How do you draw up a crisis plan and what should be in it?

Supervisory Leadership


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Wally Bock Answers Your
Supervisory Leadership Question

How do you draw up a crisis plan and
what should be in it?

The kind of crisis you're referring to are the kind I call Critical Incidents. They are low frequency, high impact events such as natural disasters, terrorist attacks, workplace violence, hazmat spills, major fires, etc. Economic disruptions and competitive activities may be part of some critical incident plans. Here are the steps.

1) Decide what critical incidents are possible. This is not an exercise is prediction. It is determining the odds. Hurricanes do not strike in Iowa, but tornados do. If your business is located near a major highway, rail line, or chemical factory, hazmat spills are more likely.

2) Determine which should get more attention or your first attention. If you're in hurricane country, you've got to plan for hurricanes. Consider both likelihood and potential impact.

3) Develop a plan for each one. Determine what resources and actions will be needed and in what order and situations. Determine who will be responsible.

4) Reduce your basic response plans to numbered checklists with items presented sequentially.

5) Determine which events require you to practice your response. Practice. Remember fire drills from school. They're not a bad idea.

You might want to review my newsletters on similar topics.
Critical Incidents
Staying Calm in a Crisis

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