Companies may face crisis at some point in the future that cause disruptions to the workplace. To deal with these unpredicted events, an effective crisis management is crucial to the company.
What is Crisis Management?
Crisis Management is the process implemented by the company in dealing with various threats and dangers that can harm can the overall welfare of the workforce, management, stakeholders and even the public. It involves the proper planning for solutions and actions in approaching and preparing for any potential crisis that the company might face in the future.
Benefits of Implementing Crisis Management in your Workplace
- Offer immediate and effective approach and solutions on emergency situations in the company.
- Minimize negative effects of crisis on the company and its employees.
- Mitigate the damage on the company’s reputation and public standing.
- Reduce losses and damages incurred during a crisis.
- Stabilize employee security standing in the workplace and provide them with safer avenue for work.
- Prepares employees individually during instances of crisis.
Different Kinds of Crisis in the Workplace:
- Financial Crisis
- Technological Crisis
- Workplace Violence and Harassments
- Bribery and Internal sources of Malevolence
- Environmental Crisis
Steps on How to Create a Crisis Management
Step 1 – Identify potential threats, disasters and problems in the workplace that can lead to crisis.
One way to prevent a workplace crisis is to identify potential sources and finding solutions to stop them from happening. During the identification process, look into specific areas of your workplace. It should include all levels of the company, even your boardroom.
For instance, evaluate workflow processes involved in your research and development and list down threats that can lead to crisis. You may also dig deeper in the marketing promotions, production of items and those who are in-charge of cleaning the workplace.
Also consider different kinds of threats such as mental conditions, psychological issues and physical dangers. Employees may be at risk of bullying in the workplace, which can affect their efficiency and social interactions. There are also pressures in burnout, overworking, intimidation, workplace competition and sexual harassment.
Step 2 – Identify helpful resources your company can use.
Such resources can include workplace seminars, skilled employees, emergency responses and damage recovery. These resources found in the workplace can be utilized to help in preventing, minimizing and dealing with workplace crisis.
Partnering with third-party agencies in crisis management and workplace safety can also provide added resources for the company. These agencies can implement seminars, safety marketing campaigns and consultation on how to implement better crisis management.
Step 3 – Establish a permanent Crisis Management Team.
Either work with professional and competent employees in the workplace or hire experienced professionals in the area of workplace safety. A crisis management team is a group of people working in the office that are focused on crisis identification, planning and implementation.
To be more effective, a crisis management team can stand alone or becomes a separate group of people in the company but working hand-in-hand with the employees and management. The team works on a long-term basis to further improve the implementation of the company’s crisis management and to deal with issues as they happen.
Step 4 – Develop a Crisis Preparedness Plan.
The development of a crisis preparedness plan starts with research and gathering of information. The Crisis Management Team is in charge of investigating valuable information in creating a plan. These information must be SMART: Specific especially to the needs of the company, Measurable in terms of the number of people affected, Accurate and truthful, Relevant to the needs of the workplace and Timely with the current and future situation of the company.
The Crisis Management Team then formulates proposal of safety strategies that will be presented to all executives and management of the company for commentaries, objections, suggestions and approval.
It is important to note that the crisis preparedness plan is a partnership process between the Crisis Management Team and the workforce including the top management up to the lower employees. Once a crisis happens in the company, every person is affected.
Step 5 – Provide Training and Information to the Workforce.
Once the executives approve crisis preparedness plan, the Crisis Management Team will start with the dissemination of information within employees, stakeholders and others involved in the company.
Information dissemination involved printed materials such as brochures and flyers, weekly seminar with employees, updates through online systems, telephone hotlines and small group sessions or one-on-one meetings with the team.
Training must focus on coaching the employees and management on crisis management and the processes and skills they need to learn to be functional in these events.
