Every single company goes through crises in its lifetime. It can be something as simple as a drop in sales for a few weeks or something completely unexpected and devastating to a company. Nevertheless, good crisis management plans are always there to save them, whatever will happen.

As you know, crisis scenarios are full of fantastical and more down-to-earth elements. To keep a good business continuity plan, you need to include a crisis management process to have a quick disaster recovery, whatever happened.

Risk assessment, crisis response team, excellent internal communications, and just overall – getting ahead of a problem before it occurs.

In this article, we will be going over how to create a crisis management plan and why it is essential to have one in the first place. So, without further ado, let’s get into some details.

But before we do that, let’s first talk about the kind of software that could be helpful in those situations. In cases of such importance as this one, you can’t choose the second-best option and hope it will work. Every crisis is different, and you need to adapt to all of them.

One of the essentials of business continuity planning to get all the potential crises on one page and create a crisis management plan checklist of what to do in every situation. And in our opinion, the best tool that will guarantee all of those elements is Microsoft Office.

It has been a staple in the office environment for years, and there is a reason why. It is reliable and well-known in the office space, and just overall – a great tool that can help you with multiple things; it doesn’t matter if you’re trying to create a crisis management plan or any other document, Microsoft Office will help you out with that.

Additionally, you can find Microsoft Office for an affordable price these days with no issues whatsoever.

And now, let’s get on with some CMP templates you can use in your crisis management work.

Crisis Management Plan Template #1

So, the first one on our list is a pretty simple risk management matrix, as they like to call it. It has pretty much everything you would expect. The risk bracket, course of action, severity, and how to go about it in the aftermath. You can easily see the potential threats and add crisis management team members where necessary.

This template is suitable for most uses; it will suit you well if you don’t like anything else. One of the most interesting from what I’ve seen. It may not be the most complicated, but it gets the job done. You can download this template for free at SmartSheet.com.

Crisis Management Plan Template #2

The second CMP on our list is something best suited for individual planning. If you have some smaller projects that could benefit from introducing a high-level crisis management plan, you will surely be able to prevent many potential problems with this template.

As it focuses on one individual case, you can see that there is much more space for explaining each issue. It will not apply to some of the most advanced elements but to more personal projects. You can download this template for free at SampleTemplates.com.

Crisis Management Plan Template #3

Another one in our arsenal is for more advanced users. It is entirely different, as you can see, even in the sophisticated name. this crisis management template will serve best more prominent companies with many different tasks at hand. This is a safe bet if you need to create a comprehensive plan.

If, on the other hand, you need something more fundamental for everyday use, you should avoid this one as it may be a tad too overwhelming. You can download this template for free at SmartSheet.com.

So, now that we know what kind of software we should use and what are some of the best templates to utilize, let’s go over the issue at hand.

Crisis Management Plan is a plan for emergencies with detailed information on how to act and the possibility/severity of a potential crisis. Introducing a well-crafted crisis management plan can make or break a company.

Most companies go through many problematic situations in their lifetimes, so you need to be prepared for such occurrences with a detailed plan of action.

The worst thing can happen if you find yourself in a dire situation with no plan, panicking, not knowing what to do, and doing some, let’s say, at least sub-optimal decisions. That can cost your company a lot of money, and you will quickly notice how much can be saved if you’d plan.

So, let’s now go over some details on what emergencies could occur in a work environment. There are many others, but those are the most common things you will be looking out for.

• Financial Crisis – the tragic tale of money lost; it happens when there is a global or local financial crisis or when something in the company goes completely wrong, and you have to file for bankruptcy or something similar;

• Organizational – crisis that involves any kind of misconduct or internal problems of the organization; in this day and age, you need to have a prepared way of handling such events;

• Technological – we live in the modern world, and as such – we need to consider modernity; well, in this case, you will have to take a lot of modernity into consideration; technology is part of our lives, and without taking care of it, there is a high chance of problematic behavior;

• Act of God – if it’s in the insurance policy, we may include it here. Act of God means – something you just could not take into consideration. It could be a flood, no energy, war, tsunami, fires, or any other natural disaster. Preparing for this kind of thing is extremely hard, but it is always worth trying;

• Personnel – this one is significant to take care of if you are employing lots and lots of people; any kind of layoffs or controversies personnel-wise – it’s an excellent way to have a solution to this problem.

