After the crisis….

After the crisis is over and all communication with the news media has ended, don’t just sit back and do nothing; you won’t be ready for the next crisis! It is time to evaluate how you handled the crisis. Your review should include the following:

• A review of why the crisis occurred. Could you have done anything to prevent the crisis
• An evaluation of how the crisis was handled. You may want to use the crisis communication inventory you maintained to evaluate how communication was handled. Was information disseminated through one spokesperson? Did miscommunication occur?
• An examination of similar scenarios. What would you do in a similar situation in the future? What did others do in similar situations?

A crisis will happen in the life of most organizations. Taking time now to prepare for a crisis – even if you think it will never occur – and how to communicate to the news media during a crisis is your best defense.