According to the Institute for Crisis Management (ICM), many organizations rarely update their crisis plans, if they've even prepared one. They simply put it on a shelf, or in a file cabinet, where it sits until a crisis strikes. Sadly, such behavior often creates another crisis.
During a crisis, such organizations may learn the hard way that some people listed in their plan as key players in resolving the crisis are no longer with the organization, or now have different responsibilities, or can't be reached with the contact information in the plan. Or, perhaps the entire organization is now using new computer or communication technologies that don't work as the plan describes. Only a few such changes could turn what had been a near-perfect plan into something worse than useless. Not only would it not work, it would add confusion and misinformation to an already stressful situation and make the public relations team look totally inept.
Successful public relations practitioners keep their organization's crisis plans up to date because they know there won't be time to update or correct them once a crisis has struck. They understand that a crisis plan which isn't completely accurate and hasn't been tested is a liability rather than a helpful tool; it might even tell you to do or say something that is no longer an approved company policy.
To avoid this, they periodically review and update every detail of their plans and conduct "walkthroughs" to ensure everything works as expected. Some walkthroughs are scheduled "tabletop readings" and de-briefing of the plan with all named participants (or designated substitutes) participating. Others are spontaneous full-immersion simulations triggered by an "emergency announcement" or flashing lights and sirens being turned on.
There's no simple guideline for how often crisis plans should be updated. -- There's too much variation among organizations and the situations they face. -- But, the faster an organization operates, and the greater the risks it faces, the more frequently and carefully its crisis plans should be reviewed, maybe even weekly. Crisis plans for airports, prisons, and nuclear power plants, for example, must be checked more often and more thoroughly than those for automobile plants, retail clothing stores, or concert venues. And, always at least once a year! And after a major increase or decrease in work force, the opening of a new facility, remodeling of an existing one, or any change in your organizational chart.
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