Prioritize your crisis communications plan—today

No more excuses. Block off time to get your strategy in place, in writing—before disaster strikes.

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We live in uncertain, volatile times.

Every day there is news of new crises and emergencies. Whether it’s a natural disaster, an act of terrorism or simply a torrent of nasty tweets, communicators play a key role in how these events are perceived and play out.

If you communicate for a living, you have the power—and the responsibility—to shepherd, enlighten, instruct and lead when a situation arises.

You are a first responder of sorts, so the onus is on you to be prepared for a crisis. Jonathan Bernstein describes a crisis as “any situation that is threatening or could threaten to harm people or property, seriously interrupt business, significantly damage reputation and/or negatively impact the bottom line.”

Even if your company already has a plan in place, it’s important to revise, refresh and rehearse regularly. Keep these basics in mind:

1. Pick a format and get it in writing (or on slides or video).

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