Crisis communications

Tom Abbott, Partner – Strategy, shares some of his hard-earned advice for managing crisis communications and shares his four-step framework for getting it right…

The UK Government Communications Service (GCS) has published a very useful Crisis Communications Planning Guide to help government communicators plan for the crises that may (will) arise. While it’s a UK Government document, there are plenty of helpful insights for communicators to get stuck into.

From an internal communications perspective, it used to feel like a crisis was the preserve of the external communications team or public affairs. We felt like bit-part players in the grand game of crisis management.

If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that internal communicators must be at the heart of the crisis communications act. We have an important role to keep colleagues focused on the critical factors, able to either respond to the crisis or maintain normal service while issues are resolved.

The GCS guide is a great reference for building a crisis plan and while you should do it, I hope you never have to use it! In my experience, it’s better to be prepared than caught unaware. I’ve been involved in several crisis response scenarios over many years – none have been my fault I’d like to add – and have always benefited from having well practised plans and processes in place.

Putting this stuff into practice can feel intimidating, so here are four thoughts based on the hard yards of real crises responses.

1) In a crisis, think beyond just regular progress updates to colleagues

During a crisis, keeping colleagues up-to-date is not just a necessary act, it can be a moment to highlight the very best of your business and people. Updates on progress are just the beginning.

  • A crisis can be a moment to celebrate individual or team performances where your colleagues go above and beyond to resolve issues
  • They can be the moments where your culture and behaviours are right at the fore, driving action and results, or a moment where your values are most evident
  • It can be a chance to demonstrate your commitment to customer or community service and show how your people deliver for others
  • As part of recovery, take the opportunity to tell stories about how your people stepped up.

There are crises where colleagues are not just the people resolving the issue, but where they could also be deeply affected by the crisis. For example, when Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast of the US in 2012, many of the utility workers who were hard-pressed restoring services and repairing damage were from the very communities they were working in. Workers’ own homes were flooded or damaged, so the impact was doubly felt. Recognising the commitment in extreme circumstances can be an incredibly powerful thing to do, and creating content that tells these stories is deeply meaningful for all involved.

2) Don’t forget the day job

When pulling together a crisis plan, it can be easy to focus on what needs to happen to manage the crisis communications. It can be all consuming.

There is still, however, a business or service that needs to keep functioning during the crisis. Resourcing needs to consider not just the crisis management team, but also what the demands are of those who will keep the ship sailing while valuable expertise is redirected.

Some crises overwhelm the day-to-day and you have to completely refocus the organisation on crisis response. Others can be a major issue, but the rest of the business continues to function, needing the usual support. Planning for this can make sure you continue to deliver for colleagues and customers while the storm plays out.

3) Plan for the long haul

Despite best efforts, sometimes a crisis can just keep going. When a crisis slips from hours to days, days to weeks, and beyond, it can become exhausting. Make sure your plans factor in the possibility that you could be in it for the long run. I’ve been involved in a crisis management situation that ran for a long time, dipping in and out of the headlines. Sustaining good practice and discipline over the long haul takes careful management as teams need to be given recovery time and new personnel need to be brought up to speed.

The new GCS framework has a lot to say on looking after the people managing the crisis, and I can’t support that enough.

4) Keep an eye on recovery

This is something to consider in any crisis. While the necessary emphasis is on managing the immediate crisis, we always had a few people focused on post-crisis recovery. Once the dust settles, where do you go next? What needs to be done to re-establish credibility or trust (in both colleagues and customers)? Leaving this to the point at which the crisis is over could mean missed opportunities and delays in getting back on the front foot. If you have the resources available, it’s a good idea to allocate someone to start planning for clearer waters.


If you’d like to learn more about the role that internal communications can have during a crisis or would like advice on how to prepare for the future, why not get in touch?