| Tell me if this sounds familiar. A mayor, city | | | | extends to other forms of crisis planning. |
| manager or other official responsible for | | | | Organizations fail to consider everyone - internally |
| implementing a disaster response plan (a) does | | | | or externally - who will be impacted by certain |
| have such a plan; (b) does implement the plan | | | | types of crises. EVERY employee is a crisis |
| following a hurricane, tornado, earthquake or | | | | manager for an organization, whether you want |
| major flood; and (c) gets crucified by his/her | | | | them to be or not. Does every employee know |
| constituency for following that plan - to the letter. | | | | what his or her job is when certain types of |
| The classic and all-too-common mistake on the | | | | crises occur? The job may simply be to refer |
| part of the governmental official is that MOST of | | | | inquiries to a member of the Crisis |
| the people who will be impacted by the plan | | | | Communications Team, but the job might also |
| HAVE NO ADVANCE IDEA of how it will affect | | | | mean getting physically involved with inspecting |
| them. They don't know they're likely to be denied | | | | damaged buildings or calling employees who were |
| access to their homes until a certain degree of | | | | home when the tornado hit. It is not uncommon, |
| safety can be assured, until basic infrastructure | | | | unfortunately, for the senior-level members of |
| services can be provided, etc. They don't know | | | | the Crisis Communications Team or Emergency |
| that city services will be assigned on a priority | | | | Response Team (the operational side of things) to |
| basis - and that your average homeowner isn't a | | | | be the only ones who know what everyone is |
| priority in most cases. | | | | expected to do - and then they have to try to |
| It's all about expectations. I've heard it said that | | | | find them and ask them to help, while in the midst |
| "expectations are often pre-meditated | | | | of a crisis. |
| resentments." Most who are not familiar with | | | | Crisis simulations can reduce this risk, but even |
| disaster response, either professionally or through | | | | simulations - with the exception of huge |
| the school of hard knocks, have default | | | | undertakings - can't involve everyone who might |
| expectations far more optimistic than reality will | | | | be called on to assist in crisis response. The |
| grant them. It's the task of the plan creators and | | | | best-possible solution, in my opinion, is orientation |
| disaster response team leaders to EDUCATE the | | | | and refresher training for all employees, |
| populace BEFORE a disaster occurs. Tell them | | | | coordinated through Human Resources and |
| what to expect. Remind them of it regularly. | | | | mandated by organizational leadership. Members |
| Inform them what they can do to mitigate | | | | of the response teams, including spokespersons, |
| personal loss and damage. And when disaster | | | | require more sophisticated levels of training and |
| strikes, make sure you let them know, step by | | | | practice, but no employee should be left out of |
| step, what's being done to roll out the plan and | | | | this process. And don't just rely on loyalty as |
| what that will mean to them.No one's going to be | | | | motivation for all employees to learn. They also |
| thrilled about having to endure the hardship, but | | | | need to understand the very bottom line impact |
| they are far less likely to shoot the messenger | | | | on them of poor crisis response - i.e., jobs, |
| and far more likely to be compliant with direction. | | | | bonuses and benefits can all be impacted. |
| This fatal flaw in most disaster planning often | | | | |