Communication Tools

Crisis planning and communications are indissoluble. Without the planning, communications are random, ineffective, and sometimes contradictory. But the plan cannot be separated from its implementation. It cannot sit on the shelf. It is itself an action item, to be continuously refreshed and rehearsed.

In fact, rehearsal can be a big part of crisis planning and communication. Companies that don’t want to anticipate the possibility of ever being part of a front-page scandal live in a make-believe world. Law firms have mock trials. Why can’t companies stage mock role-plays to hone the skills of their executives? Why can’t receptionists and secretaries be trained to field surprise press calls before there’s ever a real-life reason to do so?

Sears Roebuck typifies the American corporation that neglected crisis planning and communications for decades, despite a fast-changing marketplace and a customer base highly sensitive to social issues and corporate attitudes. It’s noteworthy that, when Sears finally developed a comprehensive plan, the initiative was driven by its chief legal officer who insisted that her lawyers be unfailingly responsive to the corporate communications department. Such responsiveness is crucial for the kind of crisis planning and communications that works in practice as well as on paper.