The Future of Crisis Management – Passage from Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management

Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management, by Jonathan Bernstein of Bernstein Crisis Management Inc., is one of my favourite recent reads, as well my recommended read for the month of May. For today’s post I thought I’d leave you with a passage that both Jonathan and myself thought you would enjoy!

The Future of Crisis Management
Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management
By Jonathan Bernstein 

I believe that the diversity of and dependence on technology has and will continue to create the potential for more and different kinds of crises. Since most organizations will continue to engage in insufficient crisis preparedness, there will be, quite simply, more crises that interrupt business, damage reputation, or both — with consequent impact on the bottom line.

However, some of that same technology will allow crisis managers to respond faster, more efficiently, and with instant worldwide impact. It will allow them to virtually project themselves anywhere in the world, adding some real affect and non-verbal communications to long-distance contact. But while the technology will change, the principles will remain the same.

Whatever your comfort level with the rapid evolution of communications technology, as a crisis manager you can’t afford to be “behind the curve.” Organizations that were slow to adapt to now-familiar things like personal computers, or the Internet and email, greatly increased their vulnerability to a crisis until they caught up. We’ve seen the same thing in just the past few years with Twitter. Fact is, the public is embracing new technologies and means of communication as quickly as they can be invented or developed. Your stakeholders are out there communicating. You better be there too.

I was once asked in an interview if I was scripting a film that takes place in the future in which a crisis manager hero has to confront a organizational crisis of global proportions, what would it look like?

I said it would involve views of crisis team members worldwide and in Earth orbit virtually conferencing, drafting documents and giving orders from their mobile computing and communications devices. Shots of at least one “vital to the crisis” system going down and a fully automated replacement system on another continent immediately going online.

Of course, in the “some things never change” category, there would also be footage of at least one senior executive or attorney saying that no public statement was really needed and the organization should just “wait and see” what happened.

But in the end, our crisis manager hero and his or her team would manage the crisis. The organization would survive, and in fact see its reputation and the loyalty of its stakeholders enhanced as a result of its forthright and expeditious Crisis Management.

If you’re looking for an enjoyable read that takes you through the important basic skills and knowledge needed for dealing with a crisis, then Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management is the book you’re looking for! (FYI, this is an affiliate link)

Have you read Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and if so, what were the most valuable lessons you took away from it? 

Melissa Agnes

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.