If you haven’t had a crisis management plan until now, this article is for you.
Don’t panic.
It is a natural human desire to flee from an impending threat. Where to run, who to call, where to hide? – The frantic search for protection, the fear of the unknown paralyzes the will and does not allow you to make the right decisions and act adequately. But think about it: if the situation is such that you can not change it and can not affect it in any way – is it worth running, rushing around, give rise to panic. You can just be able to adapt to this situation. It is the speed of your adaptation in this case will affect the success of your further survival. And, perhaps, it is better not to change anything at all for a while, but only to observe the development of the situation, rather than make any hasty decisions. Sometimes it is better to do nothing than to do harm. Unless, of course, your business allows you to.
Observe and analyze.
First, this will allow you to calm down, and, after all, the emotional mood of the manager largely determines the emotional background of the team. Second, observing changes in the situation will help you understand its dynamics, which is important for further operative reaction. Thirdly, the daily analysis of incoming information will enable you to develop new policies and strategies more quickly. Negotiate with your partners and suppliers: form a general picture of your business development. Plan the work of the organization in conditions of both favorable and unfavorable development of a crisis situation. Analyze your workforce: Identify your organization’s most effective employees. Observing and analyzing will also help you transform your business quickly if necessary. Keep an eye out for innovations – in times of crisis even ideas that seemed fantastic and absurd in normal times can “shoot out”. Prepare the ground for the possible re-profiling of activities, calculate the costs of all related activities. Remember that properly calculated risks and competent forecasts will reduce your financial losses.
Learn to save money.
Prioritize correctly: select the main areas of work without which you can not do without even in the worst situation, also highlight the promising areas. Carry out the necessary in your opinion staffing arrangements that can increase the effectiveness of anti-crisis measures. Reallocate resources – support the highest-priority areas of work. Analyze your expenses and spending – try to isolate the most important to your business. Purchase only necessary equipment or those for which a deficit is projected. Reduce spending on rent, purchases, refuse to take out loans and expenditures that are not essential to the business. Form a new scheme of motivation and incentives for the most effective employees.
Fortuna viros magnos amat.
War is war, but lunch is by the book. Even in the direst of times, there is still demand, there are services, there are commodity-money relations. And your task is to respond adequately to the needs of your potential customers. This leads to changes in your financial policy and marketing strategy, as well as possible changes in the profile of your company, updating the list of goods and services to meet the needs of the consumer. Flexibility of your strategy will allow you to quickly respond to changes in the external environment.