Reflecting on the Second World War, Winston Churchill is known to have remarked, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” The quotation suggests that when the unexpected happens, or when your best laid plans go awry—perhaps especially then—you should take some time to consider what happened and how you could improve your response in the future. Of course, you don’t need to wait until after a crisis to think about how you will respond to a future challenge. When business is going well, it may seem impossible that a crisis could rock your organization, yet we can’t always see a crisis coming. Having a crisis response strategy in place will help you prepare for when the unpredictable occurs.
The scandals and mishaps that can plague large corporations are frequently splashed across the news headlines, particularly since the rise of social media; however, small and medium-sized businesses are not immune to similar setbacks. Now the public is just as likely to hear of a local small business for some kind of perceived or real indiscretion. The complaint of an angry customer or a dismissed employee could spread a negative impression of your business throughout the community, or even go viral on social media.
During and after a crisis, employers spend a lot of time, money, and energy trying to regain the confidence of their customers; however, planning how you’ll communicate and engage employees in the event of a business crisis remains an important priority. You’ll rely on your employees to help weather the difficult period, and you’ll want them to remain with the organization after the crisis has passed.
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