Plant Closings and Layoffs: Crisis Management 

When a crisis occurs, the most important thing is to respond. This response is directed to both the situation itself and to the perception of the situation by those involved and others. Knowing what to do is important to managing the problem.

Advance Planning Can Minimize Damage

• Crisis is inevitable. Be prepared to respond. Anticipate trouble and prepare a response plan beforehand. What goes into this plan? Begin with an inventory of relevant issues. The plan should include a list of "audiences," people and organizations that have an effect on your community or can provide relevant information.
• Designate a crisis response team to manage specific tasks, including a designated spokesperson.
• List who to call during and after an emergency, include phone numbers.
• Describe how to notify affected parties and make sure they are fully informed first.
• Develop guidelines for dealing with the media. Have a written statement.
• Be proactive with the media and contact them before they contact you. Be direct and honest. Defensive posturing or outright subterfuge will appear obvious. Fast, comprehensive information delivery helps insure accurate media coverage. The goal is to ally the media as an educational and informational tool in communicating your efforts.
• List helpful resources. Other supplementary documents should be added; every relevant scrap of information should be at your fingertips whenever crisis strikes.

Implementing the Plan
Many urgent issues come up, but very few qualify as true crises. The response team should be in agreement about what constitutes a crisis, when to assemble, and what measures should be taken. True crises have unique, unpredictable characteristics that are impossible to completely anticipate. Therefore, it's important to limit confusion when crisis ensues. Following a flow chart or step-by-step action plan will eliminate some of the guesswork in stressful situations.

If the crisis is valid, then the response team must first gather information. Determine the nature, scope, and implications of the problem. Define who is involved. Consider a variety of response options and decide what to do. Focus on strategy, not details.

Compose a few key messages.

Develop three to five talking points that are honest, compassionate, and responsive. Explain what's being done about the crisis and why. And, most importantly, keep key messages brief. If the "sound bite" can't be completed in 20 words or less, consider rewriting. The shorter and more pointed the response, the better it sticks in the mind of the audience.

Decide how to get these messages out. What way(s) can best communicate the commitment to resolving the problem? News release? Media interviews? Community meetings? Advertising? Sometimes the most obvious medium is not necessarily the most effective. The frequency of message delivery may be more important than a big splash. Be heard in a variety of ways, to a variety of audiences, tailoring the message to each group. Finally, elicit feedback and evaluate results. (Go Back to Layoffs Help)