• How well does your organization respond to crisis?
• Will your crisis response give you competitive advantage?

Crisis management consists of the critical business decisions that organizations must make to prevent, mitigate damage from, or recover from events that threaten their operations or reputation. Companies that hesitate or mishandle crises are punished by the markets, their customers, employees, and regulators. In most cases, it isn't the nature of the crisis but the quality and timeliness of the response that determines whether a company survives a crisis with its operations and reputation intact.

• How well does your organization communicate in a crisis?
• Can you respond rapidly, quell rumors, and tell your own story on your own terms?

 
Communicating effectively in a crisis means being able to tell your story clearly, comprehensively and compellingly — on your own terms. Companies that fail to communicate nimbly and strategically suffer harm — often irreparable — to their reputations and the bottom line.

• How easily could your organization’s sensitive business issues turn into crises?

Issues management is a specialized branch of risk management. Here the primary risks can raise a company’s public visibility in a way that it least desires while diminishing its reputation with devastating dispatch. Organizations with successful issues management programs are able to identify challenges in the business environment—both internal and external—before they become crises. These organizations enjoy the competitive advantage of being able to nimbly mobilize resources to deflect potential harm to reputation, operations, and financial condition.

• How well does your organization protect its most valuable asset – its reputation?

Reputation management allows organizations to protect their most important asset. By cultivating “reputational capital” — a concept closely related to “goodwill” — a company can build crucial relationships, leverage strategic advantage and grow.