Review, Recovery and Resilience

BY AMANDA COLEMAN

At the start of 2020 people would say they had crisis communication strategies and business continuity plans. There was a comfort in having something sat in some computer folder somewhere that said what would be done if the worst happened. I wonder where those plans are now.

The future we face is uncertain, and as communicators we are trying to find a way forward. It may feel unlikely, but we can find certainty in the midst of chaos and confusion.

This is the year that PR and communication will, and should, change. If it wants to build on the trust created through the response to this crisis, to continue to have a seat at the top table, and to help shape the future, then its day-to-day work needs to develop.

Communicators need to become comfortable with risk management, and be crisis-ready all day every day. This doesn’t mean abandoning creativity, but it does mean introducing some new ways of working.

OLD PLANS FUTURE CHALLENGES

The starting point has to be going back to the crisis communication plans that existed before Covid-19 and reviewing them, updating them and ensuring they are fit for future challenges. Those future challenges are something we can define after having risen to the challenges of the pandemic. It has been said that there are no crises that cannot be predicted, except perhaps alien invasion at this moment in time.

PRs need to look at organisational risk registers and use their knowledge, insight and experience to bring reputational issues into discussions about threats to the business. The process is relatively simple once you have carried out the research required.

A comprehensive list of risks is the basis for future crisis management, preparedness and ultimately the route to secure a strong recovery from possible catastrophes. The most likely issues and those that will have the most impact will be identified, and it is these top risks that are fundamental to planning. Just consider how having access to these top five risks and being able to scenario plan, develop key messages, identify stakeholders and test the ability to respond will help you. This is where certainty comes and, in turn, this builds resilience in communication teams.

Crises don’t happen neatly one after another. They can hit at any time, anywhere to any organisation. During the pandemic there have been floods, fires, terrorist incidents and cyber attacks. (As an aside, all organisations should identify cyber attacks as one of their top risks. According to the National Cyber Security Centre, an attack on the national infrastructure that could cause loss of life or severe economic damage has become increasingly probable). It is essential that work is done now to be ready for whatever may happen in the months ahead.

The truth is the future is uncertain and always has been, but it has taken a pandemic to bring this back into sharp focus. So, what more can we do to be ready?

COMFORTABLE CRISES

There are simple tools and techniques that will help make any communication team crisis ready. As well as undertaking a risk review and ensuring all crisis plans are up-to-date and able to be deployed, there should be a daily, weekly and monthly review of critical issues and incidents. This can start with having regular discussions about the issues and create an ability among the team to identify concerning developments at an early stage. Communicators are ideally placed to be able to do this. They see across the whole of the organisation, as well as having a detailed understanding of the external landscape and of people. This is valuable insight for the business.

PRs and communicators have to get comfortable with risk and crisis in a way they never have before. It does not mean abandoning creativity, campaign work and all other aspects of how people work. What it requires is building risk and crisis frameworks, developing regular checks and monitoring, and ensuring everyone understands these frameworks. This is an important element to bring into day-to-day work. Crisis communication is no longer an ‘add on’ that is likely to impact a business once in a lifetime. Our future will become clearer as the months pass. Acting now will ensure we are in the right place to face this future and ultimately have strong recovery strategies in place.

ROAD TO RESILIENCE

It is still far too early to be talking about moving to recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Recovery will happen at its own pace and we cannot rush into it, but we can be ready for when it happens. Effective recovery will involve reviewing what has happened, rebuilding and re-establishing businesses. This is where learning from communication actions, developing risk frameworks and creating a crisis communication strategy will strengthen the way ahead.

Be clear that recovery will require PR and communication more than at the start of a crisis. The reason for this is that life becomes far more complicated and the simple, directive messages used in those first moments of a crisis are replaced by a tapestry of complex ones. Finding a way to share that in a consistent, clear and human way will need skilled communication professionals to be front and centre once again.

So, what of those crisis communication strategies and business continuity plans that we had at the start of 2020?

Having a plan is reassuring, but knowing and testing the plan is where resilience and success are achieved. There are many ways testing can be carried out, and it will not be acceptable in the future to say there was not enough time to plan and do this work. This is the moment when communicators can be ready for what happens next, whatever that may be.

Coleman is the Director of the crisis communication consultancy Amanda Coleman Communication Ltd. In 2017, \ Coleman led the law enforcement communication response to dealing with the Manchester Arena terrorist attack. She has more than two decades of experience in managing crises.

She is the author of Crisis Communication Strategies published by Kogan Page in May 2020.