“Then the shit hit the fan.” - John Kenneth Galbraith, A Life in Our Times. Though this may sound grouse, it’s the harsh reality that when we are struck by a crisis, our whole world falls apart and we are thrown into a frenzy. Preparedness is one way we can hope to mitigate the physical and emotional impact that befalls us all of a sudden. As unpleasant as it may sound the threat of natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, floods, cyber crime, terrorist attacks are very real. And companies would need to react and recover quickly if they are caught off guard. Proper crisis management is the backbone of a speedy recovery. Though situations are unique and may warrant different plans, preparedness is the only saving grace that companies should latch on to.
General Tips on Crisis Management
Companies anywhere in the world, therefore, need to create and implement an effective crisis management plan that would include emergency response planning, disaster recovery, contingency communications, business continuity and a clear delineation of key personnel and their responsibility areas.
- Any crisis can lead to loss of life and physical well-being and safety of employees. It is important to set guidelines that would stipulate whether to shelter in place or evacuate so that a decision can be taken away if the dire situation arises. However, it does not pertain to fire where a fire plan should be in place and practices with evacuation drills should be held periodically.
- Instructions for assisting disabled personnel, visitors, customers, and vendors in any emergency procedure should be included in the crisis management plan
- When preparing for emergency situations, it is important to encourage everyone to have a basic emergency kit is wise, which the US Homeland Security Department’s website lists as water, a three-day supply of perishable food, flashlight and extra batteries, first aid kit, etc.
- A company's essential documents and information should be regularly backed up as a business practice. The crisis management team should regularly check procedures are being adhered to. They should store back-ups offsite so that they can be retrieved when needed.
- As the key in any communication crisis is important, it is needed to have phone numbers or e-mail addresses for all personnel, and prepare for several alternative methods for communicating with emergency personnel, co-workers, and the families of employees.
- Securing property and planning for business continuation is also important in the realm of crisis planning.
The lens on Crisis Management in the Philippines
The Philippines is among world's most disaster-prone countries. Over the past two decades, the Philippines endured a total of 274 natural calamities, making it the fourth most disaster-prone country in the world. This is based on “The Human Cost of Weather Related Disasters,” a study conducted by the Geneva-based United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and the Belgian-based Centre on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), which covered the period between 1995 and 2015. The report also revealed that the Philippines was among the top ten countries with the most number of people affected by disasters, at 130 billion. The Philippines emergency response must be quick on the uptake.
