The ongoing issues of violence, long lines, customer response along with positive and negative publicity to Popeyes Chicken Sandwich continue to play in social media and the news. It’s a good example of why an organization needs to have advance planning for its positive marketing, and also needs to plan for what can go wrong. Crisis simulation drills can be the best method of preparation for the “what if’s?”
Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi used to say “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.”
This same philosophy applies to crisis preparation, more specifically crisis simulations. These are effective tools to develop the perfect practice skills and teamwork needed to successfully work a crisis situation. Like sports practice and the game, the real crisis never fully mirrors the drill, but you do learn patterns, teamwork and adaptability.
Here are five tips to ensure that your simulation does the best job preparing your team for a crisis.
- Have a plan: Just as in a real crisis, as events unfold, the team can use essential plan elements such as decision trees, templates, and designated social media channels to respond to the issues.
- Team matters: The advantage of a simulation is the opportunity to expand the core crisis group to include those who are the #2 and even #3 in each essential position. Organizations need to build a “back bench” of experienced crisis leaders.
- Make it real: In a real crisis, a team is bombarded with media calls, irate customers, activist groups and social media all happening in real time. A simulation should mirror this approach so participants can experience the tension, rapid heart rate, sweat, and confusion that is typical during a crisis.
- Stretch the limits: Resist the urge to say “that would never happen.” Who would have predicted that vehicles would be hacked, or the prevalence of #MeToo? A good simulation should push the envelope and expand the possibilities of the “what if”.
- Learn and Repeat: A plumber will pressure test a pipe to detect defects and leaks. An effective simulation “pressure-tests” both the crisis plan and the team to determine strengths and weaknesses. A gap analysis can identify vulnerabilities and prioritize how they are resolved.
Since team members and situations change, we recommend regular simulations because just as in sports, perfect practice is necessary to stay at the top of your game.
CommCore’s Pressure Test™ Simulation Training will help you:
- Learn how to handle a communications crisis
- Expose vulnerabilities and highlight strengths
- Enhance teamwork under stressful conditions
- Determine if your organization is Crisis-Ready