Crisis management planning has received considerable attention in recent months given terrorist activities that have occurred. The rush to better address this subject by many companies is similar to what occurred during the months and year proceeding 1/1/2000. Many environmental, health and safety professionals are being required to step up and lead these crisis management plans.
This is a comprehensive subject which includes all aspects of business including operations, marketing and media relations, distribution, and legal. As such, there is a great need for interpersonal communication between the various groups. Unfortunately, many parts of a program are established on a piece-meal basis by the individual groups responsible for components without the higher level oversight needed to ensure a comprehensive program. Many of the most significant business concerns are often not addressed.
I have heard many times that crisis management planning is more critical or urgent than ever before given the recent terrorist attacks. I do not agree that the issue is more critical than before. I believe it should have been urgent earlier. The risks have been known for some time. The difference now is that public perception has been heightened.
The most critical question to start the process is "What constitutes a crisis?" The answer to this question will determine the nature and scope of your crisis management plan. A crisis has been defined as follows:
Crisis -- Any incident that can focus negative attention on a company and have an adverse effect on its overall financial condition, its relationships with its audiences, or its reputation in the marketplace (Janine Reid Group, Inc.)
Crisis management -- Crisis management involves planning, organizing, leading, and controlling assets and activities in the critical period immediately before, during, and after an actual or impending catastrophe to reduce the loss of resources essential to the organization's eventual full recovery. (Essentials of Risk Control, Third Edition, 1995).
There are a variety of terms used when discussing the subject of crisis management. The terms are used differently depending on your background. Risk management, safety, management information systems, and governmental agencies often use different definitions. Some of the terms include: business continuity and business recovery (plans designed to keep the business functioning after a crisis has occurred), consequence emergency planning (the planning phase to prepare for and establish plans for responding to disasters), disaster or emergency response (the actual response to a disaster that has occurred), and emergency preparedness. Some organizations define business continuity planning (BCP) as the whole process with emergency response planning, crisis management planning, and business resumption included under the BCP umbrella.
I suggest that each of the terms listed above has its own place within the crisis management subject. Some of the terms define portions of an overall crisis management plan. Some are used in a generic manner to mean the whole subject.
