Image: Nestor Rizhniak | Shutterstock
I was recently asked the following question by a professional who follows my work:
Does my organization need to be crisis ready even though we aren’t a huge brand?
This is an important question, as it often leads to push-back from management when those who know the organization isn’t crisis ready attempt to gain the necessary buy-in to become crisis ready.
Maybe you have experienced this push-back as a result of management not having clarity around this question. Or, maybe you yourself have wondered this very same question.
Whether you’re curious to know the answer for yourself, or whether you would benefit from assistance in helping your management team properly assess and answer this question, following is a series of questions that were designed to help you gain and give clarity towards the answer.
Should your small or medium sized company be crisis ready?
>> Do the relationships you share with your stakeholders (e.g.: your employees, customers, vendors, etc.) matter to the success of your business?
>> If something negative were to happen and garner unwanted attention that risked impacting your organization’s reputation, might your business suffer?
>> If an event were to happen that risked having a long-term negative impact on your business or its reputation, would you want your team (no matter how many people that team may include) to instantly know:
- How to quickly detect the issue in real-time;
- How to appropriately assess its potential impact on the brand; and
- How to respond in a way that mitigates its escalation, and ultimately increases the trust your stakeholders have in your organization?
If the answer is “yes” to each of these questions, then you should absolutely be crisis ready.
Being crisis ready isn’t just for the big brands. It’s for every company and organization that wants to be in a position to successfully manage any negative event or situation that life may throw its way. It applies to all of us, and one could even argue that it applies even more to the smaller brands then it does to the bigger ones, as smaller organizations tend not to have the deep pockets and far reach that helps to cushion some of the negative long-term impacts that negative issues and crises can cause.
***********************************************************************************************************
Crisis Ready.
The book to help you build an INVINCIBLE brand.
By Melissa Agnes
Order copies for you and your team on amazon, or contact info@mascotbooks.com for special bulk pricing!
Author of Crisis Ready: Building an Invincible Brand in an Uncertain World, Melissa Agnes is a leading authority on crisis preparedness, reputation management, and brand protection. Agnes is a coveted keynote speaker, commentator, and advisor to some of today’s leading organizations faced with the greatest risks. Learn more about Melissa and her work here.
Leave a Reply