Are you a crisis manager? Read to find out more
An organisational crisis is nothing new. A crisis can emerge from internal and external factors. Crisis management is an art that requires patience, perseverance, and most importantly a calm head. Here’s how you can evolve into one:
A cool head
The first major attribute of being a top crisis manager is a calm and cool head. Panicking will only worsen the situation. On the other hand, being relaxed in such a situation can not only help in finding a viable solution, but also help the organisation rebuild, post-crisis.
If you can keep your calm when the going gets tough, you can not only resolve the crisis but also send a positive message to others in the organisation. It will especially be helpful for newcomers and freshers who may freak out in such a situation.
Communication
During a crisis, rumours fly thick and fast. They further fan a crisis and therefore it’s important to communicate at the earliest with all stakeholders before the situation gets out of hand. It is almost impossible to manage a crisis without communication.
Being a crisis manager, it’s your duty to immediately engage and hold talks with everybody in the organisation and make them aware about the situation. This is crucial to building trust and transparency, two key elements of dealing with a crisis effectively.
A creative approach
Each crisis is unique and therefore needs a creative approach to be solved. Being a crisis manager requires you to think out the box to come up with an exclusive solution. Tried and tested methods hardly work and hence it’s essential to have a creative bent of mind.
Top crisis managers automatically get into this mode due to their experience of managing different crises. A skill learnt with time, a creative approach would help you better handle an uncomfortable situation.
Awareness about outside events
While it’s important to be aware about internal situations during a crisis, a good crisis manager will equally be aware about the events happening outside that could have a potential impact on what’s happening within the organisation.
Sometimes, a crisis is magnified because of what’s happening outside and this can potentially lead to bigger complications. If you are crisis manager or want to become one, it’s your responsibility to minimise the impact of the outside events.
Ability to take decisions
Decision-making is not and should not only be limited to the top hierarchy. As a crisis manager, you must have the ability and confidence to make decisions and tough ones, if required. It doesn’t end here.
It’s equally important to prioritise decisions to effectively deal with the situation and restore trust and confidence of all employees and stakeholders.
Use your business expansion loan to mitigate crises, and even hire a crisis manager. Being team-oriented and having a healthy relationship with strategic and key players to formulate a plan relating to business is another trait of a crisis leader. As crises can come unannounced, it’s essential to be prepared.
