15 Timeless Principles of Crisis Management

In 35 years as a communication professional, I have learned many lessons. Among the most important are those learned the past several years as a crisis management consultant.   

We’ve seen poor communication exacerbate so many crises recently, it is helpful to keep these fundamental principles top of mind.

1. Effective crisis management requires sponsorship and support from the board. Even the best crisis plan will fail without executive support.

2. Failing to plan for a crisis is planning to fail in a crisis. You can prepare and prevent, or repair and repent. The latter is considerably more expensive—in dollars and reputation—than the former.

3. The biggest obstacle to effective crisis preparedness is management denial.

4. Every organization needs a ‘crisis culture’—of nonstop readiness for the unexpected and where everyone—everyone—knows their role.