Crisis management planning is one of the crucial elements to have in your organization. Whether you like it or not, there will always be some problems you will have to deal with, and getting ahead of them is the best possible solution.

So, to do that, you need to create a crisis response plan for every occasion. A good crisis management plan prepares you for multiple problems while running a successful business. Here are some strategies you may focus on while drafting such a plan.

Spokesperson

It’s always good to publicly say that something went wrong. It does not always mean you must go on an apology tour and tell people how “almost-sorry” you are and “it’s not your fault, really.” But – there are some actions you can take to get ahead of your business crisis with class while getting the right person in front of the camera.

You can put your spokesperson up to the task or do it yourself as a CEO or a company executive.

Essentially, someone best suited to speak on the topic and who will be trusted by the public. Damage control, mainly done by the key stakeholders, cannot be underestimated.

Damage Control

Speaking of damage control – don’t wait for the crisis to disappear, be proactive! Get before it and speak on what went wrong and how you will fix it.

It also allows you to be the first news out there, rather than someone against you creating their narrative.

And it’s not only for the spokesperson or the CEO; it also goes for employees who need some media training as well.

If done right, it can point people in the right direction rather than what would be the chaotic force of public perception. That is why good external communications mean so much in this world.

Squash the Issue Before Occurring

It may not be the easiest, but if you can foresee what could go wrong and implement some resolutions before it happens, you can restore operations and save the company's financial resources.

A good analysis can get you far, as you can mitigate potential risks and avoid seeing how a crisis affects your business.

Social Media

Remember to use all the tools you have in your arsenal. Social media are currently one of the best ways of communicating with your customers and other stakeholders. Remember that it’s all about the jury's decision on the public perception of your actions. So, if you want everything done according to your plan, you can post personal stories about the crisis and convince the public that you are not the “bad guy” they want to portray you as.

Use everything you have – memes, videos, TikToks, or whatever. Social media are great for creating a narrative; people will share it if they feel it’s funny or genuine.

Ask the Customers

Sometimes things just happen, and you have to make it right. Well, ask what the people most affected by this crisis would do about it. For example, if you had some lousy products once, ask your customers what they would like in return. How would they want to be compensated for their loss?

Feedback is an essential part of crisis management. If you don’t know what you’re doing wrong and how you should make it suitable, you will probably never be able to change your ways. Of course, no one likes negative feedback, and the CEO will probably not be the happiest about it, but it’s essential in the end. If you don’t collect information about what you’re doing wrong as a business, you will consistently repeat your mistakes and will not be able to grow.

The critical element in that aspect is understanding how to collect such criticism and not feel attacked when someone points out flaws in your project. It is a humbling experience but a necessary one.

So, now that we know how to go about some crisis management strategies and common usage examples, let’s find out why we should even be concerned about creating such a plan in the first place.

it’s a lot of work and planning with a team dedicated to getting ahead of the problem. It takes time and money, so what are some benefits of creating a crisis management plan?

It Works

We can simply start with the fact that it just works. It is widely used in most Fortune 500 companies for a reason. Creating a crisis management plan can save you a lot of money and time; crisis communication is becoming increasingly important.

Following the already-implemented solutions can get you ahead, and if you are not using these solutions, you will get behind the companies that do. Imagine, for example, not buying reinforced windows in case of an earthquake, and your competitor did it. You will have to put it on the customers and increase the price to get back the renovation costs, and they can just go ahead and keep the same prices all year.

Common Problems

Additionally, most problems that may occur are relatively common. The lack of supply on the market, people demanding raises, lay-offs, misconduct in the office – everything happened under the sun, as the famous saying goes, and being prepared is essential in getting everything on track.

And those problems will occur whether you like it or not. It could be a cyber attack, or perhaps some disaster will occur – there are multiple ways to not get into that trap by just planning.

Get Ahead of the Problem

Another great way of getting on top of things – planning. Natural disasters may not be something you can prevent, but something as simple as a financial/personnel problem – is within your grasp.

As we've stated before, being first on the spot will always result in controlling the narrative. Preventing the crisis will stop it from happening. It’s as simple as that. Create a plan so that you will not be surprised by any circumstances.

Now, let’s review all the elements you should include in your CMP. You just have to include some essential elements to create a well-crafted crisis management plan. It’s the essence of creating a good strategy for crisis communications, like risk assessment, how the customer service team should react, what are the senior executive's responsibilities, what are some ideas every team member should know about, etc.

