25 Sep Managing an organisational crisis

Mark Ferguson, Director of More Fire PR Ltd

We all have a brand narrative and tell stories that help us communicate the value of our organisation and the services or products it provides. As part of this it’s important to understand that your business, no matter how respected and well-placed it might be, is vulnerable to a crisis.

How you communicate when something goes wrong can prove to be the difference between emerging from a potentially damaging incident more strongly, or leaving yourself open to lasting reputational damage and broken relationships with stakeholders.

To avoid negative fallout and outcomes, preparation and response are everything when it comes to making the most effective use of public relations.

At More Fire PR, we’ve developed a practical framework which breaks crisis communications into three core stages: Preparation, Response, and Recovery. Here follow the essential steps you need to know that will help your organisation plan, act, and rebuild when the unexpected happens:

1. Preparing for a crisis

The strongest defence is to start planning before anything goes wrong. You can’t predict the exact details and shape of a crisis, but you can get systems, people, and processes ready so that you’re never caught off guard.

2. Create a crisis playbook

This is your blueprint for action. It should detail leadership roles, escalation procedures, approval workflows, and key contact details. When the pressure is growing, no one should be left in any doubt as to who to speak with first and what to do next.

3. Keep your press kit up-to-date

In a crisis, media and your other stakeholders need the facts fast. An updated press kit, mission focus, company background, leadership bios, and visuals help ensure the right story gets told quickly.

4. Conduct media training and develop skills

Your spokespeople and media communicators are the face of the organisation. Regular training and simulation exercises serve to build confidence and reduce costly mistakes.

5. Setting up a listening infrastructure

Early warnings pay dividends. Media and social monitoring enables you to spot growing or sudden risks before they explode into headlines.

6. Clear and quick response mechanisms

In a crisis speed of response is crucial, but so is clarity. Take a breath, align messaging with the facts and stakeholder expectations, and ensure your response is both consistent and credible. Don’t talk about what you don’t know, or don’t need to.

7. Communicating early and openly

Silence might feel like the best response, but it can also fuel speculation. Even a brief holding statement acknowledging the situation and promising updates when all the facts are available is better than acting as though nothing has happened.

8. Be human

If you’re at fault, admit it – within legal reason. Be honest, show empathy, and avoid jargon. People forgive mistakes faster than they forgive evasiveness.

9. Measuring media impact

Don’t wait until it’s all over. Tracking and better understanding sentiment, tone, reach, and ‘share of voice’ during a crisis helps ensure accountability and leads to clearer decision-making.

10. Carry out a post-crisis review

Once the dust has settled and cleared, debrief. Document any lessons learned and update your playbook accordingly, so next time you’re in a stronger position.

11. Rebuilding trust and reputation

Recovering from a crisis takes time and consistency. Deliver on promises and lessons learnt, maintain transparency, and use the experience to prove your resilience. Yes, crises are unavoidable, but with the right preparation and mindset they don’t have to define your organisation. In fact they can demonstrate its strength.