A crisis situation is usually something that hardly anyone expects. Nobody plans their mistakes. They just happen. Often at the worst possible moment. Most of the companies want to deal with the crisis as soon as possible. It may also be that the crisis is developing slowly. Small mistakes are not always easy to spot or solve initially. Unfortunately, these little mistakes can turn into a costly crisis fairly quickly. Bring you to a situation that no one foresaw. However, as history shows, this can happen even to experienced "players".
Vigilant observers of news in the industry have certainly noticed the recent PR slip-up by Anna Lewadnowska. Karate champion, wife of a famous footballer, promoter of a healthy lifestyle and blogger. And yet it did not avoid the scandal related to its activity on the Internet. Crisis situation she also got her. After she published a video of her dancing in a thickening costume, a wave of criticism poured over her. The author intended it to be ironic, and addressed to all those who constantly criticize her appearance. The humorous film was also supposed to draw attention to the problem of "body shaming" in general. Meanwhile, Lewandowska herself faced the charges. According to the multitude of Internet users, it not only offended many obese people, but also allowed them to laugh at fat people.
Crisis situation - how to identify it?
In business, a crisis occurs when an unexpected problem threatens the stability of the company or organization. On the one hand, its source may be internal problems. On the other hand, problems can be generated by external influences. Crisis situation it affects business and escalates to such an extent that it gets out of the company's control. If it is not disbanded, it could permanently harm the company or even lead to its collapse. How to identify if what the company is struggling with is crisis situation? The easiest way to evaluate a problem is in terms of three key elements. Knowing them can help you identify these issues before it's too late.
1. The problem poses a direct threat to the company
2. A crisis situation contains an element of surprise or shock
3. Due to the severity of the problem as well as its unexpected nature, a crisis will have an impact on the business
Are you paralyzed by the thought of a crisis?
Prepare for it and use this lesson to your advantage.
Crisis situation - example
Let us analyze the occurrence of a crisis situation on the basis of the case of Anna Lewandowska and the mishap with the video.
Firstly negative reception (for) / (for) playing by Anna Lewandowska. This certainly poses a direct threat to her business. Diet catering, training plan, health food store. Clients may have begun to drop it all in response to the indignation at the coach's behavior. The next element is surprise. Really negative reaction of Internet users was the last what Lewandowska expected, given her intentions. Finally, point number 3. The crisis situation put Lewandowska in the fire of criticism. How did she react to her? She published an extensive post on her Instagram profile. In it, she explained why she decided to publish a video for which she was thundered for. She also apologized to anyone who might have felt offended. She also took legal action against one of the Poznań activists, who compared that jokes about fat people were as funny as jokes about rapes, but the lawsuit was eventually dropped.
How to react to a crisis situation in an enterprise?
We can react to a crisis in a company preventively, actively or reactively. Regardless of whether we nip the problem in the bud or fight a gigantic image fire, properly responding to crisis situations is based on following three simple rules:
- Openness
According to specialists in crisis management in enterprises, in every situation of this type, there is the so-called "Weather window", that is, a strictly defined moment that allows the crisis to be brought under control. In order not to miss it, the company must react quickly and without undue delay. It is also necessary to conduct open communication with the environment from the very first moment that signals the occurrence of a crisis and to use all possible tools to disseminate the company's official position in relation to the crisis situation.
2. Truthfulness
The truth and honesty of communication in times of crisis have a fundamental impact on the credibility of the message and the appropriate reaction of the environment. When the public or journalists spot even a shadow of an attempted lie, there will be an immediate drop in confidence. not only towards the person who committed the possible manipulation, but also towards the company on behalf of which it acted formally or informally.
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3. Partnership
Communication in a crisis situation should be based on a partner dialogue. The issuance of an official statement is only the beginning of further discussion, within which all doubts of the parties involved in the crisis situation should be dispelled. All fears of the environment related to the occurrence of a crisis situation should be treated with due seriousness and not left without an appropriate response.
Can a crisis situation be prevented?
A business crisis can manifest itself in many forms. Therefore, it is best to prepare the company to deal with various exceptional situations. It is a good idea to prepare a number of different scenarios. Answers, each tailored to a different type of crisis. You will need a different solution in the situation financial crisiswhat else will work for personal crisis. Or, you may need tools to tackle an organizational or technological crisis. The pandemic situation needs further action, as we have all experienced recently.
Crisis situation - how to prepare?
The process of managing and dealing with crises is nothing but crisis management. It involves dealing with threats before, during and after they occur. Crisis management activities focus on minimizing damage and enabling the company to recover quickly. Crisis management also applies to the area of public relations. Moreover, it is particularly important in this area.
When a crisis hits your business, it's important to have a plan in place and implement actions to help warming the image. You will implement the plan that will suit the current situation if you take care of its preparation in advance. Then you will be ready to implement crisis management procedures. Contact us - we will create a plan to help you cope with unexpected situations should they arise.
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Crisis situation and crisis in the company - the 5P rule
In order to prevent a crisis situation from turning into a crisis, it is necessary to react quickly and decisively. The most important thing is to follow the 5P rule, which shows you how to deal with each crisis step by step. Crisis management process should be as follows:
- Apologize and, if you are at fault, admit your mistake - express empathy towards those involved in the crisis. Don't bury your head in the sand, but deal with a conflict situation face to face. Show that you are not indifferent to matters relating to the company and employees, and that apologies are the easiest way to initiate a solution to the problem.
- Counteract - take an activity aimed at extinguishing problems in the bud, as well as noticing signals that suggest a possible crisis situation. Monitor the media, conduct regular communication with employees, research customer satisfaction and closely observe the market and the company's environment.
- Prepare yourself - plan an action plan in the event of a given crisis situation. Prepare various scenarios that may occur in connection with the occurrence of a specific crisis factor and set an individual course of action for each of them. Anticipate the consequences of your own and someone else's actions
- Improve yourself - let each crisis be a lesson for you to catch up on. Learn from your mistakes. Take actions that will realistically improve the situation. Let the crisis lead to a real change for the better, because if an organization makes the same mistakes all the time, people lose confidence in it.
- Try to rectify the situation - find out what the crisis has caused, who has suffered losses and how you can compensate for them.