Six hours

To take control of a crisis

Table of content

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1. What is a crisis?

2. Why take control of a crisis?

3. Why a guide on crisis management?

4. The Crisis Task Force

5. Contingency Plans

6. Questions from the media

7. Your procedures with the media

8. Your Web site

9. Basic principles

10. Your objectives

11. Your targets

12. Crisis Task force Management Chart

What is a crisis?

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A crucial stage or turning point for someone

or something

The result of a sudden and unplanned event or the conjunction of multiple events or facts

Why manage a crisis?

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TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT ON:

•People’s security and integrity

•The company’s assets

•Delivery of products and services to clients

•The business

Why manage a crisis?

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To protect your REPUTATION !

Why a guide?

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•To be organized

•To react promptly

•To take control

What should this guide consist of?

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1. A permanent crisis task force

2. Every department’s contingency plan

3. An emergency contact booklet

Crisis task force

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Captain

Security

Public affairsRelations with the employees

InvestorRelations

TelecommunicationsLogistics

ContinuityBusinessrecoveryCustomer and

Providerservice

Head Office

Contingency plans

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1. Preparation for an emergency2. Reaction to an emergency3. Recovery plan for the production activities4. A crisis management website (dark site)

Your contingency plan

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PRESS CENTER

• Outside but close to the site of the accident or crisis

Questions from the media

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ACCIDENT

• How many are dead or injured?• How many survived?• Types of injuries• Nature and speed of the interventions• Dead bodies procedure• Are there notable people among the

victims?• Where were they transported?

Questions from the media

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DAMAGE TO THE INSTALLATIONS

• What will be the cost of those damages?• Which installations / equipments were

damaged? • What is the impact on the business?• When will the operations start again?• What is the impact on employees?

Questions from the media

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CAUSE

• Can someone explain what happened?• Is there an eye witness?• What caused this event?• Who alerted the authorities?• How did you react?• Has this happened in the past?

Questions from the media

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RESCUE PROCEDURES

• How many people participated to the rescue procedures?

• What kind of equipment was used?• Did you rescue disabled people?• What measures were put into place to

contain the situation?• Did someone risk his life to save another?

Questions from the media

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IMPACT ON THE ORGANIZATION

• How long will the activities be troubled ?• Will there be a coroner investigation?• When will the police report and the

insurance be available? • Will this impact the customers?

Your procedures with the media

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All media requests should be handled by one person only

Take notes of basic information

Call back as soon as possible

Monitor the media

Give the media priority according to their deadlines

Your procedures with the media

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WHO SHOULD YOU SPEAK TO FIRST?

•To local and regional radio stations•To local television stations•To national continuous reporting stations (radio and television)•To news agencies•To Internet-based information agencies•To daily and weekly newspapers and magazines

Your procedures with the media

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ATTITUDE AND KEY RULES

•Remain calm•Be honest and transparent•Show empathy and compassion•Be in control•Be precise

Your procedures with the media

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DO NOT

•Refuse to comment on the situation or flee the media•Avoid taking your responsibilities•Lie or make the organization look good •Be on the defensive•Discuss hypothetical matters•Lose your temper

Your website (Dark Site)

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Planned and programmed before a crisis arises

Your website (Dark site)

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CONTENT• Top management (title and picture)• Main activities (description, address, picture)• Products and services (description)• Organization chart• Financial results (over 10 years)• Links •Investors relations•Divisions, business units

Your website (Dark site)

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CONTENT• A section for the crisis•Public statements•Press releases•FAQ (including the answers)

Basic principles

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The first six hours are crucial

Basic principles

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YOU WILL NEED:

1. As many resources as possible2. A crisis re-evaluation process3. Transparency and proaction in all

communication4. A quick decision-making process

Basic principles

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The first six hours are crucial

The organization’s objectives

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1. Insure the integrity of people and goods

2. Reinstate the organization’s activities

The communication objective

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Protect the reputation of the company

Your local targets

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Employees

Families

Managementteam

Suppliers

GatehouseOther access points Local

authorities

Medias

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CEO

Board of directors

Managementteam

Clients

Shareholders Governments

Nationalmedias

Your external targets

Crisis task force management chart

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FIRST HOUR• Everybody is in place• Everyone in charge of the access points

(gatehouse, reception, etc.) have received instructions

• Head office has been contacted• First evaluate of the situation :

• What do we know?• Have those facts been checked?

Crisis task force management chart

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FIRST HOUR• Are the emergency teams working on site?• Is everyone on site safe?• First contact with local authorities• What kind of information is circulating

within the community? Are there rumours? What are they?

• Coordination of the first statement to local authorities

Crisis task force management chart

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FIRST HOUR

FIRST COMMUNICATION WITH EMPLOYEES

AND THEIR FAMILIES

Crisis task force management chart

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SECOND HOUR

• You should have received all the media requests

• What is the last information available?• Is it reliable? • What is the diagnostic concerning the

severity of the situation?• On the employees and the organization• On the local community• On the environment

Crisis task force management chart

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SECOND HOUR

• Have our local team and the emergency services established a collaboration process?

• Do we have the necessary resources to fully be in control of the situation?

• What are the rumours?• Coordination with local authorities

Crisis task force management chart

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SECOND HOUR

Preparation of the official public statement

• Preparation of the spokesperson• Briefing on key messages for the teams• Instructions to people at the access points

Crisis task force management chart

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THIRD HOUR

• Do we have a first report on the situation?• Are the rumours false?• Are there other rumours?• Is the spokesperson ready?• Are the experts ready?• Have the various teams received the media

statement?• Are the local authorities ready?

Crisis task force management chart

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THIRD HOUR

SECOND COMMUNICATION TO EMPLOYEES AND THEIR

FAMILIES

Crisis task force management chart

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THIRD HOUR

REPORT TO TOP MANAGEMENT

Crisis task force management chart

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THIRD HOUR

FIRST STATEMENT TO THE MEDIA

First deposit of documents on your website

Crisis task force management chart

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FOURTH HOUR

• Update on the situation (hour after hour)• Change the message to the media if

necessary• Information process for employees

working the next shift• Follow-up on the employees and their

families• Update of the website

Crisis task force management chart

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FOURTH HOUR

FIRST COMMUNICATION TO INTERNAL AUDIENCES

• Chairman of the board of directors• CEO• Members of the board of directors• Presidents of divisions• Shareholders• Strategic partners

Crisis task force management chart

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FIFTH HOUR

• Update on situation• Monitoring of the media• Update and corrections to the media if

necessary• Community status• Other targets reaction• Media requests management• Priorities for the next hours

Crisis task force management chart

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SIXTH HOUR

• Update on situation• Monitoring:

• Media• Population• Other targets

• Situation at access points• Employees and their families status• Future priorities

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REMEMBER

You have six hours to take control

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Case study