What You Can Do Right Now to Start Developing a Crisis Mindset for Your Comprehensive Emergency Plan

In my previous post I stated that I would take you through my own process of creating a crisis management plan for Firetalker PR. This post will get you started based on what I have done so far. According to Emergency Public Relations, Crisis Management in a 3.0 World, by Alan B. Bernstein and Cindy Rakowitz,  there are things to consider as you move toward developing your plan as I have.

It is important to know there is work to be done before jumping into creating your plan. Having a crisis mindset is critical to the process, whether you are a publicist, or a business coach. For the purposes of this post; I will come from being an entrepreneur, and what that mindset means so you can follow along and create your own plan too.

First, I thought through what it means to my clients to always think from a pro-active worst-case-scenario perspective (which is the best way to do it, even though it may sound strange to you at first). I looked at the possibility that if I was in the hospital and/or passed away, what that would look like for my clients.

It became an “if this, then that” equation as I thought it through. So, if something happens to me, then I have it in a legal document called an Advanced Healthcare Directive (as additional information provided) that a colleague I have chosen, (another PR professional) should be notified. She will take care of my clients; my business. I stipulated that she would do outreach and make sure everyone knew what had happened to me. Therefore, I made the commitment to her to always keep her up to speed on what is happening, and where she may need to keep things going. If I pass away, she will offer her services to my clients and/or assist them in finding someone to care for them if they wish. (Of course, it is recommended to get the buy-in of whomever you choose before putting all of this in writing, and make sure you trust them!)

I recommend using Google to research the type of directive you wish to have (free or through an attorney). I used Rocket Lawyer, which is highly recommended by many professionals (also by Forbes, Wall Street Journal and more). An Advanced Healthcare Directive is a great way to prepare for the worst-case-scenario and develop that crisis mindset you will need to follow me through my crisis plan production as an entrepreneur. How you ultimately decide to do this is up to you. I still recommend, and always will, that you buy Cindy Rakowitz’s book and get all the additional information you will need to make your own final decisions. You can also find her book on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Next time I will take you through my process in considering other emergencies I feel would effect my business (brand attack, personal attack and rapid social media response).

Have a question or comment? Please ask away! Start a conversation so we can all learn from each other. Talk to you soon!