Easy Tiger - don't get ahead of yourself in a crisis.

Dealing with crisis is an inevitable part of any communication leader's job. In the first hours - facts are limited, stakeholders are scattered and tensions are high. Having a crisis communication strategy before you're in crisis mode helps define essential ground rules in advance and allows people to stay calm, cool and focused on collecting date. Key elements include:

Who should be involved. Once documented, it's easy to keep the team limited to essential stakeholders who are aware of their responsibilities. In a crisis everyone wants to help, however a core team is more agile and efficient.

How to interact. People are accustomed to communicating in a variety of ways (calls, texts, IMs, emails, etc.) however, in crisis this increases risk and liability and can create splintered knowledge within the team. It's important to define your channel(s) in advance with the help of your legal team and stick to them.

When to communicate. There is immense pressure during a crisis to communicate with stakeholders - especially internal ones. Having tools like a detailed communications matrix can ensure that the right checks and balances are in place to avoid prematurely communicating.

Just remember, defined roles and channels combined with a detailed plan and strategy are the keys to navigating any crisis as seamlessly as possible.