may put your firm in a precarious position. Check your internal and external environment for any warning signs. Managing an internal crisis is definitely controllable if you know what’s going on with your work staff.
Don’t be complacent – communicate with your employees, do routine performance evaluations and ask them if there’s any problem. On the other hand, the best way to assess your external environment for threats is to keep an eye on your competition and the industry your business is in, on the whole.
Be Proactive
Just because you think nothing’s going to happen, doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Turning a blind eye to a problem will only make it worse. For instance, if your employees are unhappy or not satisfied with their job, sit down and talk. Ask them about the reasons behind the job dissatisfaction and negotiate. Don’t wait for them go on a strike and then give in to their demands.
If you find any employee cutting corners or not following standard procedures, issue a warning right away. The key is to be proactive and take necessary steps to prevent a problem, not aggravate the situation.
Vulnerability Audits
According to CEO Bernstein Crisis Management Jonathan Bernstein, very few crises are totally unexpected. About 95% of crises are easily preventable or reducible. A vulnerability audit is a routine checkup performed by employers to get a reality check of the situation. This audit helps determine their compliance with the state’s employment laws and how well the employees are actually following the company’s policies.
To know more details about what questions to ask in a vulnerability audit, click here.
There is no surefire way to manage a crisis but you can make an effective strategy if you know the type of crisis and step by step guide to deal with it.
Want to know more on how to constructively deal with Crisis Management in the workplace? We would be excited to give you our best ideas. Please Click here to connect with one of Magna Leadership’s advisors. https://magnaleader.co/MeetMagna
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