So, let’s now get over some things to have in your plan if the crisis occurs.

Risk Analysis

The first and probably most important thing is risk analysis. See if the risks you are considering are within the realm of possibility. Of course, you should not go as far as to create a solution for every possible problem known to mankind, but if you are running a business that is somewhat concerned with making food, drought should be something you should consider.

The same goes for most ordinary things, like office misconduct, finance problems, issues concerning senior management or supplies and logistics. All these things can be dealt with within an appropriate manner and time. Creating a plan that will consider those things will surely change the way of functioning in times of crisis.

Trigger Moment

Every business analysis must consider the trigger moment, by which we mean what should be done if X happens. Creating a crisis management plan has considered all the moments you should start the emergency action implementation. 

This could be – if the fire starts, break the glass, but in some cases, it can be much more advanced than that.

Remember to set a suitable chain of command so everyone knows this is their time to shine. If we are lower than 10% of our annual budget, the accountant should take some additional actions to keep the company afloat and have some solutions introduced.

Add some levels of urgency into different types of crises as well. For example, there should probably be a quick reaction to something like a fire, as you would not want to wait hours for a team to gather and discuss possible solutions when there is a literal fire to put out. But, if you have to find a new supplier for the product in the third quarter, you can probably set it as “not-as-urgent-as-a-literal-fire.”

Trigger moments will vary depending on the crisis; of course, some will demand action to be taken by an individual, some – by a group of people, and some by the system as a whole. Be sure to include that in your plan.

Action Plan

This part happens after the crisis, and you are now considering your actions. Every crisis should have a detailed action plan where you create a list of different responsibilities for different individuals/groups of people and system reactions at each crisis stage.

Going back to the fire example, the system should probably implement some sprinkles at the start and call the fire department. On the other hand, if you need to find a new person for a job after someone leaves, you need to specify which team should take care of this problem and how they should go about it.

Create a way of action for each specific crisis and a whole business impact analysis in which you think of solutions to problems that did not even appear on the horizon.

Internal Communication Plan

It’s also good to include an internal communication plan. All emergency contacts should be in there, including all the team members' information, how they should contact each other, and the external factors.

Additionally, factor in all the business leaders and essential personnel info there, as you never know what information can be relevant in this scenario. Emergency response can be problematic, as it is an emergency, so proactive communication that allows you to understand better everyone’s place and approach can prevent the spreading of the crisis.

External Communication Plan

An external communication plan is also necessary to communicate with the public in a crisis.

Whether it’s a technological failure or a natural crisis, getting ahead of the narrative, as we’ve stated before, is essential to taking care of the problem.

Be sure to have statements ready to combat any tough moments. You never know when the crisis will hit, but you can foresee what kind of crisis it can be as they often repeat themselves.

Key external stakeholders should have some media training, as the media outlets can be problematic for someone who does not know what they’re talking about. Relevant stakeholders can greatly impact how the company is perceived, so consider that when drafting their action plan.

Media inquiries can be critical to the company’s reputation, so have some emergency protocols to combat that when it happens.

Resources

The next thing on our list is the resources. Every crisis needs resources to take care of the problem, so be sure that you are monitoring systems and emergency procedures as closely as you can because when the crisis hits, the prices of those resources may go up significantly.

Additionally, be sure to keep all the information at hand in case something goes wrong. This data can get you far if you need to do something quick and drastic and your crisis plan is not going well, and you need to understand a department of a team situation in detail. Human resources can probably help you out with that.

Training

And finally, we have to include training as one of the most important elements of a crisis management plan.

Like in the case of a fire drill, you need to prepare your team for every possible situation to make them react in a certain way. You can create rehearsals, meeting about how to get ahead of the problem, or just an overall Occupational Safety and Health course that can ensure the life safety of the whole team.

And if your initial assessment of allocating resources is proven wrong, be sure to go back to the board and once more discuss with your team how to go about a potential crisis.

And here we are, hopefully, crisis-free at the end of our article. We hope you can get a thing or two out of it, as we tried to create a place where you can have your public relations and critical messaging in order, and every team leader will know what to do in case of unforeseen or an unforeseen events.

Crisis management planning is essential for getting ahead of the problem, mitigating its outcomes, and overall getting everything under control. It can save you time, your company’s reputation, and a lot of money in the long run. Getting the right supplies or just reacting quickly to the crisis is critical to running a well-functioning organization.

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